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

What is the traditional Indian language called?

  1. Hindi

  2. Sanskrit

  3. Tamil

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

Hindi, Sanskrit, and Tamil are all traditional Indian languages.

Multiple choice

Which language is most commonly used in ICCR's Cultural Workshops and Seminars held in India?

  1. Hindi

  2. English

  3. Bengali

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

Hindi is the most widely spoken language in India and is used as the primary language of instruction in many schools and universities. Therefore, it is also the most commonly used language in ICCR's Cultural Workshops and Seminars held in India.

Multiple choice

Which of the following languages is written in Grantha script?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Tamil

  3. Telugu

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

The Grantha script is primarily used to write Sanskrit, although it has also been used to write other languages such as Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada.

Multiple choice

Which language is spoken in the state of Tamil Nadu?

  1. Tamil

  2. Telugu

  3. Kannada

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

Tamil is the official language of the state of Tamil Nadu and is spoken by over 80% of the population.

Multiple choice

Which language is spoken in the state of Karnataka?

  1. Kannada

  2. Telugu

  3. Tamil

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

Kannada is the official language of the state of Karnataka and is spoken by over 60% of the population.

Multiple choice

Which language is spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh?

  1. Telugu

  2. Tamil

  3. Kannada

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

Telugu is the official language of the state of Andhra Pradesh and is spoken by over 80% of the population.

Multiple choice

Which language is spoken in the state of Kerala?

  1. Malayalam

  2. Tamil

  3. Kannada

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

Malayalam is the official language of the state of Kerala and is spoken by over 90% of the population.

Multiple choice

Which Dravidian language is spoken by the largest number of people worldwide?

  1. Telugu

  2. Kannada

  3. Tamil

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

Telugu is the most widely spoken Dravidian language, with over 80 million native speakers primarily located in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Multiple choice

Which Dravidian language is known for its extensive use of honorifics and politeness markers?

  1. Tamil

  2. Kannada

  3. Malayalam

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

Tamil is renowned for its elaborate system of honorifics, which are used to express respect and deference towards individuals based on their age, social status, and relationship.

Multiple choice

The Dravidian languages exhibit a unique feature known as __________, where words can change their meaning based on the context in which they are used.

  1. Sandhi

  2. Vowel Harmony

  3. Tonal Variation

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

Dravidian languages employ morphological inflection to modify the form of words to convey different meanings or grammatical functions.

Multiple choice

Which Dravidian language has a rich tradition of classical literature dating back several centuries?

  1. Telugu

  2. Kannada

  3. Tamil

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

Tamil boasts a vast corpus of classical literature, including ancient epics, poetry, and philosophical texts, which have significantly influenced the cultural and literary heritage of South India.

Multiple choice

Which Dravidian language is known for its distinctive whistling sounds, used to convey various emotions and meanings?

  1. Telugu

  2. Kannada

  3. Tamil

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

Kodava Takk, spoken by the Kodava people of Karnataka, India, is unique for its use of whistling sounds, which are incorporated into everyday speech to express a range of emotions and meanings.

Multiple choice

Which Dravidian language is known for its extensive use of compound words, formed by combining two or more words into a single unit?

  1. Telugu

  2. Kannada

  3. Tamil

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

Tamil is renowned for its prolific use of compound words, which are created by joining two or more words to form a new word with a distinct meaning.

Multiple choice

The Dravidian languages have been influenced by various external factors, including contact with which language family?

  1. Indo-European

  2. Austroasiatic

  3. Sino-Tibetan

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

The Dravidian languages have been significantly influenced by contact with Indo-European languages, particularly Sanskrit, which has contributed to their vocabulary and grammatical structures.

Multiple choice

Which Dravidian language is known for its rich tradition of oral storytelling, with a vast repertoire of folk tales, legends, and myths?

  1. Telugu

  2. Kannada

  3. Tamil

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

Tamil has a strong oral storytelling tradition, with a wealth of folk tales, legends, and myths that have been passed down through generations.