Tamil is one of the most ancient languages of the world and belongs to the Dravidian language family. It is spoken by over 80 million people, mainly in Southern India and neighbouring states as both a first and second language. It is the official language of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, as well as the official language of Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Singapore.
A number of dialects and variations can be found within Tamil Nadu. The alphabet is uniquely rounded because palm leaves were used to write on, therefore the characters needed to be round to avoid tearing the leaves.
