Read the following excerpt and answer the questions that follow:

"Tolkappiyam, a treatise on Tamil grammar and poetics, composed probably during the second Sangam, is the oldest extant literary work in Tamil."

(Source: https://www.du.ac.in/up/oads/new-web/04012023_Appendix-108.pdf)

(a) What is the significance of the grammatical treatise Tolkappiyam?

(b) Why is Tolkappiyam important for understanding Tamil society?

(a) The grammatical treatise like the 'Tolkappiyam' not only gives the inflection and syntax of words and sentences but also includes classification of habitats, animals, plants and human beings. The discussion on human emotion and interaction is particularly significant.

(b) The Tolkappiyam has been instrumental in understanding the evolution of the Tamil language as well as forming an idea of the literary and cultural aspects of the Tamil society.