TN home of ancient civilisation, Tamil is as old as Sanskrit: RN Ravi

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu is the home of ancient civilisation and its language, which is probably as old as Sanskrit, has assimilated words from that language, Governor RN Ravi said on Friday.

Sanskrit, too, was enriched with Tamil words, he claimed during his interaction with students of Bihar as part of the Yuva Sangam, Phase II, at the Raj Bhavan here.

"Tamil Nadu is not adequately understood and appreciated in some of the northern parts of the country because of ignorance. And I must confess that during my stay here, everyday I am more and more fascinated by learning more and more things about this place. Tamil Nadu is the most ancient civilisation, and has an ancient language which is as old as Sanskrit," Ravi, who assumed charge in September 2021, as Governor, said.

"The fact is, Sanskrit has taken a lot of words from Tamil and similarly many words from Sanskrit are also in Tamil," he said.

Tamil literature and philosophy are several thousand years old, he claimed. "The Tamil language is not only old but also is very rich and powerful. Its richness depends on its ability to conceptualise things and express them," he said.

Replying to a question, Ravi said he was married at a young age and that his wife was a pillar of strength to him always. "Mine is a child marriage and she has not gone to college, but she is a pillar of my strength. I can take on the world, I don't care... When I come home, there's someone to stand by me. Nothing else. You don't need anything else," the Governor said.