Chennai Tamil
The Chennai-area variety of Tamil that forms the basis of the modern spoken standard. Tamil itself has one of the longest continuous literary traditions in the world.
Madurai Tamil
The Tamil of Madurai and the broader southern Tamil Nadu region. Carries a distinctive lexicon and intonation widely featured in Tamil cinema.
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Frequently asked questions
What language is Madurai Tamil?
Madurai Tamil is a dialect of Tamil.
Which region is Madurai Tamil associated with?
Madurai Tamil is part of the South Asia region on DialectAtlas.
What are the other dialects of Tamil?
Tamil also includes Standard Tamil, Sri Lankan Tamil. Each variety has its own vocabulary, pronunciation, and cultural context.
Other Tamil dialects
See on the atlas →Jaffna Tamil · Eelam Tamil
The Tamil of northern and eastern Sri Lanka. Often described as more conservative than Indian Tamil, retaining several features lost in the Chennai variety.