[lit-ideas] Re: The Oxford Book of Tamil Verse

Are "gentile" and "genteel" synonyms? What say ye? If not, choose genteel in the appropriate context. 

Mike Geary
Memphis
----- Original Message ----- From: "Mike Geary" <atlas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> 
To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2009 3:54 PM
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: The Oxford Book of Tamil Verse



JL:
I won't be able to finish the review of the book of Tamil verse you sent me 
to review for the Memphis  Metaphysical Ministry. It's not _bilingual_!
Thank you for responding to my request. I must confess, however, that I am very disappointed. I went to the trouble of transliterating the Tamil into the Latin Alphabet for you, knowing you were no master of their iconography. The least then, I should think, is that you could apply your linguistic learning to translate the text. It's not as if it's Old Tamil. These are not rock inscriptions, after all, these passages are from the Bhakthi period. I assume (or did assume) you were well familiar with the Middle Period -- after all, your claim to fame is your commentaries on the Kamba Ramayanam -- surely you weren't working from someone else's translation!
I don't think it's wise for me to comment on your expansion on the grammars, nor do I think it's necessary that you include grammatical examples on your 
talk on Thursday.
Grammar is what separates us from the beasts. Have you ever wondered why the lower classes act so beastly? Here's a clue: check out their grammar. Yes, that's why. They are beastly because their grammar is beastly. Grammar is, as you and I both know, nothing more than a shibboleth for education and class and worthiness. So, too, is accent. As is vocabulary. As is just about everything in existence. But none of that matters. What matters is that though it's true that "ain't" conveys the same grammatical meaning as "is/am/are not", what "ain't" doesn't convey is gentile upbringing and grammar's main function in human communication isn't communication of meaning, but communication of class. And them what don't speak it don't gets no job. It's as simple as that. We here at the Memphis Metaphysical Ministry have struggled to establish Grammatical Outreach Programs for many years, but these people here are just too stupid or lazy or whatever to take advantage of our help. I was hoping that your translations of Tamil religious texts might inspired a greater interest in grammatical correctness in the innercity neighborhoods of Memphis and perchance turn this city around, but if you're too busy or not up to the task, I guess I'll just have to call on Mirembe Nantango. I'm sure she knows Middle Tamil. Thank you for your time and consideration, though they have come to nothing yet. 

Mike Geary
Head Minister
Memphis Metaphical Misistry
Memphis
----- Original Message ----- From: <Jlsperanza@xxxxxxx> 
To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2009 1:59 PM
Subject: [lit-ideas] The Oxford Book of Tamil Verse



Geary,
I won't be able to finish the review of the book of Tamil verse you sent me 
to review for the Memphis  Metaphysical Ministry. It's not _bilingual_!

You write in the  'Introduction':


There are some unique  rhyming schemes in
Tamil, an  understanding of which is a must
to appreciate  the eroticism of these verses.

Specifically, the rhyme called 'edukai'
rhymes on the beginning of a subsequent line of
a poem (See pp. 78-79; also 57-9; 178-90,  ss)

The effect of 'edukai',  though a little strange
at first,  rapidly becomes pleasant to the reader,
and to the Tamil it is as   enjoyable as the end rhyme.



I want to say, "if not more". But  don't that be a slight rude for the
ministry?

You go  on:

The other rhyme and  related patterns
are called  'monai' (see pp. 78-90, 45-9, ss, pp.  789-65)

as in

monai edukai edukai monai monai       b
edukai monai [caesura]  edukai            a

'todai' (pp. 72-0, 127-83, ff)

as in B78-6 [Cyril  transcript]

monai edukai todai irattai        a
kilavi [caesura] kilavi          b

and

'irattai kilavi' (pp. 763-0  65-0,  87-ff

-- the locus classicus being B870c -- dial.  --:

edukai monai irattai todai        b
todai kilavi  irattai                    b
I don't think it's wise for me to comment on your expansion on the grammars, nor do I think it's necessary that you include grammatical examples on your 
talk on Thursday. Keep well,

Cheers,

JL
"Some classical Tamil poetry forms, such as Venpa, have rigid grammars for rhyme to the point that they could be expressed as a context-free grammar" --
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