Geography ยท Social Science

Asian Language Families

1,727 Questions

Asian Language Families covers the classification, distribution, and linguistic groups across Asia, including Tibeto-Burman, Austroasiatic, and tribal dialects. It tests understanding of regional demographics and cultural heritage. This topic frequently appears in UPSC Civil Services and State PSC general studies papers.

Tibeto Burman LanguagesAustroasiatic Language GroupTribal Languages of IndiaLinguistic Demographics of Asia

Asian Language Families Questions

Multiple choice

Which Tibeto-Burman language is known for its complex system of verb morphology?

  1. Tibetan

  2. Burmese

  3. Nepali

  4. Dzongkha
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Tibetan is renowned for its intricate system of verb morphology, with a rich array of prefixes, suffixes, and infixes used to convey various grammatical functions.

Multiple choice

Which Tibeto-Burman language is spoken in Bhutan?

  1. Tibetan

  2. Burmese

  3. Nepali

  4. Dzongkha
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Dzongkha is the official language of Bhutan and is spoken by the majority of the population.

Multiple choice

What is the approximate number of Tibeto-Burman languages spoken worldwide?

  1. 100

  2. 200

  3. 300

  4. 400
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

There are approximately 400 Tibeto-Burman languages spoken worldwide, making it one of the largest language families in terms of the number of languages.

Multiple choice

Which Tibeto-Burman language is spoken in the Indian state of Sikkim?

  1. Tibetan

  2. Burmese

  3. Nepali

  4. Dzongkha
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Nepali is the official language of Sikkim and is spoken by a significant portion of the population.

Multiple choice

Which Tibeto-Burman language is spoken in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh?

  1. Tibetan

  2. Burmese

  3. Nepali

  4. Dzongkha
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Tibetan is spoken by a significant portion of the population in Arunachal Pradesh, particularly in the Tawang district.

Multiple choice

Which Tibeto-Burman language is spoken in the Indian state of Nagaland?

  1. Tibetan

  2. Burmese

  3. Nepali

  4. Dzongkha
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Nepali is spoken by a significant portion of the population in Nagaland, particularly in the Dimapur district.

Multiple choice

What is the unique feature of the Tibeto-Burman numeral system?

  1. It is a decimal system

  2. It is a vigesimal system

  3. It is a duodecimal system

  4. It is a hexadecimal system
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Many Tibeto-Burman languages have numeral systems that are vigesimal, meaning they are based on the number 20, with special terms for multiples of 20.

Multiple choice

Which Tibeto-Burman language is spoken in the Indian state of Manipur?

  1. Tibetan

  2. Burmese

  3. Nepali

  4. Dzongkha
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Nepali is spoken by a significant portion of the population in Manipur, particularly in the Imphal Valley.

Multiple choice

Which language family is the most widely spoken in the BIMSTEC countries?

  1. Indo-European

  2. Sino-Tibetan

  3. Austroasiatic

  4. Dravidian
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The Indo-European language family is the most widely spoken in the BIMSTEC countries, with over 1.5 billion speakers. The major Indo-European languages spoken in the BIMSTEC countries include Hindi, Bengali, Urdu, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, and Sinhala.

Multiple choice

Which language family is spoken by the largest number of people in Bangladesh?

  1. Indo-European

  2. Sino-Tibetan

  3. Austroasiatic

  4. Dravidian
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The Indo-European language family is spoken by the largest number of people in Bangladesh, with over 160 million speakers. The major Indo-European languages spoken in Bangladesh include Bengali, Urdu, and English.

Multiple choice

Which language family is spoken by the largest number of people in Myanmar?

  1. Indo-European

  2. Sino-Tibetan

  3. Austroasiatic

  4. Dravidian
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The Sino-Tibetan language family is spoken by the largest number of people in Myanmar, with over 30 million speakers. The major Sino-Tibetan languages spoken in Myanmar include Burmese, Karen, and Kachin.

Multiple choice

Which language family is spoken by the largest number of people in Nepal?

  1. Indo-European

  2. Sino-Tibetan

  3. Austroasiatic

  4. Dravidian
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The Indo-European language family is spoken by the largest number of people in Nepal, with over 25 million speakers. The major Indo-European languages spoken in Nepal include Nepali, Maithili, and Bhojpuri.

Multiple choice

Which language family is spoken by the largest number of people in Thailand?

  1. Indo-European

  2. Sino-Tibetan

  3. Austroasiatic

  4. Tai-Kadai
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The Tai-Kadai language family is spoken by the largest number of people in Thailand, with over 60 million speakers. The major Tai-Kadai languages spoken in Thailand include Thai, Lao, and Shan.

Multiple choice

Which language family is spoken by the largest number of people in Bhutan?

  1. Indo-European

  2. Sino-Tibetan

  3. Austroasiatic

  4. Dravidian
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The Sino-Tibetan language family is spoken by the largest number of people in Bhutan, with over 500,000 speakers. The major Sino-Tibetan languages spoken in Bhutan include Dzongkha, Tshangla, and Lhotshamkha.

Multiple choice

Which language family is spoken by the largest number of people in the Maldives?

  1. Indo-European

  2. Sino-Tibetan

  3. Austroasiatic

  4. Dravidian
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The Indo-European language family is spoken by the largest number of people in the Maldives, with over 300,000 speakers. The major Indo-European languages spoken in the Maldives include Dhivehi and English.