Collection of the names of animals as portrayed in Tamil classics

A scene of a male and female deer drinking from a pool, depicted in Ainthinai Aimpathu, is often cited to illustrate the ideal bond between lovers. Set in the arid Palai landscape, the poem describes how the Pinaimaan (female deer) and the Kalaimaan (male deer), exhausted after wandering in search of water, arrive at a small pool. However, there is only enough water to quench the thirst of one. In an act of love and self-denial, the male pretends to drink so that the female may quench her thirst, while the female feigns drinking for the sake of the male. Thus, neither truly drinks.

References to plants and flowers

This episode is among many in Tamil classical poetry that captures the intimate bond the ancient Tamils shared with nature. The literary landscape is not inhabited by animals alone; it is richly adorned with references to plants and flowers. Kurinjipattu, for instance, speaks of 99 flowers, and Tamils wore different flowers for different occasions. Many of these animal names have gone out of usage. To recover this vocabulary, H. Chithiraputhiran, a former professor at Tamil University, Thanjavur, has compiled a dictionary of animals in classical literature. Titled Tamil Sevvilakkiyangalil Vilangina Sorkal: Special Dictionary-Index, Concordance, Dictionary (Classical Tamil Literature-Special Dictionary of Animals), the work has been published by the Central Institute of Classical Tamil. Animals and flowers are intricately associated with the five physiographical divisions (thinai) of the ancient Tamil country, each reflecting a distinct ecological and emotional world. 

As R. Chandrasekaran, Director of the Central Institute of Classical Tamil, notes in his introduction that the elephant, tiger, bear, and lion belong to the Kurinji region; the deer and rabbit to Mullai; the buffalo and otter to Marudham; the shark to Neithal; and the red dog or dhole to Palai. These associations reveal the ecological awareness embedded in classical literature. Animals suited to the climatic conditions of each landscape find a frequent mention in the poetry. In Nattrinai, the hero, returning from war, sees a jungle fowl scratching the wet ground and offering an earthworm to its mate. Moved, he urges his charioteer to use the long-unused goad and drive the horses faster so that he may reach his beloved without delay. Here, the word Kaanvaranam is used to refer to the jungle fowl.

The Tamils employed a remarkable richness of vocabulary to refer to animals, using not only multiple synonyms for a single species but also distinct terms to denote the male, female, young, and even groups of animals. Deer alone are identified by 38 names; buffaloes by 20; lions by 15; goats by 28; bulls by 31; horses by 23; monkeys by 17; mongooses by 13; tigers by 20; cats by nine; elephants by 45; porcupines by five; rabbits by three; dogs by 11; pigs by 13; donkeys by four; and cows by 27.

Mr. Chithiraputhiran has listed these names in alphabetical order, along with references to the 41 literary works in which they appear and the lines that mention them. He has enriched the work by providing a comprehensive table that includes the English and scientific names of the animals. He also explains the challenges in identifying animal names, as words such as Maa and Maan are often used as prefixes and suffixes. For instance, Maa combined with Ari becomes Arima, meaning lion. Maan combined with Ulai becomes Ulaimaan, which also denotes a lion. Karima refers to an elephant; Kalima to a horse; Kaimma to an elephant; Paima to a horse; and Mathama to an elephant. While Maan denotes a deer, Kalaimaan, Nalmaan, Paimaan, and Mulavuman are also used for horses. There are also words that scarcely suggest animal names: Pongadi denotes an elephant, while Kayanthalai refers to an elephant calf. Varivayam and Koduvari are terms for tiger, while Kadamalai and Pinimugam denote elephant.

Tamil Sevvilakkiyangalil Vilangina Sorkal: Special Dictionary-Index, Concordance, Dictionary has been published by the Central Institute of Classical Tamil.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Distinguishing sex

Certain terms distinguish the sex of animals, while others are applied across species. Oruthal refers to the male of several animals, including elephant, bull, buffalo, pig, tiger, and deer. Eru denotes a bull, male deer, and male buffalo, including the Kalaimaan. Kaduvan is used for the male of the monkey and the cat. Pinavu denotes the female of several animals, including the tigress, dhole, pig, bear, monkey, and elephant. In many cases, the specific animal referred to in a poem must be inferred from its context.

Pothu is one of the Tamil words that has disappeared from everyday use. In Kerala, however, the term Pothu denotes buffalo and meat. According to the Tolkappiyam, Pothu was used to refer to the male of several species, including bull, buffalo, deer, crocodile, and peacock.

This unusual effort, Mr. Chithiraputhiran believes, will prove useful for comparative studies of similar works in other languages, as well as for the compilation of general and specialised dictionaries in Tamil.

Published – March 20, 2026 05:30 am IST