MYLAI TAMIL FONT -KEYMAP

2 JUNE 1994 (Revised 26 September 1996)

THIS FILE REQUIRES MYLAI/ MYLAI PLAIN FONT PRE-INSTALLED IN
YOUR PC
The following shows the key map assignments for the Mylai Tamil font.
The first line gives the English keys and the second line should give the corresponding Tamil character, if
the font is properly installed.
Placings under the QWERTY/English keyboard:
` 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 - = \
` 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 - = \
~ ! @ # $ % ^ & * ( ) _ + |
~ ! @ # $ % ^ & * ( ) _ + |

q w e r t y u i o p [ ]
q w e r t y u i o p [ ]
Q W E R T Y U I O P { }
Q W E R T Y U I O P { }
a s d f g h j k l ; '
a s d f g h j k l ; '
A S D F G H J K L : "
A S D F G H J K L : "
z x c v b n m , . /
z x c v b n m , . /
Z X C V B N M < > ?
Z X C V B N M < > ?
kf mf lf ka ma na ek em en
kf m lf ka ma na ek em en
f
Ak Am An sH hH jH sJ hJ jJ
Ak Am An sH hH jH sJ hJ jJ

ki mi ni p< v< y< g< p> v> y> g>

ki mi ni p v< y g p v> y g
< < < > > >
^l ^q ^[ ^] YD YQ YZ YR YM
^l ^q ^[ ^] YD YQ YZ YR YM
kI tI pI sI T\ {\ }\ N\ L\
kI tI pI sI T\ {\ }\ N\ L\
k ka ki kI K P ek Ek Ak eka Eka ekq kf
k ka ki kI K P ek Ek Ak eka Ek ekq kf
a
TAMIL CHARACTERS CORRESPONDANCE:

` ~ ; : u U ' " _ o O oq #
` ~ ; : u U ' " _ o O oq #
k c d t p b g w [ n m ] y r
k c d t p b g w [ n m ] y r
l v z q j h ! s x X S $
l v z q j h ! s x X S $
Mylai Plain Tamil Font Template and Key Strokes
Vowels (13) and Consonants (24)

` ~ ; : u U ' "
` ~ ; : u U ' "
_ o O oq # @
_ o O oq # @
k g c w d ] t n
k g c w d ] t n
p m b [ y h r j
p m b [ y h r j
l s v x z q S X
l s v x z q S X
! #p
! #p
 Mylai Plain Tamil Font
CONSONANTS WITH VOWEL MARKERS
Marker Key Strokes Output

~ consonant + a ka, ga, ca, wa, da, ]a, ta, na, pa, ma,
(common)
ba, [a, ya, ha, ra, ja, la, sa, va, xa, za,
qa, Sa, Xa
~(1) Alt + 0177 ±
~(2) $ $
~(3) Alt + 0167 §
; (1) consonant + i ki, gi, ci, wi, ]i, ti, ni, pi, mi, bi, [i, yi,
hi, ri, ji, li, si, vi, xi, zi, qi, Si, Xi
;(2) F F
: (1) consonant + I kI, gI, cI, wI, ]I, tI, nI, pI, mI, bI, [I, yI,
hI, rI, jI, lI, sI, vI, xI, zI, qI, Si, XI
: (2) G G
u (1) consonant
upper case
K, C, W, D, }, T, N, M, B, {, R, L, Z, Q
keys

u (2) consonant + H hH, jH, sH, xH, SH, XH

u (3) consonant + < g<, p<, y<, v<
U(1) uppercase + \ W\, }\, T\, N\, B\, {\, L\
U(2) Y+ upperkeys YD, YM, YR, YZ, YQ
U(3) consonant + J hJ, jJ, sJ, xJ, SJ, XJ
U(4) consonant + > g> , p> , y> , v>
U(5) P P
U(6) V V

