The Tamil language has number words and dedicated symbols for them in the Tamil script.
Old Tamil possesses a special numerical character for zero (see Old Tamil numerals below), which is read as (literally, no/nothing); yet Modern Tamil renounces the use of its native character and uses the Indian symbol '0' for Shunya meaning nothingness in Indic thought. Modern Tamil words for zero include Tamil: சுழியம் or Tamil: பூஜ்ஜியம் .
| Modern Tamil script | Tamil numeral | Tamil word and transliteration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tamil: ௦ | Tamil: சுழியம் Old Tamil: Tamil: பாழ் [1] | ||
| Tamil: ௧ | Tamil: ஒன்று | ||
| Tamil: ௨ | Tamil: இரண்டு | ||
| Tamil: ௩ | Tamil: மூன்று | ||
| Tamil: ௪ | Tamil: நான்கு | ||
| Tamil: ௫ | Tamil: ஐந்து | ||
| Tamil: ௬ | Tamil: ஆறு | ||
| Tamil: ௭ | Tamil: ஏழு | ||
| Tamil: ௮ | Tamil: எட்டு | ||
| Tamil: ௯ | Tamil: ஒன்பது | ||
| Tamil: ௰ | Tamil: பத்து |
Tamil has a numeric prefix for each number from 1 to 9, which can be added to the words for the powers of ten (ten, hundred, thousand, etc.) to form multiples of them. For instance, the word for fifty, Tamil: ஐம்பது is a combination of Tamil: ஐ (the prefix for five) and Tamil: பத்து (which is ten). The prefix for nine changes with respect to the succeeding base 10. Tamil: தொ + the unvoiced consonant of the succeeding base 10 forms the prefix for nine. For instance, 90 is Tamil: தொ + Tamil: ண் (Tamil: ண் being the unvoiced version of Tamil: ணூ), hence, Tamil: தொண்ணூறு).
| Tamil script | Tamil prefix | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| Tamil: ௧ | Tamil: ஓர் | |
| Tamil: ௨ | Tamil: ஈர் | |
| Tamil: ௩ | Tamil: மூ | |
| Tamil: ௪ | Tamil: நான் | |
| Tamil: ௫ | Tamil: ஐ | |
| Tamil: ௬ | Tamil: ஆறு | |
| Tamil: ௭ | Tamil: ஏழ் | |
| Tamil: ௮ | Tamil: எண் | |
These are typically void in the Tamil language except for some Hindu references; for example, Tamil: அட்ட இலட்சுமிகள் (the eight Lakshmis). Even in religious contexts, the Tamil language is usually more preferred for its more poetic nature and relatively low incidence of consonant clusters.
Unlike other modern Indian number systems, Tamil has distinct digits for 10, 100, and 1000. It also has distinct characters for other number-based aspects of day-to-day life.
| ten | hundred | thousand | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tamil: ௰ | Tamil: ௱ | Tamil: ௲ |
| day | month | year | debit | credit | as above | rupee | numeral | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tamil: ௳ | Tamil: ௴ | Tamil: ௵ | Tamil: ௶ | Tamil: ௷ | Tamil: ௸ | Tamil: ௹ | Tamil: ௺ |
There are two numeral systems that can be used in the Tamil language: the Tamil system which is as follows[2]
The following are the traditional numbers of the region.
| Rank | 101 | 102 | 103 | 104 | 105 | 106 | 109 | 1012 | 1015 | 1018 | 1020 | 1021 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Words | பத்து | நூறு | ஆயிரம் | பத்தாயிரம் | நூறாயிரம் | மெய்யிரம் | தொள்ளுண் | ஈகியம் | நெளை | இளஞ்சி | வெள்ளம் | ஆம்பல் | |
| Character | Tamil: ௰ | Tamil: ௱ | Tamil: ௲ | Tamil: ௰௲ | Tamil: ௱௲ | Tamil: ௲௲ | Tamil: ௲௲௲ | Tamil: ௲௲௲௲ | Tamil: ௲௲௲௲௲ | Tamil: ௲௲௲௲௲௲ | Tamil: ௱௲௲௲௲௲௲ | Tamil: ௲௲௲௲௲௲௲ | |
| Transliteration | |||||||||||||
| Translation | ten | hundred | thousand | ten thousand | hundred thousand | million | billion (milliard) | trillion (billion) | quadrillion (billiard) | quintillion (trillion) | hundred quintillion | sextillion (trilliard) |
See also: Indian numbering system.
