Tanittamil Iyakkam movement advocated the use of pure Tamil language thereby avoiding Sanskrit, Persian and English loanwords. It was initiated by the compositions of Maraimalai Adigal and Paventhar Bharathidasan, G. Devaneya Pavanar and Pavalareru Perunchitthiranaar. This was propagated by the Thenmozhi literary magazine, founded by Pavalareru Perunchithiranar. V. G. Suryanarayana Sastri was known as "Parithimar Kalaignar". He was a Brahmin who was also a 20th century figure of the movement and demanded, as early as 1902 the classical language status for Tamil.

Several children`s encyclopedias in Tamil, "lucid commentaries" on Sangam poetry and history of the Tamil people appeared in 1962-63. These seemed insufficient to the proponents of "Pure Tamil.

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