Madurai Tamil (மதுரை தமிழ்), known as Madurai Bashai, is the

dialect The term dialect (from Latin , , from the Ancient Greek word , 'discourse', from , 'through' and , 'I speak') can refer to either of two distinctly different types of linguistic phenomena: One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a ...

Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nativ ...

spoken in the region of

Madurai Madurai ( , also , ) is a major city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District. As of the 2011 census, it was the third largest Urban agglomeration in ...

and over a vast geographical area of South

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...

, the area once ruled by the Pandiya kings. It differs substantially from Nellai Tamil, a region which was also part of the Pandiya domain.

Region of Madurai Tamil

* Tirumangalam *

Theni Theni is a valley town situated in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu at the foothills of Western Ghats. It is the headquarters of the Theni district, located in a distance of 70km from Madurai. It is known for the large-scale trading of garlic, c ...

* Aruppukottai * Virudunagar *

Melur Melur is the Northern entrance of Madurai district. It is the town and municipality in the Madurai North in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Melur Old Name is Called Naduvi Nadu. The name Melur name comes from "Mela Nadu". Melur is called Thaigra ...

* Usilampatti * Vadipatti * * * *

Paramakudi Paramakudi, also Paramagudi, is the largest town in the district of Ramanathapuram in Tamil Nadu, with a population of over 95,579 (2011 census). It has been the taluk headquarters since 1918, i.e. from the date of formation of Ramanathapura ...

* * *

Dindigul Dindigul, also spelt Thindukkal (), is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the administrative headquarters of the Dindigul district. Dindigul is located southwest from the state capital, Chennai, away from Tiruchirappalli, away ...

Ramanathapuram Ramanathapuram (), also known as Ramnad, is a town and a municipality in Ramanathapuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the administrative headquarters of Ramanathapuram district and the second largest town (by population) in ...

Sivagangai Sivaganga () is a city and headquarters of the Sivaganga district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Sivaganga is a rani velunachiyar kingdom of Tamil Nadu. It is an important city in this district for official and commercial purposes. Its ni ...

* Natham * Chellampatti and *

Rameshwaram Rameswaram (; also transliterated as Ramesvaram, Rameshwaram) is a municipality in the Ramanathapuram district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is on Pamban Island separated from mainland India by the Pamban channel and is about 40 kil ...

. The common dialect has made the term Madurai refer to a much larger area than it actually is. It is not uncommon for people from any of the above cities to introduce themselves as people of Madurai.

Words of Madurai Tamil

* (மறுத) = Madurai * (வராய்ங்க) = coming * (போராய்ங்க) = going * (அங்கிட்டு) = There * (இங்கிட்டு) = Here * (எம்புட்டு) = How much? * (ராவுறான்) = He is boring * (வீயாக்கானமா பேசு) = speak properly * (குண்டக்க மண்டக்க) = irrelevant * (முண்டகலப்ப) = plough * (பட்றைய போடு) = sit and relax * (கொக்க மக்க) = collective term for cousin * (கோலாரா போயிட்டு வா) = take care * (பொசகட்ட பய) = useless fellow * (சீமை எண்ணை = சீம்மண்ணை) = kerosene * (இம்புட்டுகூண்டு) = very little * (ரூட்ட குடுக்காத) = Don't tell lie * (வைய்யபோறாய்ங்க) = They will scold * (பேலாத) = don't fear * = For that only * (இதுகாண்டிதான்) = For this only * (குடிக்காரமட்டை) = Drunkard * (ஜாரி) = beautiful woman * (ஆட்டைய போடு) = Steal, theft * (அண்ணே) = Elder Brother * (எக்கோய்) = Elder Sister * (போடா ங்கொய்யால) = get out of my way * (டுபுக்கு) = fool (which is derived from kanniyakumari) * (மண்டகனம்) = Headweight * (சோலிய பாரு) = Mind your business * (லந்து) = Kidding * (காப்ரா) = fashionable * (அலப்பறை) = fashionable * (அலும்பு) = Showy, showing proud * (ஏழரைய கூ்ட்டாத) = don't create a scene * (ஆட்டும்) = ok * (சூதானமா இரு) = be careful * (கொங்கா பய) = ignorant (derogatory for Kongu) * (காவாளி) = waste fellow * (களவாணி) = theft * (வெள்ளனே) = Early Morning * (பைய) = slow * (ஒசக்க) = Up * = Loft * (ஏணி மரம்) = Ladder

References

{{Reflist Tamil dialects Culture of Madurai