Language as Mother - Tamil, Nationalism, and Emotional Belonging

Explore how the metaphor of nation as mother extends to language as mother through the lens of Tamil nationalism in this 22-minute lecture. Examine the transformation of Tamil from merely a language into a powerful symbol of cultural pride, emotional belonging, and nationalist sentiment by drawing on scholarly works including Partha Chatterjee's "The Truths and Lies of Nationalism" and Sumathy Ramaswamy's "Passions of the Tongue." Analyze how this maternal metaphor creates deep affective connections between speakers and their linguistic heritage, demonstrating how linguistic devotion becomes a potent form of political identity. Build upon previous discussions of Bhārat Mātā to understand the broader framework of how maternal metaphors shape nationalist discourse and emotional attachment to both language and land in the Indian context.