Tamil Number One Thousand

It means one thousand in traditional Tamil numerals. Unlike 0–9 digits, it marks a whole value: ௮௲ is 8 × 1,000 (8,000); ௲௧ is 1,000 + 1 (1,001).

How old is ௲?

Early pottery attests Tamil numerals, not when this sign began. Early Historic pottery from Azhakankulam in Tamil Nadu records numerals; it does not date ௲. By the medieval period, carved inscriptions and books written on palm leaves show separate signs for 10, 100, and 1,000 in accounts.

In the medieval period, these signs supported land measurement and tax assessment. In contemporary Tamil writing, ordinary amounts use familiar digits; some formal or scholarly works retain traditional signs. Gloss them for unfamiliar readers.