UPMSP Intermediate Tamil - Code 114 flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Urainaḍai

Tamil term for prose; in the UPMSP Intermediate Tamil exam, it refers to prescribed prose lessons that test author, theme, characters, and message.

Kavita

Tamil term for poetry; exam questions cover prescribed poems, poets, central ideas, and poetic devices such as simile and metaphor.

Uvamai

Tamil poetic device meaning simile; it compares two things using words like ‘pōla’, ‘pōṉṟa’, or ‘aṉa’ (like/as).

Uruvakam

Tamil poetic device meaning metaphor; it asserts identity between two things without using a comparison word, e.g., ‘he is a lion’.

Tinai

In Tamil poetics, a device of personification where non-human entities are given human actions or feelings; also a classical classification of land and love.

Mōṉai

Tamil term for alliteration; the repetition of the same initial consonant sound in adjacent or nearby words, often used for rhythmic effect.

Eṭukai

Tamil term for assonance; the repetition of the same vowel sound in nearby words, contributing to the musical quality of poetry.

Vēṟṟumai

Tamil grammatical case system; there are eight cases including nominative, accusative, instrumental, dative, ablative, genitive, locative, and vocative.

Puṇarcci

Tamil sandhi; the phonological changes that occur when two words or morphemes join, such as consonant doubling or nasal assimilation.

Uyartiṇai

Tamil noun class for rational beings (humans and deities); it governs the use of certain pronouns and verb endings in agreement.

Aṟṟiṇai

Tamil noun class for non-rational beings (animals, objects, abstract nouns); it takes different pronoun and verb endings from uyartiṇai.

Vinaiyuṇai

Tamil adverb; a word that modifies a verb, often ending in ‘-āka’ or ‘-āy’, indicating manner, time, or place.

Kaṭṭurai

Tamil term for essay; a composition with an introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion, written on a given topic.

Formal letter

A letter written in formal register to an official or institution; it includes sender’s address, date, receiver’s address, subject, salutation, body, and closing.

Application letter

A formal letter requesting something (e.g., a job or leave); it states the purpose early, gives relevant details, and ends with a polite request.

Notice writing

A short, factual announcement that includes date, time, venue, purpose, and contact; it is written in a concise and direct style.

Report writing

A factual account of an event or situation; it answers what, when, where, who, and why, using past tense and third person.

Dialogue writing

A composition in conversational form; it uses natural spoken Tamil, turn-taking, and appropriate honorifics or informal address.

Translation

Converting text from one language to another while preserving meaning, tone, and cultural nuance; avoid word-for-word rendering.

Idiom

A fixed expression whose meaning is not literal (e.g., ‘kai niraya’ = generously); translate by an equivalent idiom, not a literal gloss.

Synonym

A word with the same or nearly the same meaning as another; exam questions often ask for a synonym in context.

Antonym

A word with the opposite meaning of another; identifying antonyms helps in vocabulary questions and comprehension.

Prefix

A morpheme added at the beginning of a word to change its meaning (e.g., English ‘un-’ in ‘unhappy’); Tamil uses fewer prefixes than English.

Suffix

A morpheme added at the end of a word to change its meaning or grammatical function (e.g., Tamil ‘-mai’ forms abstract nouns like ‘naṉmai’).

Comprehension

The ability to understand and interpret a written passage; exam questions test main idea, inference, vocabulary in context, and detail recall.

Inference

A conclusion drawn from clues in the text rather than stated directly; answers must be supported by evidence from the passage.

Main idea

The central point of a passage, often stated in the topic sentence; it can be paraphrased in one sentence.

Topic sentence

A sentence that states the main idea of a paragraph, usually placed at the beginning or end; it guides the reader’s understanding.

Context clue

Information in surrounding words or sentences that helps determine the meaning of an unfamiliar word, such as synonyms, examples, or contrast.

Non-detailed text

The supplementary reader in the Tamil syllabus; it is a longer work tested for plot, characters, setting, and theme rather than line-by-line recall.

Character sketch

A description of a character’s physical traits (if given), personality, and actions, supported by evidence from the text.

Theme

The central idea or message of a literary work, such as social reform or patriotism; it should be stated in one sentence and supported by textual details.