General Awareness ยท Civics Polity

Indian and Sri Lankan Languages

3,062 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 South Indian language has the most borrowed vocabulary from Dravidian languages?

  1. Telugu

  2. Kannada

  3. Tamil

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

Malayalam has the most borrowed vocabulary from Dravidian languages among the South Indian languages, with over 10% of its vocabulary coming from these languages.

Multiple choice

What is the primary source of borrowed vocabulary in Malayalam from Dravidian languages?

  1. Tamil

  2. Kannada

  3. Telugu

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

The primary source of borrowed vocabulary in Malayalam from Dravidian languages is Tamil, with many words related to culture, literature, and religion coming from this language.

Multiple choice

Which South Indian language has the most borrowed vocabulary from Tulu?

  1. Telugu

  2. Kannada

  3. Tamil

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

Kannada has the most borrowed vocabulary from Tulu among the South Indian languages, with over 5% of its vocabulary coming from this language.

Multiple choice

What was the main language of the Pandya Kingdom?

  1. Tamil

  2. Sanskrit

  3. Telugu

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

Tamil was the main language of the Pandya Kingdom.

Multiple choice

Which language is predominantly used in sports media in India?

  1. Hindi

  2. English

  3. Tamil

  4. Telugu
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 in sports media to reach a larger audience.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is not a modern Indian language?

  1. Hindi

  2. Bengali

  3. Sanskrit

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

Sanskrit is a classical Indian language, not a modern one.

Multiple choice

Which modern 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 is the most widely spoken modern Indian language, with over 400 million speakers.

Multiple choice

Which modern Indian language is the official language of the state of Andhra Pradesh?

  1. Hindi

  2. Bengali

  3. Telugu

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

Telugu is the official language of the state of Andhra Pradesh.

Multiple choice

Which modern Indian language is the official language of the state of Tamil Nadu?

  1. Hindi

  2. Bengali

  3. Telugu

  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.

Multiple choice

Which modern Indian language is the official language of the state of Karnataka?

  1. Hindi

  2. Bengali

  3. Telugu

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

Kannada is the official language of the state of Karnataka.

Multiple choice

Which modern Indian language is the official language of the state of Kerala?

  1. Hindi

  2. Bengali

  3. Telugu

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

Malayalam is the official language of the state of Kerala.

Multiple choice

Which language is commonly used in Jain religious texts and prayers, including the Agamas and the Sutras?

  1. Prakrit

  2. Sanskrit

  3. Hindi

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

Prakrit, a group of ancient Indian languages, is primarily used in Jain religious texts and prayers, particularly in the Agamas and the Sutras.

Multiple choice

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

  1. Tamil

  2. English

  3. Hindi

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

Tamil is the official language of the state of Tamil Nadu.

Multiple choice

Which language is the official language of the state of Karnataka?

  1. Kannada

  2. English

  3. Hindi

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

Kannada is the official language of the state of Karnataka.

Multiple choice

Which language is the official language of the state of Andhra Pradesh?

  1. Telugu

  2. English

  3. Hindi

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

Telugu is the official language of the state of Andhra Pradesh.