Mylai Plain Tamil Font

Consonants with vowel markers (contd)
Marker Key Strokes Output

' e + consonant ek, eg, ec, ew, ed, e], et, en, ep, em,
(common) eb, e[, ey, eh, er, ej, el, es, ev, ex, ez,
eq, eS, eX
" (comm E + consonant Ek, Eg, Ec, Ew, Ed, E], Et, En, Ep, Em,
on) Eb, E[, Ey, Eh, Er, Ej, El, Es, Ev, Ex, Ez,
Eq, ES, EX
_ A + consonant Ak, Ag, Ac, Aw, Ad, A], At, An, Ap, Am,
(common) Ab, A[, Ay, Ah, Ar, Aj, Al, As, Av, Ax,
Az, Aq, AS, AX
_ (1) ^ + consonant ^], ^[, ^l, ^q
o e
+ consonant
eka, ega, eca, ewa, eda, e]a, eta, ena,
(common) +a epa, ema, eba, e[a, eya, eha, era, eja,
ela, esa, eva, exa, eza, eqa, eSa, eXa
O E
+ consonant
Eka, Ega, Eca, Ewa, Eda, E]a, Eta,
(common) +a Ena, Epa, Ema, Eba, E[a, Eya, Eha,
Era, Eja, Ela, Esa, Eva, Exa, Eza, Eqa,
ESa, EXa
oq e
+ consonant
ekq, egq, ecq, ewq, edq, e]q, etq,
(common) +q enq, epq, emq, ebq, e[q, eyq, ehq,
erq, ejq, elq, esq, evq, exq, ezq, eqq,
eSq, eXq
# consonant + f kf, gf, cf, wf, df, ]f, tf, nf, pf, mf, bf, [f,
(common) yf, hf, rf, jf, lf, sf, vf, xf, zf, qf, Sf, Xf

GENERAL COMMENTS
1. The font once installed can be used on Mac or PC Windows with any program such as
Word-processors, spread sheets, graphics,.... During the preparation of Tamil files,
it is preferable to use font size such as 18 and reduce it to 12 or 14 just before
printing.

2. The letters eh (as in eli/rat) and Eh (as in ENi/ladder) are placed under single and
double quotes. For these characters to appear properly on the screen and during
printing, it is essential that the option "special quotes" in most word-processing
programs (that gives curly quotes instead of plain quotes) be TURNED OFF.
Otherwise you will see only blank squares in these places. Other auto correct
features such as correction of two initial capitals, capitalization of first letter etc
which are now standard features in most Word processors should also be
TURNED OFF when using Mylai font.

3. classical/old style characters no longer in use can be found under the following Roman
characters:
Raa is under $, Naa is under ASCII code 0177, naa is under ASCII code 0167
The forward hook as in lai, nai, Nai, Lai is under ^
4. The keymap uses essentially the standard ASCII characters (except the old stype Naa
and naa) and so any Tamil file prepared using the Mylai font can be sent
electronically (by email). You need to use the file in PLAIN TEXT form before
mailing (the form that shows the Roman/English characters). The receipient has to
simply open the mail in a word processor and change the font back to Mylai to see
the mail in Tamil.

The following couplets from thirukuRaL illustrate how this form of file exchange
works.
Given below is the PLAIN TEXT FORM of the first 20 couplets of THIRUKURAL
produced using the Tamil font Mylai. To see the ThirukuRaL in Tamil, simply change
the text to Mylai font. (The text is repeated twice so that you can print it in normal
and italics formats!)
tiRkfKbqf

`tikarmf 1 - kdv<qf vazftfT

1. `kr Mtl 'Ztfetlflamf ~ti pkv[f MtbfEb ulK.

2. kbfbt[alf ~y pye[[fekalf valbiv[f nbf$[f etaza`rf '[i[f.
3. mlrfmiAc "kina[f ma]F Ecrfnftarf nilmiAc nIDvazfvarf.
4. Ev]fDtlf Ev]fdaAm ;la[F EcrfnftarfkfK ya]fDmf ;DmfAp ;l.
5. ;RqfEcrf ;Rvi^[y<mf Ecra ;Abv[f epaRqfEcrf p<kzfp<rinftarf
madfD.
6. epabivayilf _nftvitftarf epayftIrf oZkfk enbinI]fdarf
nIDvazfvarf.
7. t[kfKvAm ;lflatarf taqfEcrfnftarfkf klflalf m[kfkv^l mabfblf `riT.
8. `bvazi `nft][f taqfEcrfnftarfkf klflalf pibvazi nInftlf `riT.
9. Ekaqilf epabiyi[f K]milEv '[fK]tftarf ta^q v]gfkatf t^l.
10. pibvipf epRgfkdlf nInfTvrf nInftarf ;Abv[F Ecratarf.

`tikarmf 2 - va[f cibpfp<

11. va[fni[fB ulkmf vzgfki vRtlalf ta[f`mizftmf '[fB]rbf pabfB.

