I. EARLIEST REFERENCES TO TAMIL 1. The chief intention of this brief note is to draw the attention of scholars to the earliest references pertaining to Tamil available in ancient Tamil works. This is necessary not merely because of its interesting nature but of its historical value. Again this is essential not only to assess the antiquity of the language but also to understand the basis of appreciation of the love of mother-tongue by the Tamils of prespost Sangam age. - And it has to be mentioned here and now that even Sanskrit does not make any reference to Tamil as such. Nor does Tamil about Sanskrit. This is indeed very surprising. 1.1. Tolkāppiyam (c. 700 B.C.),” the earliest Tamil grammar in/of Tamil is known for its uniqueness in treating not only the Grammar of the language (of sounds, words, syntax and meanings of words etc.,) but also of literature itself. 1.2. In this ancient Tamil grammatical work, Tolkāppiyar, who is considered to be more comprehensive than even Pānini because of the above-mentioned speciality of treatment of the grammar of literature itself, has only three references to Tamil which are of importance because of their antiquity” and unambiguous nature. In the Sūtra that occurs in the first part itself of Tolkāppiyam, that speaks of the grammar of sounds and their behaviour Tolkäppiyar clearly records the fact of the exsistence of the word Tamil in a very homely way.” This itself establishes the truth that the word “Tamil' was in popular usage meaning the language. Such seems to be not the case with Sanskrit in Pänini: 1.2.1. The second and third references of Tolkāppiyam to Tamil are found in part two, chapter nine, while dealing with
