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
Which language is the official language of the state of Andhra Pradesh?
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Hindi
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English
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Telugu
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Tamil
C
Correct answer
Explanation
Telugu is the official language of the state of Andhra Pradesh.
Which state in India has the most number of languages recognized as classical languages?
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Tamil Nadu
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Karnataka
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Andhra Pradesh
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Odisha
A
Correct answer
Explanation
Tamil Nadu has the most number of languages recognized as classical languages in India, with Tamil, Sanskrit, Kannada, and Telugu being recognized as such.
Which language is the official language of the Maldives?
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Dhivehi
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Sinhala
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Tamil
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English
A
Correct answer
Explanation
Dhivehi is the official language of the Maldives, spoken by the majority of the population.
Which language is spoken by the majority of the population in Sri Lanka?
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Sinhala
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Tamil
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English
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Malayalam
A
Correct answer
Explanation
Sinhala is the official language of Sri Lanka and is spoken by the majority of the population.
Which language is spoken by the majority of the population in the Maldives?
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Dhivehi
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Sinhala
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Tamil
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English
A
Correct answer
Explanation
Dhivehi is the official language of the Maldives and is spoken by the majority of the population.
Which language is spoken by the majority of the population in Sri Lanka?
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Sinhala
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Tamil
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English
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Malayalam
A
Correct answer
Explanation
Sinhala is the official language of Sri Lanka and is spoken by the majority of the population.
Which language is closely related to Marathi and is spoken in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra?
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Hindi
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Gujarati
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Telugu
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Varhadi
D
Correct answer
Explanation
Varhadi is a language closely related to Marathi and is primarily spoken in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra.
Which language is spoken by the Kannada community in Maharashtra?
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Marathi
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Kannada
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Telugu
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Tamil
B
Correct answer
Explanation
Kannada is the language spoken by the Kannada community in Maharashtra, who migrated from the Karnataka state of India.
Which language is spoken by the Telugu community in Maharashtra?
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Marathi
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Telugu
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Kannada
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Tamil
B
Correct answer
Explanation
Telugu is the language spoken by the Telugu community in Maharashtra, who migrated from the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana states of India.
Which language is spoken by the Tamil community in Maharashtra?
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Marathi
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Tamil
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Kannada
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Malayalam
B
Correct answer
Explanation
Tamil is the language spoken by the Tamil community in Maharashtra, who migrated from the Tamil Nadu state of India.
Which language is spoken by the Malayalam community in Maharashtra?
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Marathi
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Malayalam
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Kannada
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Telugu
B
Correct answer
Explanation
Malayalam is the language spoken by the Malayalam community in Maharashtra, who migrated from the Kerala state of India.
What was the main language of the Kingdom of Cochin?
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Malayalam
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Tamil
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Kannada
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Telugu
A
Correct answer
Explanation
The main language of the Kingdom of Cochin was Malayalam.
Which language was primarily used in the Indus Valley Civilization?
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Sanskrit
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Tamil
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Dravidian
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Prakrit
C
Correct answer
Explanation
The Indus Valley Civilization, which flourished around 2500-1900 BCE, is believed to have used a Dravidian language, as evidenced by inscriptions found at various sites.
What was the primary language of the Vedic period in ancient India?
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Sanskrit
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Prakrit
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Pali
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Tamil
A
Correct answer
Explanation
Sanskrit was the primary language of the Vedic period, which lasted from around 1500 to 500 BCE. It was used in religious texts, such as the Vedas and Upanishads, as well as in philosophical and scientific works.
What was the primary language of the Mauryan Empire?
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Sanskrit
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Prakrit
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Pali
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Tamil
B
Correct answer
Explanation
Prakrit was the primary language of the Mauryan Empire, which ruled over much of the Indian subcontinent from around 322 to 185 BCE. It was a spoken language that was used in everyday communication and administration.