Talk:Scripts:Names of Months

By Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Swami

According to traditional explanations, the Tamil names of the months preserve modified forms of their original Sanskrit names, reflecting characteristic phonetic developments between the two languages. In most cases, the name of a month is derived from the asterism (nakṣatra) under which the full moon occurs during that month. Examining these names provides an illustration of how Sanskrit phonemes were adapted in Tamil while retaining their original associations.

The month Caitra, associated with the asterism Citrā, became Cittirai in Tamil, with comparatively little phonetic change. Similarly, Vaiśākha, connected with the asterism Viśākhā, became Vaikāsi, illustrating the transformation of Vaiśākha into a distinctly Tamil form. The month is also significant in the Vaiṣṇava tradition because Nammāḻvār is traditionally believed to have been born under the asterism Viśākhā.

The month associated with Anurādhā appears in Sanskrit as Ānuṣī, while the Tamil form Āni reflects the omission of the consonant ś. Likewise, the Sanskrit month Āṣāḍhī, named after the asterisms Pūrvāṣāḍhā and Uttarāṣāḍhā, became Āḍi in Tamil. The corresponding asterisms underwent similar changes: Pūrvāṣāḍhā became Pūrāḍam, while Uttarāṣāḍhā became Uttarāḍam.

Śrāvaṇa, associated with the asterism of the same name, became Āvaṇi in Tamil, with the initial śr disappearing. The asterism itself became Ōṇam, and because it is traditionally regarded as sacred to Mahāviṣṇu, it is known as Tiruvōṇam. Similarly, the asterism Ārdrā, regarded as sacred to Śiva, is called Tiruvādirai in Tamil. The addition of the honorific Tiru to these names reflects their significance. The Kārttikai festival, celebrated in the month corresponding to Sanskrit Kārttika, similarly receives the prefix Tiru during the festival.

These examples also illustrate a broader phonetic tendency in Tamil, whereby initial ś, ṣ, or s sounds are frequently omitted or transformed. The discourse illustrates this tendency through additional examples, such as the evolution of Siṃhala into Īḻam. Likewise, Sanskrit sahasra corresponds to Tamil āyiram. The discourse further observes similarities among Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, and even certain European numerals, suggesting historical linguistic relationships without attempting a systematic philological analysis.

The month corresponding to Proṣṭhapadā likewise preserves the distinction between Pūrva and Uttara forms. Pūrvaproṣṭhapadā became Purattādi, while Uttaraproṣṭhapadā became Uttarattādi. The Tamil month Purattāsi is traditionally regarded as being derived from Proṣṭhapadī.

The Sanskrit month Āśvayujī, associated with the asterism Aśvinī, became Aippasi in Tamil. Kārttika became Kārttigai, preserving much of the original form, while the month Mārgaśīrṣa evolved into Mārgaḻi, during which the festival of Tiruvādirai is observed.

The month Pauṣya, associated with the asterism Puṣya, became Tai in Tamil through its alternate Sanskrit name Taiṣya, with the latter syllable being omitted. The asterism itself became Pūsam, and the discourse notes that this usage also influenced the Tamil name Punarpūsam for Punarvasu.

The Sanskrit month Māgha became Māsi, while the month corresponding to Phālguna became Paṅguni. Although the Sanskrit names distinguish Pūrvaphālgunī and Uttaraphālgunī, Tamil preserves only Pūram and Uttiram, omitting the Phālguna element. The month Paṅguni culminates in the well-known festival of Paṅguni Uttiram (Paṅguni Uttiram Tirukkalyāṇam).

Thus, the Tamil names of the months preserve the Sanskrit originals in modified phonetic forms. Examining these names provides an illustration of the characteristic sound changes by which Sanskrit words were adapted into Tamil while retaining their traditional astronomical and calendrical associations.