Unlike the neighbouring states where early inscriptions were written in Sanskrit and Prakrit, the early inscriptions in Tamil Nadu used Tamil  along with some Prakrit. Tamil has the extant literature amongst the Dravidian languages, but dating the language and the literature precisely is difficult.
Unlike neighboring states where early inscriptions were written in Sanskrit and Prakrit, early Tamil Nadu inscriptions used Tamil alongside some Prakrit. Tamil has extant literature among Dravidian languages, but determining the precise age of the language and literature is challenging.