12. TpfparfkfKtf Tpfpay Tpfpakfkitf TpfparfkfKtf Tpfpay T\umf
mAz.
13. vi]f;[fB epayfpfpi[f virinIrf viy{lktfT uqfni[fB udbfBmf pci.
14. "ri[f uza`rf uzvrf p<ylf'[f{mf vari vqgfK[fbikf kalf.
15. ekDpfpT\umf ekdfdarfkfKcf carfvayfmbf $gfEk 'DpfpT\umf
'lflamf mAz.
16. viCmfpi[f TqivIzi[f `lflalfmbf $gfEk pCmfp<lf t^lka]fp< `riT.
17. enDgfkdLmf t[fnIrfAm K[fBmf tFnfetzili ta[fnlfka taki viF[f.
18. cibpfepaD p>c^[ eclflaT va[mf vbkfKEmlf vaE[arfkfKmf :]fD.
19. ta[mf tvmf;r]fDmf tgfka viy[fulkmf va[mf vzgfka et[i[f.
20. nIrf;[fB `AmyaT ulek[i[f yarfyarfkfKmf va[f;[fB `AmyaT oZkfK.
tiRkfKbqf

`tikarmf 1 - kdv<qf vazftfT

1. `kr Mtl 'Ztfetlflamf ~ti pkv[f MtbfEb ulK.

2. kbfbt[alf ~y pye[[fekalf valbiv[f nbf$[f etaza`rf '[i[f.
3. mlrfmiAc "kina[f ma]F Ecrfnftarf nilmiAc nIDvazfvarf.
4. Ev]fDtlf Ev]fdaAm ;la[F EcrfnftarfkfK ya]fDmf ;DmfAp ;l.
5. ;RqfEcrf ;Rvi^[y<mf Ecra ;Abv[f epaRqfEcrf p<kzfp<rinftarf
madfD.
6. epabivayilf _nftvitftarf epayftIrf oZkfk enbinI]fdarf
nIDvazfvarf.
7. t[kfKvAm ;lflatarf taqfEcrfnftarfkf klflalf m[kfkv^l mabfblf `riT.
8. `bvazi `nft][f taqfEcrfnftarfkf klflalf pibvazi nInftlf `riT.
9. Ekaqilf epabiyi[f K]milEv '[fK]tftarf ta^q v]gfkatf t^l.
10. pibvipf epRgfkdlf nInfTvrf nInftarf ;Abv[F Ecratarf.

`tikarmf 2 - va[f cibpfp<

11. va[fni[fB ulkmf vzgfki vRtlalf ta[f`mizftmf '[fB]rbf pabfB.

12. TpfparfkfKtf Tpfpay Tpfpakfkitf TpfparfkfKtf Tpfpay T\umf
mAz.
13. vi]f;[fB epayfpfpi[f virinIrf viy{lktfT uqfni[fB udbfBmf pci.
14. "ri[f uza`rf uzvrf p<ylf'[f{mf vari vqgfK[fbikf kalf.
15. ekDpfpT\umf ekdfdarfkfKcf carfvayfmbf $gfEk 'DpfpT\umf
'lflamf mAz.
16. viCmfpi[f TqivIzi[f `lflalfmbf $gfEk pCmfp<lf t^lka]fp< `riT.
17. enDgfkdLmf t[fnIrfAm K[fBmf tFnfetzili ta[fnlfka taki viF[f.
18. cibpfepaD p>c^[ eclflaT va[mf vbkfKEmlf vaE[arfkfKmf :]fD.
19. ta[mf tvmf;r]fDmf tgfka viy[fulkmf va[mf vzgfka et[i[f.
20. nIrf;[fB `AmyaT ulek[i[f yarfyarfkfKmf va[f;[fB `AmyaT oZkfK.
5. Ram Ravindran ([email protected]) has made the following
suggestions:

"I Use Word for Windows 2. I suppose you can do the same (what I am going to
describe) with other word processors too. I have created two macros. One called
Mylai and the other English.
To create the macro Mylai:

From the Tools choose record macro

Give the macro the name Mylai
Make the hot key (ctrl shift and M)
Change the font to Mylai
Change the font size to 14
Click on bold
Choose Tool
Choose Stop the recorder

To create the macro English:

While the font still says Mylai

Choose tools record macro
Change the font to Ms Sans Serif or Times Roman
whichever English font you like
Change the point size to 14
Click on Bold
Choose Tool
Choose stop record
Now choose File >close
Say no to save the document
Choose yes to save changes to global

Now you will have two macros

Whenever you want Tamil (Mylai) just press shif ctrl and M and to switch back to English
use shift ctrl and E. You can enter Tamil and English letters on the same line. I have also
created two buttons that say T for Tamil and E for English.
Before you save a document to send it later on as an E-mail file, Choose select all from
edit and convert the font to a fixed pitch font such as courier (courier 17) and save it.