Colporul A History of Tamil Dictionaries

Colporul: A History of Tamil Dictionaries

Colporul traces the unique history of the evolution of Tamil dictionaries and other reference works from the earliest times to the present. Gregory James treats lexicography in the wider context of reference science, from a sociolinguistic viewpoint. He relates the chronological development of Tamil dictionaries to their social, political and historical significance. A particular feature of the work is its extensive bibliography and the detailed discussion of unpublished manuscripts of and about Tamil lexicography from over 70 libraries in 15 countries in Africa, America, Asia and Europe. Colporul is the most comprehensive study of Tamil lexicography yet to be published in English.