Abstract:

A grammarian creates knowledge of the structure of a language; to be precise, makes explicit the innate knowledge that underlies the language and in the mind of the speaker of that language. He creates a metalanguage including the conceptual framework and terms for making this explicitness possible and precise. He needs the authority of the community to make this knowledge acceptable as authentic. Adherents of this knowledge make a school and this school preserves, reinterprets, extends this knowledge. The terms authority, community and authenticity mentioned above are problematic and they will be examined in this paper in the context of their understanding in Tamil tradition. The examination is done based on Sivagnana Munivar’s understanding of these terms.