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Tamil is written in a non-Latin script. Tamil text used in this article is transliterated into the Latin script according to theISO 15919 standard.

TheTamil language hasnumber words and dedicated symbols for them in theTamil script. They have mostly been supplanted byArabic numerals in common usage.

Old Tamil possesses a special numerical character for zero(seeOld Tamil numerals below), which is read asandru (literally, no/nothing). Modern Tamil words for zero includeசுழியம் (suḻiyam) orபூஜ்ஜியம் (pūjjiyam).

Tamil has a numeric prefix for each number from 1 to 9, which can be added to the words for the powers of ten (ten, hundred, thousand, etc.) to form multiples of them. For instance, the word for fifty,ஐம்பது (aimpatu) is a combination ofஐ (ai, the prefix for five) andபத்து (pattu, which is ten). The prefix for nine changes with respect to the succeeding base 10.தொ + the unvoiced consonant of the succeeding base 10 forms the prefix for nine. For instance, 90 isதொ +ண் (ண் being the unvoiced version ofணூ), hence,தொண்ணூறு).

These are typically void in the Tamil language except for some Hindu references; for example,அட்ட இலட்சுமிகள் (the eight Lakshmis). Even in religious contexts, the Tamil language is usually more preferred for its more poetic nature and relatively low incidence of consonant clusters.

Unlike other modern Indian number systems, Tamil has distinct digits for 10, 100, and 1000. It also has distinct characters for other number-based aspects of day-to-day life.

There are two numeral systems that can be used in theTamil language: the Tamil system which is as follows^{[2][clarification needed]}

The following are the traditional numbers of theTamiḻakam region.^{[clarification needed]}

Proposals to encode Tamilfractions and symbols toUnicode were submitted.^[3][4] As of version 12.0,Tamil characters used for fractional values in traditional accounting practices were added to the Unicode Standard.

Any fraction can be transcribed by affixing -இல் (-il) after thedenominator followed by thenumerator. For instance, 1/41 can be said asநாற்பத்து ஒன்றில் ஒன்று (nāṟpattu oṉṟil oṉṟu).

The suffixing of the -இல் (-il) requires the last consonant of the number to be changed to itsஇ (i) form. For example,மூன்று +இல் (mūṉṟu +-il) becomesமூன்றில் (mūṉṟil); note theஉ (u) has been omitted.

Common fractions (பொது பின்னங்கள்) have names already allocated to them, hence, these names are often used rather than the above method.

^ when prefixed to a fraction, reduces (downscales) the value of the fraction by ascale of 1/320 (the value of the lowest fraction muntiri).

Other fractions include:

^Aṇu was considered as the lowest fraction by ancient Tamils as size of smallest physical object (similar to an atom). Later, this term went to Sanskrit to refer directly to atoms.^{[citation needed]}

Decimal point is calledபுள்ளி (puḷḷi) inTamil. For example, 1.1 would be read asஒன்று புள்ளி ஒன்று (oṉṟu puḷḷi oṉṟu). In Sri Lankan Tamil, Thasam தசம்.

Percentage is known asவிழுக்காடு (viḻukkāḍu) inTamil orசதவீதம் (śatavītam). These words are simply added after a number to form percentages. For instance, four percent isநான்கு சதவீதம் (nāṉku satavītam) orநான்கு விழுக்காடு (nāṉku viḻukkāḍu). Percentage symbol (%) is also recognised and used.

Ordinal numbers are formed by adding the suffix -ஆம் (ām) after the number, except for 'First'.

• As always, when blending two words into one, an unvoiced form of the consonant as the one that the second starts with, is placed in between to blend.

This song is a list of each number with a concept its primarily associated with.

As the ancient classicalDravidian language, Tamil numerals influenced and shaped the numerals of the others in the family. The following table compares the mainDravidian languages.

Also,Tamil through thePallava script which itself through theKawi script,Khmer script and other South-east Asian scripts has shaped the numeralgrapheme of most South-east Asian languages.

Before theGovernment of India unveiled₹ as the newrupee symbol, people in Tamil Nadu used the Tamil letter௹ as the symbol. This symbol continues to be used occasionally as rupee symbol by Indian Tamils. It is also used by Tamils in Sri Lanka.^[6]

The symbol௳ is also known as thePiḷḷaiyār Suḻi (lit. 'Curl ofPiḷḷaiyār'), a symbol that mostTamil Hindus will start off any auspicious document with. It is written to invoke the godPiḷḷaiyār, known otherwise asGanesha, who is the remover of obstacles.^[7]

• Kaṇita Tīpikai
• Tamil script
• Tamil units of measurement

• Tamil culture
• Tamil language
• Numerals

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