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Tamil (, alternative spelling: Thamizh ) is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of South India and North-east Sri Lanka.

It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Puducherry.

Tamil is also a national language of Sri Lanka and an official language of Singapore.

It is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is the first language that was declared a classical language by the government of India in 2004.

Tamil is also spoken by significant minorities in Malaysia, USA and Mauritius as well as emigrant communities around the world.