He explained, as I understood it, supposedly: how far you vouch
Tamil can not only pass on somebody else's words but show how far you vouch for them. English does this with words like 'apparently'; Tamil does it with endings. For example: “அவர் நாளைக்கு வருவார் எண்டு சொன்னார், ஆனா வர மாட்டார் எண்டாம்” — He said he would come tomorrow, but supposedly he will not. A rule from the Tamil course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Tamil can not only pass on somebody else's words but show how far you vouch for them. English does this with words like 'apparently'; Tamil does it with endings.
எண்டு (eṇḍu) — I vouch, this is word for word: அவர் வருவார் எண்டு சொன்னார் (avar varuvār eṇḍu soṉṉār) 'he said he would come'. -படி (-paḍi) puts the weight on the source: நேரா பாத்தவர் சொன்னபடி (nērā pāttavar soṉṉapaḍi) 'by an eyewitness'.
மட்டில (maṭṭila) draws the border of your own knowledge: எனக்கு விளங்கின மட்டில (eṉakku viḷaṅgiṉa maṭṭila) 'as far as I understood'. போல (pōla) is softer still: கேள்விப்பட்டனான் போல (kēḷvippaṭṭaṉāṉ pōla) 'I think I heard'. And -ஆம் drops the weight entirely: இல்லை எண்டாம் (illai eṇḍām) 'supposedly not'.
The whole scale runs from full vouching to none: எண்டு, -படி, மட்டில, போல, -ஆம். Take the wrong step and you either claim someone's words as your own or offend the one who said them.
Table
| Form | How much commitment | Example | In English |
|---|---|---|---|
| எண்டு | full, word for word | வருவார் எண்டு சொன்னார் | he said he will come |
| -படி | a reference to a source | சொன்னபடி | by the words of so-and-so |
| மட்டில | within my knowledge | விளங்கின மட்டில | as far as I understand |
| போல | it seems | கேள்விப்பட்டனான் போல | I gather that |
| -ஆம் | they say, I am not in it | இல்லை எண்டாம் | supposedly not |
| சொல்லி | a request, not a report | தரச் சொல்லி கேட்டார் | he asked to give |
By example
- அவர் நாளைக்கு வருவார் எண்டு சொன்னார், ஆனா வர மாட்டார் எண்டாம்avar nāḷaikku varuvār eṇḍu soṉṉār, āṉā vara māṭṭār eṇḍāmHe said he would come tomorrow, but supposedly he will not
- எனக்கு விளங்கின மட்டில கடை மூடிட்டாங்க, நேரா பாத்தவர் சொன்னபடி நேற்றேeṉakku viḷaṅgiṉa maṭṭila kaḍai mūḍiṭṭāṅga, nērā pāttavar soṉṉapaḍi nēṟṟēAs far as I understand, the shop was closed, and by an eyewitness — already yesterday
- அவ கடை எங்க எண்டு கேட்டா, நான் வழியை விளக்கிச் சொன்னன்ava kaḍai eṅga eṇḍu kēṭṭā, nāṉ vaḻiyai viḷakkic soṉṉaṉShe asked where the shop was, and I explained the way
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
He explained, as I understood it, supposedly: how does it work in Tamil?
Tamil can not only pass on somebody else's words but show how far you vouch for them. English does this with words like 'apparently'; Tamil does it with endings.
What does it look like in an example sentence Tamil?
“அவர் நாளைக்கு வருவார் எண்டு சொன்னார், ஆனா வர மாட்டார் எண்டாம்” (avar nāḷaikku varuvār eṇḍu soṉṉār, āṉā vara māṭṭār eṇḍām) — He said he would come tomorrow, but supposedly he will not. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.