He explained, as I understand, supposedly: others' speech and the measure of commitment
Wave 5 gave the quotative எண்டு and the hearsay -ஆம். The fifty-eighth unit finishes the job: Tamil can not only pass on others' words but show how far the speaker vouches for them. English does this with parenthetical words; Tamil with endings — and that is why the phrase tag on these cards describes the English side, not the Tamil one. For example: “அவர் நாளைக்கு வருவார் எண்டு சொன்னார், ஆனா வர மாட்டார் எண்டாம்”…
How it works
Wave 5 gave the quotative எண்டு (eṇḍu) and the hearsay -ஆம். The fifty-eighth unit finishes the job: Tamil can not only pass on others' words but show how far the speaker vouches for them. English does this with parenthetical words; Tamil with endings — and that is why the phrase tag on these cards describes the English side, not the Tamil one.
எண்டு: I vouch, I pass it on word for word. அவர் வருவார் எண்டு சொன்னார் (avar varuvār eṇḍu soṉṉār) — he said that he will come. Inside the quotative the words stay as they were: a question stays a question (எங்க எண்டு கேட்டா (eṅga eṇḍu kēṭṭā) she asked where), an order stays an order.
-ஆம்: I heard from people, I do not vouch. சொல்லுறாங்களாம் (solluṟāṅgaḷām) they say; அவர் ஊரில இல்லை எண்டாம் (avar ūrila illai eṇḍām) he is supposedly not in the village. It glues onto a ready-made verb and removes the responsibility entirely.
போல (pōla): it seems, but I am not sure. நான் கேள்விப்பட்டனான் போல (nāṉ kēḷvippaṭṭaṉāṉ pōla) — I think I heard. It stands at the very end and is softer than -ஆம்.
மட்டில (maṭṭila): within what I know. எனக்கு விளங்கின மட்டில (eṉakku viḷaṅgiṉa maṭṭila) as far as I understand, கேள்விப்பட்ட மட்டில (kēḷvippaṭṭa maṭṭila) by hearsay. The most honest of the reservations: the speaker draws the border of his own knowledge.
-படி (-paḍi): with a reference to the source. நேரா பாத்தவர் சொன்னபடி (nērā pāttavar soṉṉapaḍi) by the words of an eyewitness, சட்டப்படி (saṭṭappaḍi) by law. Here the responsibility is shifted onto the named source.
சொல்லி (solli): a request, not a report. A request is not passed with the quotative: காசு தரச் சொல்லி கேட்டார் (kāsu tarac solli kēṭṭār) — he asked to give money, word for word 'having-said to-give, asked'. The infinitive plus சொல்லி is the only way, and எண்டு here would be a mistake.
The whole scale. From full commitment to none at all: எண்டு → -படி → மட்டில → போல → -ஆம். Choosing the wrong step, you either take on others' words 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 understand, supposedly: how does it work in Tamil?
Wave 5 gave the quotative எண்டு and the hearsay -ஆம். The fifty-eighth unit finishes the job: Tamil can not only pass on others' words but show how far the speaker vouches for them. English does this with parenthetical words; Tamil with endings — and that is why the phrase tag on these cards…
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.