First Tamil book was printed in Lisbon on 1554 AD with Romanized Tamil script.This page is from “Luso-Tamil Catechism” printed in Lisbon in 1554 CE. It is a multilingual book with words printed in Roman type in both Tamil and Portuguese. The oldest Tamil work that has been printed is this one. The book has 38 pages and begins with Tamil sentences printed in red, followed by translations into Portuguese printed in black. Authors of the book were Tamil Christians living in Lisbon - Vincente de Nazareth, Thome da Cruz and Jorge Carvalho. They were under the supervision of Father Joao Villa de Conde. This single surviving copy of the book is at the Ethnological Museum at Belem. The book's title is Primer, and it briefly summarises all a Christian needs to know in order to be saved. Lord, King Dom John III, also commanded that it be produced in Tamil and Portuguese, with the Tamil translation appearing above in red. Fr. Xavier Thaninayagam rediscovered this work in the 1950s.

The design of the Carthila de lingoa Tamul e Portugues holds significance as it visually represents the convergence of Tamil and Portuguese languages. The layout showcases both scripts side by side, fostering intercultural exchange and communication. It reflects the creative approach taken to bridge linguistic and cultural gaps during that period.