Tamil Wiki:Terminologies

Sitrilakyam

Sir/ Cir - metrical foot

Adi - metrical line

Pa/Pavinam - Metre

Kalivirutham, Kalithalisai, Kalithurai - auxiliary metres of Kalippa

Sandhavirutham - Stanzas with uniform rhythmic movements

Kalippa - One of the four principal classes of metre in Tamil.

Kalithurai - An auxiliary form of Kalippa metre, comprising four lines of five feet each.

Akaval - one of the four basic types of verse in Tamil prosody which employs Akaval metre characterized by Akaval rhythm, the loud notes of call like those of a peacock. Any kind of feet can occur in it.

Vencir/Vensir - Trisyllabic simple

Iyarcir/Iyarsir - disyllabic simple

Asiriya uriccir/uricheer - disyllabic complex

Thullalosai - Jumping rhythm

Sadhagam/ Catakam - A verse genre: poem of 100 stanzas of didactic and devotional content

Arubathunangu kalaigal - The sixty four traditional arts and sciences

Akkara ilakanam - the science of reading

Ilikidham - Caligraphy

Kanidham - The science of numbers

Vedham - the hindu scriptures

Puranam - Sacred books comprising the whole body of Hindu theology

Ilakanam/ vyakaranam - grammar

Needhisastram - Jurisprudence

Jodhida Sastram - Astronomy including astrology

Dharma Sastram - moral philosophy

Yoga Sastram - rules of religious and abstract meditations

Madhira Sastram - utterances of prayers, hymns, magic etc

Saguna Sastram - the science of prognosticating by omens and augury

Sirpa Sastram - architecture and sculpture

Vaidhya Sastram - science of healing

Uruva Sastram - study of human forms and features

Idhigaasam - Historical and semi historical narratives

Kaaviyam - epic poetry

Alangaaram - rhetoric

Madhura Patanam - eloquence

Nadagam - drama

Nirutham - dance

Satha piramam - modulation of sounds

Veenai - Knowledge of stringed instruments

Venu - knowledge of the flute

Mirudhangam - knowledge of percussion instrument

Thalam - keeping beats

Athira paritchai - archery

Kanaga paritchai - gold assay

Ratha paritchai - chariot lore

Kaja paritchai - elephant lore

Ashwa paritchai - horse lore

Rathina paritchai - gemmology

Bhoomi paritchai - knowledge of soils

Sangirama paritchai - military science

Malyutham - wrestling

Venpa - One of the four kinds of metre, marked by declarative rhythm

Ettuthokai - Eight Anthologies

Pathupattu - Ten Idylls

Agam - lit. inside, category which deals with inner or private life, specifically 'love between man and woman'

Puram - lit. outside, category which deals with outer or public life, specifically 'heroism, war, ethics etc'

Thinai - minor genres

Kaikilai - unrequitted love

Perunthinai - improper love

Agapuram - agam genre mixed with puram elements

Vetchi - cattle raid

Vanchi - preperation for war or invasion

Ulignai - siege

Thumbai - battle

Vaagai - victory

Kaanchi - tragedy or instability

Paadan - elegy or praise

Thalaivan, Kilavan - hero

Thalaivi, kilathi - heroine

Paangan, thozhan - hero's friend

Paangi, thozhi - heroine's friend

Nattrai - mother

Sevili - foster mother

Kootru - speaker

Ketpor - listener

Mudhalporul - lit, 'first, basic things'; consists of basic elements such as a tract of land, a season, a time of day or night

Karuporul - lit, 'things born'; flora and fauna found in the tract, its inhabitants, their occupations etc

Uriporul - lit, 'proper, specific'; the aspect peculiar to each landscape, more specifically, the feelings, deeds and situations of the dramatis personae of the love poetry.

Kurinji - mountains

Neydhal - seashore

Paalai - wastelands

Mullai - forests

Marudham - agricultural plains

Karpu - love after marriage

Kalavu - love before marriage

Kondrai - cassia tree

Cheyyul urupu - constituents of poetry