<P> Tamil ( also spelt as Thamizh : தமிழ் ) is a Dravidian language predominantly spoken in Tamil Nadu , Puduchery and many parts of Sri Lanka . It is also spoken by large minorities in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands , Kerala , Karnataka , Andhra Pradesh , Malaysia , Singapore , Mauritius and throughout the world . Tamil ranks fifth by the number of native speakers in India ( 61 million in the 2001 Census ) and ranks 20th in the list of most spoken languages . It is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and was the first Indian language to be declared a classical language by the Government of India in 2004 . Tamil is one of the longest surviving classical languages in the world . It has been described as `` the only language of contemporary India which is recognisably continuous with a classical past . '' The two earliest manuscripts from India , acknowledged and registered by UNESCO Memory of the World register in 1997 and 2005 , are in Tamil . Tamil is an official language of Tamil Nadu , Puducherry , Andaman and Nicobar Islands , Sri Lanka and Singapore . It is also recognized as minority language in Canada , Malaysia , Mauritius and South Africa . </P>
<P> Tamil ( also spelt as Thamizh : தமிழ் ) is a Dravidian language predominantly spoken in Tamil Nadu , Puduchery and many parts of Sri Lanka . It is also spoken by large minorities in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands , Kerala , Karnataka , Andhra Pradesh , Malaysia , Singapore , Mauritius and throughout the world . Tamil ranks fifth by the number of native speakers in India ( 61 million in the 2001 Census ) and ranks 20th in the list of most spoken languages . It is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and was the first Indian language to be declared a classical language by the Government of India in 2004 . Tamil is one of the longest surviving classical languages in the world . It has been described as `` the only language of contemporary India which is recognisably continuous with a classical past . '' The two earliest manuscripts from India , acknowledged and registered by UNESCO Memory of the World register in 1997 and 2005 , are in Tamil . Tamil is an official language of Tamil Nadu , Puducherry , Andaman and Nicobar Islands , Sri Lanka and Singapore . It is also recognized as minority language in Canada , Malaysia , Mauritius and South Africa . </P>
first indian language to be declared as a classical language
first indian language to be declared as a classical language
Tamil
Tamil