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 language was the official language of the Travancore Kingdom?

  1. Malayalam

  2. Tamil

  3. Sanskrit

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

Malayalam was the official language of the Travancore Kingdom, reflecting the cultural and linguistic heritage of the region.

Multiple choice

Where are the Munda languages spoken?

  1. Eastern India

  2. Central India

  3. Southern India

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

The Munda languages are primarily spoken in the eastern states of India, such as Jharkhand, Odisha, and West Bengal.

Multiple choice

Which Munda language is spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh?

  1. Santali

  2. Mundari

  3. Ho

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

Savara is the Munda language spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh.

Multiple choice

Which Munda language is spoken in the state of Telangana?

  1. Santali

  2. Mundari

  3. Ho

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

Koya is the Munda language spoken in the state of Telangana.

Multiple choice

Which Munda language is spoken in the state of Tamil Nadu?

  1. Santali

  2. Mundari

  3. Ho

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

Toda is the Munda language spoken in the state of Tamil Nadu.

Multiple choice

Which Munda language is spoken in the state of Kerala?

  1. Santali

  2. Mundari

  3. Ho

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

Malto is the Munda language spoken in the state of Kerala.

Multiple choice

How many languages are featured in ICCR's publications?

  1. 22

  2. 30

  3. 38

  4. 46
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

ICCR's publications feature 38 different languages, including Hindi, English, Urdu, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Gujarati, Marathi, Oriya, Punjabi, Kashmiri, Sindhi, Nepali, Assamese, Manipuri, Dogri, Konkani, Bodo, Santhali, Maithili, Magahi, Bhojpuri, Rajasthani, Haryanvi, Pahari, Kumaoni, Garhwali, Jaunsari, Ladakhi, Balti, Shina, Burushaski, Kashmiri, Dogri, and Ladakhi.

Multiple choice

Which language family do Dravidian languages belong to?

  1. Indo-European

  2. Sino-Tibetan

  3. Dravidian

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

Dravidian languages form a distinct language family, unrelated to other major language families in the world.

Multiple choice

What is the approximate number of Dravidian languages spoken today?

  1. 20

  2. 50

  3. 70

  4. 100
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

There are approximately 70 Dravidian languages spoken by over 250 million people, primarily in South Asia.

Multiple choice

Which Dravidian language has the largest number of speakers?

  1. Tamil

  2. Telugu

  3. Kannada

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

Tamil is the most widely spoken Dravidian language, with over 70 million speakers.

Multiple choice

Which Dravidian language is known for its rich classical literature and ancient grammatical treatises?

  1. Tamil

  2. Telugu

  3. Kannada

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

Tamil has a rich classical literature dating back to the Sangam period (3rd century BCE to 3rd century CE) and is known for its ancient grammatical treatises, such as the Tolkappiyam.

Multiple choice

What is the significance of the Dravidian language family in terms of linguistic diversity?

  1. It represents a major branch of world languages.

  2. It is the most widely spoken language family in the world.

  3. It is a recently emerged language family.

  4. It is a language family with a limited geographical distribution.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The Dravidian language family is one of the major branches of world languages, with a distinct linguistic structure and historical development.

Multiple choice

What is the primary geographical region where Dravidian languages are spoken?

  1. South Asia

  2. East Asia

  3. Southeast Asia

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

Dravidian languages are primarily spoken in South Asia, including countries like India, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan.

Multiple choice

Which Dravidian language is known for its distinctive retroflex consonants?

  1. Tamil

  2. Telugu

  3. Kannada

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

Malayalam is known for its distinctive retroflex consonants, which are pronounced with the tongue curled back towards the roof of the mouth.

Multiple choice

Which Dravidian language is known for its unique script, distinct from other Indian scripts?

  1. Tamil

  2. Telugu

  3. Kannada

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

Tamil has its own unique script, known as the Tamil script, which is distinct from other Indian scripts.