Over 52 million people speak Tamil in India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Singapore, with an estimated 800,000 speakers elsewhere in the world. The official language of the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, Tamil has a rich literary tradition dating back to the third century BC. This essential resource provides an introduction to the cultures and histories of Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia, in addition to an extensive two-way dictionary, comprehensive phrasebook, and basic grammar. All Tamil entries are presented in the roman alphabet to aid the English speaker, but the book also introduces the native script with a detailed pronunciation guide. The phrasebook offers guidance to travellers in a range of settings from the hospital to the Internet caf. Each phrasebook chapter contains a section called 'What You May Hear' that prepares the travellers for common responses in each situation.