i_ when the preceding syllable contains one
of the vowels _i_ (short and long) and _ei_. Compare the dative suffix
_ku_, _ki_, in _gurramu-ku_, "to a horse"; but _tammuni-ki_, "to a
younger brother." This tendency does not, however, play a prominent
role in the Dravidian languages.

Words are formed from roots and bases by means of suffixed formative
additions. The root itself generally remains unchanged throughout.
Thus from the Tamil base _per_, "great," we can form adjectives such
as _per-iya_ and _per-um_, "great"; verbs such as _per-u-gu_, "to
become increased"; _per-u-kku_, "to cause to increase," and so on.

Many bases can be used at will as nouns, as adjectives, and as verbs.
Thus the Tamil _kadu_ can mean "sharpness," "sharp," and "to be
sharp." Other bases are of course more restricted in their respective
spheres.

The inflection of words is effected by agglutination, i.e. various
additions are suffixed to the base in order to form what we would call
cases and tenses. Such additions have probably once been separate
words. Most of them are, however, now only used as suffixes. Thus from
the Tamil base _k[=o]n_, "king," we can form an accusative
_k[=o]n-ei_, a verb _k[=o]n-en_, "I am king," and so on.

Dravidian nouns are divided into two classes, which Tamil grammarians
called high-caste and casteless respectively. The former includes
those nouns which denote beings endowed with reason, the latter all
others. Gender is only distinguished in the former class, while all
casteless nouns are neuter. The gender of animals (which are
irrational) must accordingly be distinguished by using different words
for the male and the female, or else by adding words meaning male,
female, respectively, to the name of the animal--processes which do
not, strictly speaking, fall under the head of grammar.

There are two numbers, the singular and the plural. The latter is
formed by adding suffixes. It, however, often remains unmarked in the
case of casteless nouns.

Cases are formed by adding postpositions and suffixes, usually to a
modified form of the noun which is commonly called the oblique base.
Thus we have the Tamil _maram_, "tree"; _maratt-[=a]l_, "from a tree";
_maratt-u-kku_, "to a tree"; _v[=i]du_, "a house"; _v[=i]t[t.]-[=a]l_,
"from a house." The case terminations are the same in the singular and
in the plural. The genitive, which precedes th