General Awareness ยท Civics Polity

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 Indian language has the largest number of speakers in the United States?

  1. Hindi

  2. Punjabi

  3. Tamil

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

Hindi has the largest number of speakers in the United States, with over 600,000 speakers. This is due to the large number of Indian immigrants who have settled in the United States from Hindi-speaking regions of India.

Multiple choice

Which Indian language has the largest number of speakers in Canada?

  1. Hindi

  2. Punjabi

  3. Tamil

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

Punjabi has the largest number of speakers in Canada, with over 500,000 speakers. This is due to the large number of Indian immigrants who have settled in Canada from Punjabi-speaking regions of India.

Multiple choice

Which Indian language has the largest number of speakers in Australia?

  1. Hindi

  2. Punjabi

  3. Tamil

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

Hindi has the largest number of speakers in Australia, with over 200,000 speakers. This is due to the large number of Indian immigrants who have settled in Australia from Hindi-speaking regions of India.

Multiple choice

In which Indian language is the word "roti" used to refer to a flatbread?

  1. Hindi

  2. Tamil

  3. Telugu

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

The word "roti" is derived from the Sanskrit word "rotika," meaning "bread." It is commonly used in North Indian languages like Hindi, Punjabi, and Rajasthani to refer to a flatbread made from wheat flour.

Multiple choice

In what language was the Bijaganita originally written?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Prakrit

  3. Tamil

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

The Bijaganita was originally written in Sanskrit, the classical language of ancient India.

Multiple choice

Which language family is the primary ancestor of most Central Indian languages?

  1. Indo-Aryan

  2. Dravidian

  3. Munda

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

The Indo-Aryan language family is the primary ancestor of most Central Indian languages, including Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, and Bengali, among others.

Multiple choice

Which Central Indian language is considered the oldest living language in the world?

  1. Tamil

  2. Sanskrit

  3. Marathi

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

Gondi, a Dravidian language spoken in Central India, is considered one of the oldest living languages in the world, with its roots dating back to ancient times.

Multiple choice

Which Central Indian language is known for its rich literary tradition and is considered a classical language of India?

  1. Marathi

  2. Gujarati

  3. Kannada

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

Sanskrit, an ancient Indo-Aryan language, is considered a classical language of India and has a rich literary tradition, including sacred texts, epics, and philosophical works.

Multiple choice

Which Central Indian language is known for its rich oral tradition and is considered a treasure trove of folk tales and legends?

  1. Marathi

  2. Gujarati

  3. Kannada

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

Telugu, a Dravidian language, is known for its rich oral tradition and is home to a vast collection of folk tales, legends, and mythological stories passed down through generations.

Multiple choice

Which Central Indian language is known for its unique script, which is different from the Devanagari script used for most other Indo-Aryan languages?

  1. Marathi

  2. Gujarati

  3. Kannada

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

Kannada, a Dravidian language, is known for its unique script, which is different from the Devanagari script used for most other Indo-Aryan languages.

Multiple choice

Which Central Indian language is known for its rich vocabulary of agricultural terms and is considered the language of farmers?

  1. Marathi

  2. Gujarati

  3. Kannada

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

Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language, is known for its rich vocabulary of agricultural terms and is considered the language of farmers in Central India.

Multiple choice

Which Central Indian language is known for its rich tradition of classical music and dance, and is considered a cultural powerhouse of India?

  1. Marathi

  2. Gujarati

  3. Kannada

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

Telugu, a Dravidian language, is known for its rich tradition of classical music and dance, and is considered a cultural powerhouse of India.

Multiple choice

Which language is the most commonly used in research in India?

  1. Hindi

  2. English

  3. Bengali

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

English is the most commonly used language in research in India, as it is the language of instruction in most higher education institutions.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is NOT a Dravidian language?

  1. Tamil

  2. Telugu

  3. Kannada

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

Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language, while Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada are Dravidian languages.

Multiple choice

The Dravidian language family is primarily spoken in which region of the world?

  1. South Asia

  2. East Asia

  3. Southeast Asia

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

The Dravidian language family is predominantly spoken in South Asia, particularly in India, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan.