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 language is spoken in the state of Telangana?

  1. Hindi

  2. Marathi

  3. Telugu

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

Telugu is the official language of the state of Telangana and is spoken by over 35 million people.

Multiple choice

Which language is spoken in the state of Karnataka?

  1. Hindi

  2. Marathi

  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 and is spoken by over 40 million people.

Multiple choice

Which language is spoken in the state of Tamil Nadu?

  1. Hindi

  2. Marathi

  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 and is spoken by over 70 million people.

Multiple choice

Which language is spoken in the state of Kerala?

  1. Hindi

  2. Marathi

  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 and is spoken by over 35 million people.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is considered the first Tamil grammar book?

  1. Tolkappiyam

  2. Agathiyam

  3. Nannool

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

Tolkappiyam is considered the first Tamil grammar book, and is one of the oldest extant works in Tamil literature.

Multiple choice

Which of the following languages is unscheduled in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution?

  1. Hindi

  2. Bengali

  3. Telugu

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

Konkani is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Konkani people, primarily in the Indian states of Goa, Maharashtra, and Karnataka.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is a characteristic feature of the Surgujia dialect of Chhattisgarhi?

  1. The use of the retroflex 'l'

  2. The use of the dental 's'

  3. The use of the palatal 'c'

  4. The use of the velar 'k'
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The use of the retroflex 'l' is a characteristic feature of the Surgujia dialect of Chhattisgarhi.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is a characteristic feature of the Raipuri dialect of Chhattisgarhi?

  1. The use of the retroflex 'l'

  2. The use of the dental 's'

  3. The use of the palatal 'c'

  4. The use of the velar 'k'
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The use of the palatal 'c' is a characteristic feature of the Raipuri dialect of Chhattisgarhi.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is a characteristic feature of the Korba dialect of Chhattisgarhi?

  1. The use of the retroflex 'l'

  2. The use of the dental 's'

  3. The use of the palatal 'c'

  4. The use of the velar 'k'
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The use of the velar 'k' is a characteristic feature of the Korba dialect of Chhattisgarhi.

Multiple choice

In which language is the Surya Siddhanta written?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Prakrit

  3. Pali

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

The Surya Siddhanta is written in Sanskrit, which was the primary language of scholarship in ancient India.

Multiple choice

Which language is the second most widely spoken in India?

  1. English

  2. Bengali

  3. Telugu

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

Bengali is the second most widely spoken language in India, with over 8% of the population speaking it as their native language.

Multiple choice

Which language is the third most widely spoken in India?

  1. Telugu

  2. Marathi

  3. Tamil

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

Telugu is the third most widely spoken language in India, with over 7% of the population speaking it as their native language.

Multiple choice

Which language is the fourth most widely spoken in India?

  1. Marathi

  2. Tamil

  3. Gujarati

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

Marathi is the fourth most widely spoken language in India, with over 7% of the population speaking it as their native language.

Multiple choice

Which language is the fifth most widely spoken in India?

  1. Tamil

  2. Gujarati

  3. Kannada

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

Tamil is the fifth most widely spoken language in India, with over 6% of the population speaking it as their native language.

Multiple choice

Which language is the sixth most widely spoken in India?

  1. Gujarati

  2. Kannada

  3. Malayalam

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

Gujarati is the sixth most widely spoken language in India, with over 5% of the population speaking it as their native language.