| Rank | 105 | 106 | 107 | 108 | 109 | 1011 | 1013 | 1015 | 1017 | 1019 | 1021 | 1025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Words | Tamil: இலட்சம் | Tamil: பத்து இலட்சம் | Tamil: கோடி | Tamil: பத்துக் கோடி | Tamil: அற்புதம் | Tamil: நிகர்ப்புதம் | Tamil: கர்வம் | Tamil: சங்கம் | Tamil: அர்த்தம் | Tamil: பூரியம் | Tamil: முக்கொடி | Tamil: மாயுகம் | |
| Character | Tamil: ௱௲ | Tamil: ௲௲ | Tamil: ௰௲௲ | Tamil: ௱Tamil: ௲Tamil: ௲ | Tamil: ௲௲௲ | Tamil: ௱௲௲௲ | Tamil: ௱௲௲௲௲ | Tamil: ௲௲௲௲௲ | Tamil: ௱௲௲௲௲௲ | Tamil: ௰௲௲௲௲௲௲ | Tamil: ௲௲௲௲௲௲௲ | Tamil: ௰௲௲௲௲௲௲௲௲ | |
| Transliteration | |||||||||||||
| Translation | lakh | ten lakh | crore | ten crore | arab | kharab | nil / hundred kharab | padma | shankh / hundred padma | hundred shankh | ten thousand shankh | ten crore shankh |
Proposals to encode Tamil fractions and symbols to Unicode were submitted.[3] [4] As of version 12.0, Tamil characters used for fractional values in traditional accounting practices were added to the Unicode Standard.
Any fraction can be transcribed by affixing -Tamil: இல் (-il) after the denominator followed by the numerator. For instance, 1/41 can be said as Tamil: நாற்பத்து ஒன்றில் ஒன்று .
The suffixing of the -Tamil: இல் requires the last consonant of the number to be changed to its Tamil: இ form. For example, Tamil: மூன்று + Tamil: இல் (+) becomes Tamil: மூன்றில் ; note the Tamil: உ has been omitted.
Common fractions (Tamil: பொது பின்னங்கள்) have names already allocated to them, hence, these names are often used rather than the above method.
Other fractions include:
| Value | Name | Transliteration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| = 0.1875 | Tamil: மும்மாகாணி | ||
| = 0.15 | Tamil: மும்மா | ||
| = 0.046875 | Tamil: முக்கால்வீசம் | ||
| = 0.0375 | Tamil: முக்காணி | ||
| = 0.03125 | Tamil: அரைவீசம் | ||
| = 0.015625 | Tamil: கால் வீசம் | ||
| = 0.009375 | Tamil: முக்கால்காணி | ||
| = 0.003125 | Tamil: முந்திரி | ||
| = 0.00234375 | Tamil: கீழ் முக்கால் | ||
| = 0.0015625 | Tamil: கீழரை | ||
| = 7.8125 | Tamil: கீழ் கால் | ||
| = 0.000625 | Tamil: கீழ் நாலுமா | ||
| ≈ 5.85938 | Tamil: கீழ் மூன்று வீசம் | ||
| = 4.6875 | Tamil: கீழ் மும்மா | ||
| = 0.0004 | Tamil: கீழ் அரைக்கால் | ||
| = 3.12500 | Tamil: கீழ் இருமா | ||
| ≈ 1.95313 | Tamil: கீழ் வீசம் | ||
| = 1.56250 | Tamil: கீழொருமா | ||
| ≈ 9.76563 | Tamil: கீழ்முந்திரி | ||
| ≈ 4.65030 | Tamil: இம்மி | ||
| ≈ 4.22754 | Tamil: மும்மி | ||
| ≈ 6.03935 | Tamil: அணு | ||
| ≈ 6.71039 | Tamil: குணம் | ||
| ≈ 1.34208 | Tamil: பந்தம் | ||
| ≈ 2.23680 | Tamil: பாகம் | ||
| ≈ 3.19542 | Tamil: விந்தம் | ||
| ≈ 1.87966 | Tamil: நாகவிந்தம் | ||
| ≈ 1.34261 | Tamil: சிந்தை | ||
| ≈ 6.71307 | Tamil: கதிர்முனை | ||
| ≈ 1.67827 | Tamil: குரல்வளைப்படி | ||
| ≈ 2.79711 | Tamil: வெள்ளம் | ||
| ≈ 2.79711 | Tamil: நுண்மணல் | ||
| ≈ 4.30325 | Tamil: தேர்த்துகள் |
Decimal point is called Tamil: புள்ளி in Tamil. For example, 1.1 would be read as Tamil: ஒன்று புள்ளி ஒன்று . In Sri Lankan Tamil, Thasam தசம்.
