Tamil:
* Origins: Estimated to be around 3,000 years old, with some evidence suggesting it might be even older.
* Ancient Literature: Has a rich and extensive literary tradition dating back to the Sangam period (300 BCE to 300 CE). The Sangam literature, written in Old Tamil, includes epic poems, lyrical works, and philosophical treatises.
* Dravidian Language: Tamil belongs to the Dravidian language family, which is distinct from the Indo-European family that Sanskrit belongs to.
Sanskrit:
* Origins: Estimated to be around 2,500 years old, with its earliest documented form appearing in the Vedic period (1500-500 BCE).
* Ancient Literature: Sanskrit is the language of the Vedas, the most ancient religious texts of Hinduism. Other notable Sanskrit texts include the Mahabharata, Ramayana, and Bhagavad Gita.
* Indo-European Language: Sanskrit belongs to the Indo-European language family, which includes languages like Hindi, English, French, and Spanish.
Conclusion:
Based on linguistic evidence and historical analysis, Tamil is generally considered to be older than Sanskrit. While both languages have rich histories and significant cultural influence, Tamil has a longer documented history and a more ancient literary tradition.