General Awareness · 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 state in India has declared Malayalam as its official language?

  1. Tamil Nadu

  2. Karnataka

  3. Andhra Pradesh

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

Malayalam is the official language of the state of Kerala, as per the Kerala Official Language Act, 1969.

Multiple choice

Which state in India has declared Marathi as its official language?

  1. Tamil Nadu

  2. Karnataka

  3. Andhra Pradesh

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

Marathi is the official language of the state of Maharashtra, as per the Maharashtra Official Language Act, 1966.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is the official language of the Supreme Court of India?

  1. Hindi

  2. English

  3. Tamil

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

English is the official language of the Supreme Court of India, as per Article 348 of the Indian Constitution.

Multiple choice

In which state is the use of Marathi as an official language in the judiciary mandatory?

  1. Maharashtra

  2. Karnataka

  3. Andhra Pradesh

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

In Maharashtra, the use of Marathi as an official language in the judiciary is mandatory.

Multiple choice

Which ancient language is considered the ancestor of Gujarati?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Prakrit

  3. Tamil

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

Gujarati evolved from Sauraseni Prakrit, a Middle Indo-Aryan language spoken in ancient India.

Multiple choice

What is the official script used for writing Gujarati?

  1. Devanagari

  2. Gujarati

  3. Tamil

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

Gujarati has its own unique script, derived from the Devanagari script, which is used to write Hindi and other Indian languages.

Multiple choice

What was the language of the Cheras?

  1. Tamil

  2. Malayalam

  3. Sanskrit

  4. All of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The Cheras spoke Tamil. Tamil is one of the oldest languages in the world.

Multiple choice

What is the primary language used in Sattriya literature?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Assamese

  3. Bengali

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

Sattriya literature is primarily written in Assamese, the native language of the region where it originated.

Multiple choice

Which language is considered the sacred language of Hinduism and is used in religious texts like the Vedas and Upanishads?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Hindi

  3. Tamil

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

Sanskrit is the sacred language of Hinduism and is considered the language of the gods. It is used in religious texts, rituals, and prayers.

Multiple choice

Which language is used in the Jain holy book, the Agamas?

  1. Prakrit

  2. Sanskrit

  3. Hindi

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

The Agamas are written in Prakrit, a language closely related to Sanskrit.

Multiple choice

Which language is used in the Jain holy book, the Kalpa Sūtra?

  1. Prakrit

  2. Sanskrit

  3. Hindi

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

The Kalpa Sūtra is written in Prakrit, a language closely related to Sanskrit.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is a dialect of the Marathi language?

  1. Konkani

  2. Malvani

  3. Varhadi

  4. All of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Konkani, Malvani, and Varhadi are all dialects of the Marathi language.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is a dialect of the Malayalam language?

  1. Thiruvananthapuram

  2. Ernakulam

  3. Kozhikode

  4. All of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, and Kozhikode are all dialects of the Malayalam language.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is a dialect of the Kannada language?

  1. Mysore

  2. Bangalore

  3. Mangalore

  4. All of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Mysore, Bangalore, and Mangalore are all dialects of the Kannada language.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is a dialect of the Telugu language?

  1. Hyderabad

  2. Vijayawada

  3. Visakhapatnam

  4. All of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Hyderabad, Vijayawada, and Visakhapatnam are all dialects of the Telugu language.