Percentage is known as Tamil: விழுக்காடு in Tamil or Tamil: சதவீதம் . These words are simply added after a number to form percentages. For instance, four percent is Tamil: நான்கு சதவீதம் or Tamil: நான்கு விழுக்காடு . Percentage symbol (%) is also recognised and used.
Ordinal numbers are formed by adding the suffix -Tamil: ஆம் after the number, except for 'First'.
| Ordinal | Tamil | Transliteration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| First | முதல் | ||
| Second | Tamil: இரண்டாம் | ||
| Third | Tamil: மூன்றாம் | ||
| Fourth | Tamil: நான்காம் | ||
| 101st | Tamil: நூற்று ஒறாம் |
| English | Tamil | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| Single | Tamil: ஒற்றை | |
| Pair | Tamil: இரட்டை | |
| Reproductives | Tamil: ௺ + Tamil: வினைச்சொல் | Numeric prefix + noun* |
| Single (pillar), double (pillar)... | Tamil: ஒருக்(Tamil: கால்), Tamil: இருக்(Tamil: கால்)- | , * |
| Distributives | Tamil: ௺ + Tamil: முறை | Numeric prefix + |
| Once, twice... | Tamil: ஒருமுறை, Tamil: இருமுறை | , |
This song is a list of each number with a concept its primarily associated with.
| Tamil | Transliteration | English | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tamil: ஒரு குலம் | One race | ||
| Tamil: ஈரினம் | Two sexesmale (Tamil: ஆண்,), female (Tamil: பெண்,) | ||
| Tamil: முத்தமிழ் | Three sections of Tamilliterature (Tamil: இயல்,), music (Tamil: இசை,), and drama (Tamil: நாடகம்,) | ||
| Tamil: நான்மறை | Four scriptures | ||
| Tamil: ஐம்புலன் | Five senses | ||
| Tamil: அறுசுவை | Six tastessweet, pungent, bitter, sour, salty, and astringent . | ||
| Tamil: ஏழிசை | Seven musical notes | ||
| Tamil: எண் பக்கம் | Eight directionseast, west, north, south, south-west, south-east, north-west, and north-east . | ||
| Tamil: நவமணிகள் | Nine gemsdiamond (Tamil: வைரம்,), emerald (Tamil: மரகதம்,), blue sapphire (Tamil: நீலம்,), garnet (Tamil: கோமேதகம்,), red coral (Tamil: பவளம்,), ruby (Tamil: மாணிக்கம்,), pearl (Tamil: முத்து,), topaz (Tamil: புட்பராகம்,), and cat's eye (Tamil: வைடூரியம்,). | ||
| Tamil: தொன்மெய்ப்பாடு | Also known as as per the dance expressions. These are joyful, humour, cries, innocent, proud, fear, disgust, wonder, and tranquility .[5] |
As the ancient classical language of the Dravidian languages, Tamil numerals influenced and shaped the numerals of the others in the family. The following table compares the main Dravidian languages.
| Number | Tamil | Kannada | Malayalam | Tulu | Telugu | Kolami | Kurukh | Brahui | Proto-Dravidian | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
| |||||||||
| 2 | , |
| ||||||||
| 3 |
| |||||||||
| 4 | , | (II) |
| |||||||
| 5 | , | , | 3 | (II) | (II) |
| ||||
| 6 | 3 | (II) | (II) |
| ||||||
| 7 | ,, | 3 | (II) | (II) |
| |||||
| 8 | ,,, | 3 | (II) | (II) |
| |||||
| 9 | 3 | (II) | (II) |
| ||||||
| 10 | 3 | (II) | (II) |
|
Also, Tamil through the Pallava script which itself through the Kawi script, Khmer script and other South-east Asian scripts has shaped the numeral grapheme of most South-east Asian languages.
Before the Government of India unveiled as the new rupee symbol, people in Tamil Nadu used the Tamil letter Tamil: ௹ as the symbol. This symbol continues to be used occasionally as rupee symbol by Indian Tamils. It is also used by Tamils in Sri Lanka.
The symbol Tamil: ௳ is also known as the, a symbol that most Tamil Hindus will start off any auspicious document with. It is written to invoke the god, known otherwise as Ganesha, who is the remover of obstacles.