V.The Cognates

For words of Dravidian origin, cognates form kindred languages Telugu, Kanarese, Malayalam, Tulu, etc., are given within square brackets. if of several meanings given to a word, one alone has cognate forms given, it is to be understood that the Tamil word that particular meaning has such cognate forms, and not the word withother meanings.

VI. The Meanings

1. The Lexicon has adopted the following principles in arranging the meanings of words

a. Where chronological arrangement is possible, it is followed

b. Where it is not possible, a logical arrangement is followed ; but this is modified by the principle of arranging the meanings in the order of comparative familiarity in usage.

c. In words of non-Tamil origin, the senses they bear in the original tongue are given precedence over their significances, irrespective of chronological order.

2. When a single word is used both as a noun andas a verb, the noun and the verb are treated separately in two articles ; but in cases, where a word is used in different parts of speech, other than verb, it is treated in a single article. But its meanings are separately numbered under each part ofspeech.

3. In showing the transitive andintransitive and intransitive uses of verbs, an invariable order is not followed. Preponderance of use determining the order, sometimes the transitive and sometimes the intransitive is given first

4. Some verbs are conjugated in two or more, as shown by the numerals prefixed to v.

5. When, after the mention of the parts of speech of a word, the indication 'see' is written and next to it the word to be lookedup, theintention is that the meanings under the same parts of speech are to be referred to.

6. Among synonyms, i.e., among different words having identical meaning, the commonest in use is treated in full ; and other words are referred to the commonest synonym, e.g.,

Technical (Latin or other) equivalents are given under the commonly used names of minerals, plants, animals, etc., and not under their less known synonyms

7. Where, in giving English meanings, the italicized transliteration of a Tamil word is given, the Tamil word thus presented may be referred to in its place in the Lexicon for a full explanation. Thus in 'அமுதவெழுத்து... the wordதசாங்கம்... is to be consulted.

8. Technical words pertaining to schools of philosophy, religion, arts, sciences, etc., have abbreviated indications of the specials branch of learning they relate to e.g., சற்காரியவாதம்... (Phill.).

9. As in the case of Winslow's Tamil, Brown's Telugu, Kittel's Kanarese, and Gundert's Malayalam dictionaries, the meaning in English was regarded, in the earliest stages of the Tamil Lexicon, as the main requisite. Consequently, in the earlier parts of the Lexicon, the Tamil equivalents were not given for some simple words ; and the English renderings were more detailed than the Tamil equivalents. But form Volume II onwards, the Tamil equivalents are asdetailed as the English renderings

10. The suffix தல் is used in the Tamil meanings of verbs and the suffixகை in those of verbal nouns, e.g.,அறை-தல்-மோதுதல் ; அறை-மோதுகை.

11. In the case of well-known enumerative group-names, as எழுகடல்,theindividuals of the group are mentioned in each case. Each of these is explained, in its respective place, as one of the group, e.g., உப்புக்கடல், one of c‰n-ka-al,  q.v.