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 Dravidian language is spoken in the state of Lakshadweep, India?

  1. Kannada

  2. Telugu

  3. Malayalam

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

Malayalam is the primary language spoken in Lakshadweep, a union territory in southern India, and is one of the major Dravidian languages.

Multiple choice

Which Indian language has the richest tradition of oral literature?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Tamil

  3. Hindi

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

Tamil literature boasts a vast and diverse collection of oral literature, including ancient epics, folk tales, and songs.

Multiple choice

Which Indian language has the oldest literary tradition?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Tamil

  3. Hindi

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

Sanskrit, an ancient Indo-Aryan language, has the oldest literary tradition in India, dating back to the Vedic period.

Multiple choice

Which Indian language has the largest number of speakers?

  1. Hindi

  2. Bengali

  3. Telugu

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

Hindi, with over 500 million speakers, is the most widely spoken language in India.

Multiple choice

Which Indian language has the second largest number of speakers?

  1. Bengali

  2. Telugu

  3. Marathi

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

Bengali, with over 200 million speakers, is the second most widely spoken language in India.

Multiple choice

Which Indian language has the third largest number of speakers?

  1. Telugu

  2. Marathi

  3. Tamil

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

Telugu, with over 80 million speakers, is the third most widely spoken language in India.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is not a Prakrit language?

  1. Pali

  2. Ardhamagadhi

  3. Maharashtri

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

Pali is an Indo-Aryan language, while Ardhamagadhi, Maharashtri, and Sauraseni are all Prakrit languages.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is not a Dravidian language?

  1. Tamil

  2. Kannada

  3. Telugu

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

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

Multiple choice

Which of the following is not a Dravidian language?

  1. Tamil

  2. Kannada

  3. Telugu

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

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

Multiple choice

Which language is commonly used in films produced in the Maldives?

  1. Dhivehi

  2. Sinhala

  3. Tamil

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

Dhivehi is the official language of the Maldives and is the primary language used in film production in the country.

Multiple choice

In Sri Lanka, which language is predominantly used in films?

  1. Sinhala

  2. Tamil

  3. English

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

Sinhala is the official language of Sri Lanka and is the primary language used in film production in the country.

Multiple choice

In India, which language is used as the primary medium of instruction in schools and higher education institutions?

  1. Hindi

  2. English

  3. Tamil

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

Hindi is the official language of India and is used as the primary medium of instruction in schools and higher education institutions in many states. English is also widely used in education, particularly in higher education and in some states.

Multiple choice

In Sri Lanka, which language is used as the primary medium of instruction in schools and higher education institutions?

  1. Sinhala

  2. Tamil

  3. English

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

Sinhala is the official language of Sri Lanka and is used as the primary medium of instruction in schools. Tamil is also widely used in education, particularly in schools in Tamil-speaking areas.

Multiple choice

In India, which language is used as the primary medium of instruction in schools and higher education institutions?

  1. Hindi

  2. English

  3. Tamil

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

Hindi is the official language of India and is used as the primary medium of instruction in schools and higher education institutions in many states. English is also widely used in education, particularly in higher education and in some states.

Multiple choice

In Sri Lanka, which language is used as the primary medium of instruction in schools and higher education institutions?

  1. Sinhala

  2. Tamil

  3. English

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

Sinhala is the official language of Sri Lanka and is used as the primary medium of instruction in schools. Tamil is also widely used in education, particularly in schools in Tamil-speaking areas.