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Re: words for "father" in Tamil

From: Mani Varadarajan (mani_at_best.com)
Date: Tue Jul 21 1998 - 16:46:42 PDT 

> My maternal grandfather refers to his late father as "aNNa".
...
> Though originally from Srirangam, his family had settled 
> in Malleswaram, Bangalore, atleast two generations before 
> his. I've always been curious to which community 
> (geographic?) this could have been characteristic of.

Based on members' responses, it is not geographic, and
not even restricted to aiyangars.  I have heard 
Kannan Svami (Tirukkudandai Andavan) give a discourse
on Ramayana.  At one point, he describes how Indrajit
addressed a few words to Ravana.  When quoting the younger
rAkshasa, Kannan Svami first says, "indrajit sonnaan, 'aNNaa...'",
and then realizing that he had not used the common word,
restates, "er...'appaa...'".

Kannan Svami was from Kumbakonam.

Mani