Here's why:
* Ancient Origins: The origins of Tamil are deeply rooted in antiquity, stretching back several millennia. There's no written record from that early period to tell us definitively who spoke the language.
* Evolution and Change: Languages evolve over time, so what we know as Tamil today is a result of centuries of development and change. It's unlikely that the original speakers would recognize the language as we know it now.
* Linguistic Theories: While there are linguistic theories about the origins of Tamil, these are based on comparisons with other languages and interpretations of archaeological evidence. They provide insights, but don't definitively answer who the original speakers were.
What we do know:
* Ancient Dravidian Languages: Tamil belongs to the Dravidian language family, which is spoken predominantly in South India and parts of Sri Lanka. The Dravidian languages likely existed in the Indian subcontinent before the arrival of Indo-European languages.
* Early Tamil Literature: The Sangam literature, a collection of poems and prose dating back to around the 3rd century BC, provides valuable insights into early Tamil culture and language. This literature indicates the existence of a vibrant Tamil-speaking society in ancient times.
In short, while we can't pinpoint the original speakers of Tamil, we know that a vibrant Tamil-speaking civilization existed in South India for centuries.