k ā ppi y am , ▁the ▁gram mat ical ▁treat ise ▁of ▁T amil . ▁The ▁J aff na ▁T amil ▁dialect ▁retained ▁many ▁forms ▁of ▁words ▁which ▁were ▁used ▁in ▁Sang am ▁literature ▁such ▁as ▁Tir uk ku ṛ a ḷ ▁and ▁Ku <0xE1> <0xB9> <0x9F> unto ka i . ▁Also ▁a ▁large ▁portion ▁of ▁sett lers ▁in ▁J aff na ▁who ▁came ▁from ▁South ▁India ▁in ▁the ▁past ▁centuries ▁were ▁V ell al ar ▁( M ud ali ar ▁and ▁P illa i ) ▁and ▁this ▁would ▁have ▁helped ▁retain ▁pure ▁T amil ▁words ▁and ▁lingu istics ▁since ▁V ell al ars ▁speak ▁a ▁classic ▁dialect ▁of ▁T amil . ▁J aff na ▁T amil ▁dialect ▁is ▁not ▁mut ually ▁intellig ible ▁with ▁Indian ▁T amil ▁dialect s , ▁though ▁both ▁share ▁a ▁dig loss ic ▁` H ' ▁variety ▁in ▁literary ▁T amil . ▁It ▁is ▁frequently ▁mistaken ▁for ▁Mal ay al am ▁by ▁native ▁Indian ▁T amil ▁speak ers . ▁There ▁are ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁P rak rit ▁lo ans ▁words ▁that ▁are ▁unique ▁to ▁the ▁J aff na ▁T amil . ▁A ▁sub dia lect ▁retained ▁by ▁the ▁Par ai yar ▁people ▁of ▁Kay ts ▁still ▁retain s ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁arch a ic ▁words ▁and ▁P rak rit ▁lo ans ▁not ▁found ▁in ▁any ▁other ▁dialect s ▁of ▁T amil . ▁These ▁drum mers ▁had ▁histor ically ▁played ▁an ▁important ▁role ▁as ▁rit ual ▁players ▁of ▁drums ▁at ▁fun er als ▁and ▁folk ▁tem ples ▁and