Classification of Tamil

Tamil is associatie with Tamil language family, which includes the Irula, Kaikadi, Betta Kurumba, Sholaga, and Yerukula languages. This group is a subgroup of the Tamil-Malayalam languages, which falls under a subgroup of the Tamil-Kodagu languages, which in turn is a subgroup of the Tamil-Kannada languages. The Tamil-Kannada languages belong to the southern branch of the Dravidian language family. Tamil is most directly related to Malayalam, spoken in the Indian state of Kerala which borders Tamil Nadu. Linguists estimate Malayalam divided from Tamil between the 8th and 10th centuries.