Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken primarily in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the northeastern part of Sri Lanka. It is also spoken by a significant number of people in the Indian states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry. Tamil is the fifth most spoken language in India, with around 6.9% of the population speaking it as their first language. It is written in the Tamil script, which is unique to the Tamil language.

Tamil has a rich literary tradition and is one of the oldest languages of India, with a history dating back to the 3rd century BCE. It has a complex grammatical structure and a vocabulary that has been influenced by various other languages such as Sanskrit, Prakrit and Pali. Tamil is also widely spoken in the Tamil diaspora around the world, particularly in the countries like Singapore, Malaysia, South Africa and the USA.