While this dictionary was in the course of publication, another small work, which aimed at meeting the scholar's need only, was prepared and published. It was Ilakkiya-c-col-akarƒti. Its author was the late Mr. A. Kumƒra-swƒmi Pillai Jaffna. It deals mainly with nouns in nika–—u works and literary works lik the Rƒmƒya–am, Pƒratam, Kkali-t-tokai, and Cinatƒmani. About 1500 new works are said to have been incorporated in this small dictionary and these new words are marked with asterisks. The work was published in 1914.
Much, however, remained to be done before a truly comprehensive dictionary could be produced. There were sources that still had to be studied and utilized for lexicographical purposes. The sources already utilized by previous lexicographers had to be carefully examined afresh in the light of more recent research.
In the treatment of words also, there was scope for considerable improvement:
(a) In each of the three dictionaries, Winslow's the Tranquebar and the Sangam, were found special and distinctive features not found in the earlier dictionaries. A progressive conception of lexicography demanded the combination in one dictionary of all these good features. These features, moreover, had to be further developed and more systematically adopted.
(b) The meanings had to be arranged , following definite principles,
The majority of the Tamil dictionaries gave the meanings in alphabetical order. This precluded any attempt at a logical, historical or etymological treatment of the meanings.
(c) Careful attention had to be paid to the definitions both in English and in Tamil. The earlier lexicons were defective in this particular in many ways, The English definitions were, in many instances, far from correct. The Tamil renderings in several dictionaries were altogether unsatisfactory. As a rule, the Tamil dictionaries did not attempt to give definitions at all.
(d) Etymology had received little attention at the hands of the earlier lexicographers. Winslow quoted Wilson's Sanskrit Dictionary occasionally.
(e) Illustrative quotations with sources had been rarely given in the earlier works. The practice of quoting passages from Tamil works was introduced.
By Winslow for the first time, but such quotations were very few and far between. The Sangam Dictionary gave quotations more frequently ; but the purpose and scope of such quotations has been only partially understood ; and the references were not precisely given. Illustrations are necessary for three purposes :
(1) to make the definitions clearer ;
(2) to give information about the thing denoted by the entry ; and
(3) to show the historical development of the different significations of the words under which they are given. It may be mentioned that in the present state of linguistic research in the Dravidian languages, the third purpose can hardly be fulfilled.
TAMIL LEXICON
In all the matters noted above, the present Tamil Lexicon has attempted an advance on the previous lexicons. To of lexicography, the entries under two sample words, தாரம் and வரி,in successive nikantu works and lexicons, form very early times to the present, are appended.