Blin, A[médée]. Dictionnaire Français-Tamoul et Tamoul-Français [...].

€ 2.500,00

First edition. Lithographed French-Tamil and Tamil-French dictionary, the first of its kind in Europe, including a folding syllabus. The first of a series of French compilations that appeared in the 19th and 20th centuries, and the earliest publication of a two-way dictionary in Tamil ever. Particularly remarkable for the skilfully executed Tamil letters and its overall appearance, designed to resemble a manuscript.

Tamil (closely related to Malayalam) was the lingua franca for early maritime traders, with inscriptions found in places like Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Egypt. The language has a well-documented history with literary works, consisting of over 2,000 poems. This reference book was prepared by the French colonial officer Amédée Blin, a member of the Société Asiatique, who served in Pondicherry in French India from 1823, where he established language classes for colonial officers. Rarely seen at auction.