The Rev, M.Winslow's Dictionary was originally taken as the main basis of work. But,the vast amount ofliteraturebelonging to the early, the medieval and the modern periods that has been published since Winslow's time has made it absolutely necessary to widen the basis and the scope of the Tamil Lexicon.¹

a). The great Tamil classics of the sang am period, the grammatical works, Tolkappiyam and Iraiyanar Aka-p-porul and the ethical and other works included in the Patinen-kil-k-kanakku represent the earliest stage of literary Tamil. The Sangam and post-Sangam classics have been mostly edited by the late Rao Bahadur C.W.Damodaran Pillai.

b). Religious and philosophical treatises closely followed the early Tamil literature. These are the first 11 Tirumurais of the Saivites,the Nalayira-tivviya-p-pirapantam of the Vaisnavites,the Jain works like Culamani,Civaka-cintamani,etc.,the Buddist works,like Manimekalai,etc.The longer poems like Perunkatai,Cilappatikaram,etc.,and the early nikantus like Tivakaram also belong to this period.

c). Kamban's Ramayanam, Periya-puranam, Kalinkattu-p-parani, the three Ulas, Takka-yaka-p-parani,etc., representthe early medieval Tamilliterature. To this period must be assigned the Yapparunkalam,Viracoliyam and few other notable grammars. Amongthe philosophical and religiousworks of the period may be mentioned the 14 sastras of the saivites and theexegeticalworksof the god on the Nalayria-tivviya-p-pirapantnam. The Commentaries on Tolkappiyam ,sangam works, etc., werewritten during this period.

d). Villiputturar,s Paratam and the Puranic works such as Koyir-puranam,Paka vatam,kanta-puranam,Tiru-v-alavay-utaiyur-puranam represent the late medieval period of Tamil literature. Commentarieson the 14 saiva sastras, religious and philosophic treatises like Nanavacittam,Merumantara -puranam etc., several minor pirapantams and nikantus like Akarti-nikantu and Cutamani-nikantu belong to this period. Some of the special treatises on artsand science ,like Cinentira-malai and Cuttamani Ullamutaiyan(Astrology),Parata-cattiram (Dancing),Kanak-k-atikaram (Mathematics) must also be counted among the works of this period.

e). Contact with the European nations may be taken to inauguratethe modern period. Pirapantams of Kumarakurupara-cuvamikal,Civa-p-

pirakara ca-cuvamikal and Civanana-munivar, grammars like IIakkana-vilakkam,Tonnul-vilakkam, and Pirayoka-vivekam,devotional poems like those ofTayumanavar and Ramalinka-cuvamikal,musical compostions likeIrama-natakam and patams like of thoseKavikuncara Parati ,minor works like Arappalicura-catakam and Kumareca-catakam - all these belongto this period . Astrologicaltreatises like Kumaracuvamiyam,medical treatises like paisajakalpam,christian works like Iratcaniya-yatitrikam are also some of the other important works.

Almost all the works available, ranging from the earliest specimens of Tamil literature to the latest ,have been studied and utilised for the Tamil Lexicon and a fairly exhaustive collection of words has been made frm them.Mauscript materials have also been occasionallyused. An exhaustive index verboruma of the important nikantus has been prepared and it has beenof considerable use inthe preparationthe Tamil Lexicon.

Besides Winslow's all the importantearlier dictionaries like caturakarati,Fabricius's Dictionary, Rottler's Dictionary , the Jaffna Dictionary and the Sangam Dictionary have been consulted and utilized.

The following sources have also been used :-

1). The inscriptions (in Tamil) belonging to different periods, published by the Archaeological Department.

2). Glossaries of the various publications of Mahamahopadhyaya Dr.V.Swaminatha Aiyar and other Scholars.

3). Glossaries of judicial and revenue terms, such as wilson's Glossary, sitaramayya's Classified Glossary,Col. Yule's Hobson-Jobson, ect.

4). McLean's Manual of the Administration of the Madras Presidency, Vol.III and the District Gazetteers of the Tamil Districts, Thurston's Castes and Tribes of Southern India.

5). Text-books on modern sciences and arts.

6). Special dictionaries like Malai-y-akarati,Mulikai-y-akarati,Cotita-v-akarati,Vaittiya-paripasai-y-akarati,Apitana-cintamani,Apitana-kocum,Lushington's Vernacular List ofTrees, Shrubs and Woody Climbers in the Madras Presidency, Gleeson's Catalogue ofTrees,Shrubs and Herbaceous Plants.

7). Modern Tamil works in prose and verse, as well as articles in leading Tamil journals.

Besides the above, the Tamil Lexicon has also utilized the sources relating to the following:-

1). Technical terms ofthe ancient Sastras, such as Logic, Astronomy, Astrology and Medicine.

2). Mythological names of persons, places and things.

3). Professional terms and slang of various kinds.

4). Provincialisms in the Tamil country proper, Jaffna and Naficinatu, and local usages of various places

5). Usages peculiar to various castes.

To the compilation of words from the above sources, Honorary Workers like Mesrs. sydney Gordon Roberts,Robert Fischer and S.Radhakrishna Aiyar,and Honorary Referees like Messrs.S.Desika vinayagam Pillai of Nanci-natu and S.R.Muttukumaru Mudaliar of Jaffna added considerably. Mahavidwan R.Raghava Aiyangar was also of occasional help.

Thus, it will be seen that the material for the Tamil Lexicon has been compiled from almost all the available sources.

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¹ Winslow himself remarks (in his preface to Spaulding's English and Tamil Dictionary, 1852) 'The period' is to come when a sufficient number of generally received classic authors in the Tamil Language shall be in print or accessible in uniform manuscripts, to enable any lexicographer to fix with certainty the standard of language.