Tamilology:

This term, in a liberal sense, denotes research-oriented Tamil Studies by any organization or individual researcher or school of scholars. In a defined sense, this term will denote the special branch of research study of estimating the contributions to Tamil language, literature and lifestyles of the native Tamil people by such individuals, organizations etc. And here, the term “lifestyles” is a vast spectrum, encompassing in it, all the day-to-day activities of the native Tamil people, as could be gleaned from their indigenous literature of all kinds viz. grammatical, lexical, epical, lyrical, theological, medical, philosophical, moral, jurisprudence and folks literature, containing data about Tamil language and literature, various rites and rituals, customs and manners, legends and fables, diseases and medicines, society and culture, etc. from time immemorial till now. This is a research-oriented terminology, which has a vast scope of multi disciplinary research avenues. That is, research avenues like for example, international relations, indigenous Tamil society and cuture, ethno-medicine, tropical herbal study, linguistics etc. will unfold themselves from this research umbrella.

German Tamilology:

As the sun’s white composite colour can be split into its constituent seven colours, so also can German Indology be split into its constituent research branches. The estimation of the contributions to various branches of Tamil Studies by Germans, is German Tamilology. This research area was named by me when my doctoral thesis entitled: “GERMAN TAMILOLOGY: German contributions to Tamil language, literature and culture during the period 1706-1945” was published. This will open a few other related new research avenues like German Telugology, German Malayalamology, German Kannadology, German Sanskritology, German Devanagariology etc. each of which will bring out German contributions to the respective indigenous linguistic areas in India. That is, studies of Germans to Telugu language, literature and lifestyles of the indigenous Telugu people will form German Telugology and likewise, the other branches.