-இ

• IPA^(key): /ɪ/, [i]

Compare இயங்கு (iyaṅku, “to work, to perform”).

-இ • (-i)

1. -ator, -er, -ed, -machine, -inator; added to a verb to produce agent nouns (names of objects/machines that correspond to its respective root verb.)

   Examples:

   • ‎வழி (vaḻi, “way”) + ‎காட்டு (kāṭṭu, “show”) + ‎-இ (-i) → ‎வழிகாட்டி (vaḻikāṭṭi, “compass, GPS”)
   • ‎நால் (nāl, “four”) + ‎கால் (kāl, “leg”) + ‎-இ (-i) → ‎நாற்காலி (nāṟkāli, “chair”)
   • ‎மூடு (mūṭu, “close”) + ‎-இ (-i) → ‎மூடி (mūṭi, “lid”)

Cognate with Malayalam -ഇ (-i), Telugu -ఇ (-i).

-இ • (-i)

1. forms feminine words.

   Coordinate term: -அன் m (-aṉ)

   ‎கள் (kaḷ, “to steal”) + ‎-இ (-i) → ‎கள்ளி (kaḷḷi, “thief f”)

• -அள் (-aḷ), -ச்சி (-cci), -இனி (-iṉi)

Cognate with Kannada -ಇಸು (-isu), Malayalam -ഇക്കുക (-ikkuka), Telugu -ఇంచు (-iñcu).

-இ • (-i)

1. forms causative verbs.

   ‎காண் (kāṇ, “to see”) + ‎-இ (-i) → ‎காணி (kāṇi, “to show”)

2. forms verbs from nouns or their back-formations.

   ‎ஆரம்பம் (ārampam, “beginning”) + ‎-இ (-i) → ‎ஆரம்பி (ārampi, “to begin”)

3. forms verbs from loanwords.

   ‎Sanskrit शप् (śap) + ‎-இ (-i) → ‎சபி (capi, “to curse”)

   ‎Sanskrit पठ् (paṭh) + ‎-இ (-i) → ‎படி (paṭi, “to read”)

• Verbs formed this way always belong to conjugation 6.

• (forms causative verbs): -பி (-pi), -வி (-vi), -த்து (-ttu)

• University of Madras (1924–1936), “இ”, in Tamil Lexicon, Madras [Chennai]: Diocesan Press