Kannada
| Kannada | |
|---|---|
| ಕನ್ನಡ | |
 | |
| Native to | India - Karnataka , Kasaragod, Kerala, Andhra pradesh, Goa, Tamil Nadu and significant communities in Mauritius,[1] United Arab Emirates,[2] Thailand.[3] |
| Ethnicity | Kannadiga/Kannadati |
Native speakers | 60 million (2011)[4] 11.4 million as a second language[5] |
Dravidian
| |
| Kannada alphabet (Brahmic) Kannada Braille | |
| Official status | |
Official language in | Karnataka |
| Regulated by | Various academies and the Government of Karnataka[6] |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-1 | kn |
| ISO 639-2 | kan |
| ISO 639-3 | kan |
 Distribution of native Kannada speakers in India[7] | |
| Part of a series on | |
|---|---|
| |
| Constitutionally recognised languages of India | |
| Category | |
| Scheduled Languages | |
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A
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| Related | |
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Official languages of India
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Kannada (ಕನ್ನಡ) is a language,[8] and it is a script used for writing the language. Most people in the southern Indian state of Karnataka speak Kannada. There are also many speakers in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Kerala and Goa. There are some differences in the way Kannada is spoken in these places. There are about 44 million people who speak the language.[9] The oldest Kannada writings that still exist today are called the "Halmidi inscription" from the 5th Century.
Language profile
[change | change source]Kannada is a Dravidian language, which is a different language family from the Indo-European or Aryan languages of the north, such as Hindi but close to the other southern languages like Telugu. It has about 1200 years of written history. The first version is known as the Old Kannada script, which was used between 450 - 1200 CE. Modern Kannada has existed since about 1700 CE.[10] Printing presses introduced by Christian missionaries at the beginning of the 19th century standardized the Kannada and Telugu scripts. Kannada also has a Braille writing system for people who are blind or visually impaired.
Script
[change | change source]The Kannada script is a type of writing system called an alphasyllabary. All consonants have a built-in vowel. Other vowels are indicated with diacritics, which appear next to the consonants.[11] When they appear at the beginning of a syllable, vowels are written as separate letters. When consonants appear together without intervening vowels, the second consonant is written as a special joint symbol, usually below the first. The direction of writing: left to right in horizontal lines.[9]
Literature
[change | change source]Many songs, poems and religious texts have been written in Kannada. It is called a "classical language" by the Government of India, which means it is historically and culturally valuable.[12] Kannada has the highest number of Janapeeta literary awards compared to any Indian language. Kannada had a huge boost during the Vijayanagar period.
References
[change | change source]- ↑ "Mallige Kannada balaga: spreading fragrance of Karnataka in Mauritius". Daijiworld.com. Archived from the original on 2019-01-07. Retrieved 2013-02-12.
- ↑ "Dubai: Kannada Koota UAE to hold 'Sangeetha Saurabha'". Daijiworld.com. Archived from the original on 2019-01-07. Retrieved 2013-02-12.
- ↑ "Kannada Balaga". Archived from the original on 2013-02-28. Retrieved 2013-02-12.
- ↑ Nationalencyklopedin "Världens 100 största språk 2007" The World's 100 Largest Languages in 2007
- ↑ TNN (14 March 2010). "Indiaspeak: English is our 2nd language". Times of India. Archived from the original on 2011-05-04. Retrieved 2013-02-12.
- ↑ The Karnataka official language act, 1963 – Karnataka Gazette (Extraordinary) Part IV-2A. Government of Karnataka. 1963. p. 33.
- ↑ Distribution of native Kannada speakers in India. [1]
- ↑ sometimes called 'Canarese'
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Kannada alphabet, pronunciation and language". omniglot.com. 2011. Retrieved 7 November 2011.
- ↑ "Kannada language | History, Script & Dialects | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2024-08-27.
- ↑ above, below, before or after
- ↑ "Classical Languages". Drishti IAS. Retrieved 2024-08-27.
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