Here's a breakdown:
Similarities:
* Dravidian Origin: Both languages belong to the Dravidian language family, which is a distinct family from the Indo-European family that includes English, Hindi, and many others. This shared ancestry means they have some structural similarities in grammar and vocabulary.
* Ancient Literature: Both languages have a rich and ancient literary tradition, dating back to the Sangam period in Tamil (c. 300 BCE - 300 CE) and the early Telugu inscriptions (c. 5th century CE).
* Influence: There was definitely mutual influence between the two languages, especially in the field of literature and cultural exchange.
Differences:
* Pronunciation and Phonetics: Old Tamil and Old Telugu have developed distinct sound systems and pronunciations.
* Grammar: While the basic grammatical structures are similar, there are significant differences in verb conjugation, noun declension, and sentence structure.
* Vocabulary: While they share some cognates (words with a common origin), the vocabulary has diverged considerably over centuries.
* Script: Old Tamil was written in the Tamil script (which is still in use today), while Old Telugu used the Brahmi script, which evolved into the Telugu script.
Analogy:
Think of it like this: English and German share a common ancestor (Proto-Germanic) and have similar grammar structures, but their vocabulary, pronunciation, and cultural influences are distinct. Similarly, Old Tamil and Old Telugu are related languages with shared ancestry but evolved into distinct languages with their own unique characteristics.
Conclusion:
While Old Tamil and Old Telugu share a common linguistic origin, they are not considered alike in the same way as languages with closer historical ties. They have developed distinct features and are considered separate languages with their own unique histories and literatures.