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Indian and Sri Lankan Languages

2,991 Questions

Indian and Sri Lankan languages cover various linguistic families, regional dialects, and official state languages. A significant focus is placed on Dravidian languages and their distinctive scripts. Strengthen your general awareness of regional language distribution for upcoming tests.

Dravidian language familyOfficial state languagesRegional Indian dialectsSri Lankan languagesLinguistic communities

Indian and Sri Lankan Languages Questions

Multiple choice

Which of the following is not a characteristic of modern Indian languages?

  1. They are all spoken in India.

  2. They all have a written script.

  3. They all have a long history.

  4. They all have a large number of speakers.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Not all modern Indian languages have a long history. Some, such as Maithili and Bhojpuri, are relatively new languages.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is a major language family of modern Indian languages?

  1. Indo-Aryan

  2. Dravidian

  3. Sino-Tibetan

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

The Indo-Aryan language family is the largest language family in India, with over 700 million speakers.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is a major Dravidian language spoken in India?

  1. Tamil

  2. Telugu

  3. Kannada

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

Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam are all major Dravidian languages spoken in India.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is a characteristic of the Indo-Aryan languages?

  1. They all have a complex system of verb conjugation.

  2. They all have a large number of loanwords from Sanskrit.

  3. They all have a rich oral tradition.

  4. All of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The Indo-Aryan languages all have a complex system of verb conjugation, a large number of loanwords from Sanskrit, and a rich oral tradition.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is a characteristic of the Dravidian languages?

  1. They all have a complex system of verb conjugation.

  2. They all have a large number of loanwords from Sanskrit.

  3. They all have a rich oral tradition.

  4. They all have a retroflex series of consonants.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The Dravidian languages all have a retroflex series of consonants, which are pronounced with the tongue curled back towards the roof of the mouth.

Multiple choice

Which of the following languages has been influenced by Persian?

  1. Hindi

  2. Urdu

  3. Bengali

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

Urdu has been heavily influenced by Persian, with many words and phrases borrowed from the Persian language.

Multiple choice

Which of the following languages is closely related to Persian?

  1. Hindi

  2. Urdu

  3. Bengali

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

Urdu is closely related to Persian, and it shares many similarities in grammar and vocabulary.

Multiple choice

What is the official language of the state of Tamil Nadu?

  1. Hindi

  2. Urdu

  3. Bengali

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

Tamil is the official language of the state of Tamil Nadu, and it is spoken by the majority of the population.

Multiple choice

Which language family is predominantly spoken in Central India?

  1. Indo-Aryan

  2. Dravidian

  3. Austroasiatic

  4. Sino-Tibetan
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Indo-Aryan languages, a branch of the Indo-European language family, are widely spoken in Central India, including Hindi, Marathi, and Gujarati.

Multiple choice

Which Central Indian language is known for its unique Devanagari script?

  1. Hindi

  2. Marathi

  3. Gujarati

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

Hindi, the official language of India, is written in the Devanagari script, which is characterized by its distinctive characters and conjuncts.

Multiple choice

Which Central Indian language is closely related to Sanskrit?

  1. Marathi

  2. Gujarati

  3. Oriya

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

Marathi, spoken in the state of Maharashtra, shares a close linguistic affinity with Sanskrit, the ancient language of India.

Multiple choice

Which Central Indian language is known for its rich literary tradition?

  1. Gujarati

  2. Oriya

  3. Bengali

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

Gujarati, spoken in the state of Gujarat, boasts a vibrant literary tradition, with notable poets like Narsinh Mehta and Umashankar Joshi.

Multiple choice

Which Central Indian language is influenced by Dravidian languages?

  1. Oriya

  2. Bengali

  3. Assamese

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

Oriya, spoken in the state of Odisha, has been influenced by Dravidian languages, particularly Telugu, due to historical and geographical proximity.

Multiple choice

Which Central Indian language is known for its distinct nasalization?

  1. Marathi

  2. Gujarati

  3. Oriya

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

Bengali, spoken in the state of West Bengal, is characterized by its distinct nasalization, which adds a unique melodic quality to the language.

Multiple choice

Which Central Indian language is known for its unique script called Ol Chiki?

  1. Santali

  2. Munda

  3. Ho

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

Santali, spoken by the Santal tribe, is written in the Ol Chiki script, which was developed in the 19th century.