ABSTRACT
This chapter explains the structure of variation in Brahman (B) and non-Brahman (NB) caste-dialects. The Tengalai Iyengar dialect is a well-marked B dialect, distinctly recognized as such by the Tengalai Iyengars themselves and by other castes in the speech community. The Mudaliyar dialect is considered an upper-caste N B dialect. Both are easily available everywhere in the Tamil area, so that regional variants can be separated from caste variants. The Shivalli Brahmans are characterized by their phonology, which has simply one-to-one correspondences for certain consonants of the non-Brahman dialects. The self-consciousness regarding linguistic markers is attested again by the amount of linguistic correction vis a vis NB forms in a B home. Most of the above statements regarding 'I' and 'M' could be made with minor modifications with regard to other Brahman and non-Brahman caste dialects.
