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

What is the language of the Bhagavad Gita?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Hindi

  3. Tamil

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

The Bhagavad Gita was originally written in Sanskrit, an ancient Indo-Aryan language.

Multiple choice

Which language family is predominantly spoken in the Indian Ocean region?

  1. Indo-European

  2. Austronesian

  3. Afro-Asiatic

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

The Indo-European language family, including Indo-Aryan and Iranian branches, is widely spoken in the Indian Ocean region, encompassing countries like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Iran.

Multiple choice

The Tamil language, spoken in southern India and Sri Lanka, belongs to which language family?

  1. Indo-European

  2. Austronesian

  3. Afro-Asiatic

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

Tamil is a Dravidian language, a distinct language family originating in South Asia. It is widely spoken in the southern Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and parts of Sri Lanka.

Multiple choice

Which language is spoken by the majority of the population in the Maldives?

  1. Dhivehi

  2. Sinhala

  3. Tamil

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

Dhivehi, an Indo-Aryan language, is the primary language spoken by the majority of the population in the Maldives, reflecting the country's historical and cultural ties with the Indian subcontinent.

Multiple choice

Which language is spoken by the majority of the population in Sri Lanka?

  1. Sinhala

  2. Tamil

  3. English

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

Sinhala, an Indo-Aryan language, is the primary language spoken by the majority of the population in Sri Lanka, reflecting the country's historical and cultural ties with the Indian subcontinent.

Multiple choice

The Odia language, spoken in the eastern Indian state of Odisha, belongs to which language family?

  1. Indo-European

  2. Austronesian

  3. Afro-Asiatic

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

Odia, an Indo-Aryan language, is spoken in the eastern Indian state of Odisha and is closely related to other Indo-Aryan languages such as Hindi and Bengali.

Multiple choice

The Gujarati language, spoken in the western Indian state of Gujarat, belongs to which language family?

  1. Indo-European

  2. Austronesian

  3. Afro-Asiatic

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

Gujarati, an Indo-Aryan language, is spoken in the western Indian state of Gujarat and is closely related to other Indo-Aryan languages such as Hindi and Marathi.

Multiple choice

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

  1. Telugu

  2. Hindi

  3. Kannada

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

Telugu is the official language of Andhra Pradesh and is spoken by the majority of the population.

Multiple choice

Which language is predominantly spoken in the state of Karnataka?

  1. Kannada

  2. Telugu

  3. Tamil

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

Kannada is the official language of Karnataka and is spoken by a majority of the population.

Multiple choice

In the state of Kerala, which language is commonly used for communication?

  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 Kerala and is spoken by a majority of the population.

Multiple choice

Which language is the official language of Sri Lanka?

  1. Sinhala

  2. Tamil

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

Sinhala is the official language of Sri Lanka, spoken by the majority of the population.

Multiple choice

Which language is the second official language of Sri Lanka?

  1. Tamil

  2. English

  3. Sinhala
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Tamil is the second official language of Sri Lanka, spoken by a significant minority of the population.

Multiple choice

Which language is used as the lingua franca in Sri Lanka?

  1. English

  2. Sinhala

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

English is used as the lingua franca in Sri Lanka, due to its historical role as the language of administration and education.

Multiple choice

Which language is spoken by the majority of the population in the northern and eastern provinces of Sri Lanka?

  1. Sinhala

  2. Tamil

  3. English
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Tamil is spoken by the majority of the population in the northern and eastern provinces of Sri Lanka, where it is the official language.

Multiple choice

Which language is spoken by the majority of the population in the southern and western provinces of Sri Lanka?

  1. Sinhala

  2. Tamil

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

Sinhala is spoken by the majority of the population in the southern and western provinces of Sri Lanka, where it is the official language.