என்

See also: என

Tamil

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɛn/

Etymology 1

Oblique/genitive of யான் (yāṉ) and (suppletive) oblique/genitive of நான் (nāṉ), inherited from Proto-Dravidian *yAn. Cognate with Malayalam എൻ (eṉ).

Pronoun

என் • (eṉ)

  1. my
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:என்
    என் வீடுeṉ vīṭuMy house
Derived terms

Etymology 2

Inherited from Proto-Dravidian *aHn-. Cognate with Telugu అను (anu), Malayalam എന്നുക (ennuka), Kannada ಎನ್ನು (ennu), Gondi ఇన్దానా (indānā), Kolami ऎन्, Kurukh आन्ना (ānnā).

Verb

என் • (eṉ) (transitive)

  1. to say, declare, assert
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:சொல்
Usage notes

This verb is normally used when quoting someone or something, and its synonyms (i.e. சொல் (col)) are used otherwise. For example:
 அதை சொன்னான் (atai coṉṉāṉ, He said that)
but  அதை என்றான் (atai eṉṟāṉ)
because அதை (atai) is not the thing that the person in question said.

This verb also does not take the complementisers என (eṉa) or என்று (eṉṟu), unlike its synonyms, as it inherently carries their quotative function. For example:
 சாப்பாட்டை சாப்பிட்டாள் என்றான் (cāppāṭṭai cāppiṭṭāḷ eṉṟāṉ, He said that she ate the food)
and not  சாப்பாட்டை சாப்பிட்டாள் என்று என்றான் (cāppāṭṭai cāppiṭṭāḷ eṉṟu eṉṟāṉ).

With other verbs:
 சாப்பாட்டை சாப்பிட்டாள் என்று சொன்னான் (cāppāṭṭai cāppiṭṭāḷ eṉṟu coṉṉāṉ, He said that she ate the food)

Conjugation
Alternative form
Derived terms

Etymology 3

From the root எ- (e-), from Proto-Dravidian *yā.

Adverb

என் • (eṉ) (interrogative, rare)

  1. why, wherefore
    Synonym: ஏன் (ēṉ)

Pronoun

என் • (eṉ)

  1. whatever, whichever
    Synonym: என்னவோ (eṉṉavō)

Derived terms

References