Tamil
Reference material, with every source named. Our own communities are further down the page.
Endangerment status
Not endangered
Children are still learning this language at home.
Source: Glottolog (glottolog-cldf, master)
ISO 639-3 tam · ISO 639-1 ta · Glottocode tami1289
Speakers at home
The census counts this language on its own, so these figures are for it alone.
By state
- California64,927limited English 7,749
- Texas51,013limited English 8,160
- New Jersey27,905limited English 3,872
- Illinois15,375limited English 2,598
- Georgia14,654limited English 1,919
- Washington14,321limited English 2,231
- Florida13,379limited English 1,989
- Virginia13,069limited English 1,457
- Pennsylvania11,238limited English 1,758
- New York11,087limited English 2,776
- North Carolina11,082limited English 1,455
- Massachusetts11,025limited English 1,565
- Michigan10,285limited English 1,661
- Arizona8,265limited English 993
- Maryland7,852limited English 1,258
- Connecticut7,599limited English 1,429
- Ohio7,483limited English 1,255
- Minnesota6,527limited English 1,048
- Indiana5,280limited English 510
- Wisconsin3,072limited English 358
- Iowa2,891limited English 762
- Missouri2,795limited English 427
- Colorado2,763limited English 363
- Oregon2,470limited English 302
- South Carolina2,307limited English 545
- Tennessee2,004limited English 283
- Arkansas1,579limited English 250
- Delaware1,499limited English 87
- Kentucky1,254limited English 186
- Nebraska1,218limited English 351
- Nevada1,172limited English 260
- Rhode Island1,147limited English 144
- New Hampshire1,093limited English 84
- Utah1,079limited English 205
- Oklahoma1,035limited English 160
- Kansas888limited English 137
- Louisiana461limited English 27
- New Mexico430limited English 48
- Alabama409limited English 54
- Alaska405limited English 4
- West Virginia323limited English 112
- Mississippi319limited English 66
- North Dakota216limited English 93
- Hawaii199limited English 100
- Vermont191limited English 15
- Idaho124limited English 13
- Maine73limited English 14
- Montana48limited English 0
- South Dakota41limited English 0
By city
- San Jose11,380limited English 2,324
- New York City3,049limited English 313
- Chicago2,493limited English 432
- Charlotte2,289limited English 143
- San Diego2,288limited English 93
- Seattle2,125limited English 204
- Phoenix2,019limited English 303
- Los Angeles1,843limited English 824
- Columbus1,476limited English 0
- Houston963limited English 157
- Philadelphia921limited English 77
- Boston636limited English 66
- Dallas412limited English 0
- Sacramento211limited English 0
Source: US Census Bureau, ACS table B16001 (via Census Reporter), ACS 2024 5-year. The second figure counts people who speak English less than “very well”.
The census publishes this table for every state but for only a handful of cities. A city missing from this list is one it does not publish, not one where nobody speaks the language.
Help record this language 0 / 10
Ten small things, each answerable in under a minute by anyone who speaks the language. You do not need to prepare, and you do not have to do them in order.
- A greetingnone yet
How do you greet someone, and how do they answer?
- Numbersnone yet
Count from one to ten.
- Familynone yet
The words for mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, child.
- Saying goodbyenone yet
How did the oldest person you knew say goodbye?
- Foodnone yet
Name a dish and say how it is made.
- Weather and seasonsnone yet
Describe today’s weather, then name the seasons.
- A place namenone yet
The name of your home place in this language, and what it means.
- A proverbnone yet
A saying that does not translate well. Say it, then explain it.
- A song for a childnone yet
Sing something that was sung to you.
- A storynone yet
A story you were told as a child. Take as long as you need.
Join a community for this language to add a recording
You keep what you record. It stays credited to you, nobody else can change it, and you can delete it at any time.
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CultureMesh, "Tamil" language page (https://www.culturemesh.com/languages/tamil-20). Endangerment status: Glottolog (glottolog-cldf, master). Speakers at home: US Census Bureau, ACS table B16001 (via Census Reporter), ACS 2024 5-year.