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 primary language used in Sanskrit Drama?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Hindi

  3. Tamil

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

Sanskrit Drama, as the name suggests, is primarily performed in Sanskrit, a classical language of India.

Multiple choice

What is the primary language used in traditional Manipuri theatre?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Hindi

  3. Manipuri

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

Traditional Manipuri theatre is performed in the Manipuri language, which is the native language of the state of Manipur.

Multiple choice

Which language has the largest number of television channels in India?

  1. Hindi

  2. English

  3. Telugu

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

Hindi is the most widely spoken language in India, and it has the largest number of television channels catering to its speakers.

Multiple choice

What was the primary language used in the Mauryan Empire's inscriptions and edicts, reflecting the empire's cultural and linguistic diversity?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Prakrit

  3. Pali

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

Prakrit, a vernacular language widely spoken in ancient India, was the primary language used in the Mauryan Empire's inscriptions and edicts. This choice reflected the empire's commitment to communicating with the diverse population and ensuring that its messages reached a broad audience.

Multiple choice

In which language was the Bhagavad Gita originally written?

  1. Sanskrit.

  2. Hindi.

  3. English.

  4. None of the above.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The Bhagavad Gita was originally written in Sanskrit. It was later translated into many other languages, including Hindi and English.

Multiple choice

Which language is spoken in Sri Lanka and has been influenced by Dutch?

  1. Afrikaans

  2. Indonesian

  3. Malay

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

Sinhala is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in Sri Lanka. It has been influenced by Dutch during the colonial period, resulting in the adoption of some Dutch words and phrases.

Multiple choice

Which regional language was significantly influenced by Indo-Persian literature?

  1. Bengali

  2. Telugu

  3. Tamil

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

Bengali literature was greatly influenced by Indo-Persian literature, particularly in the areas of poetry, prose, and drama.

Multiple choice

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

  1. Hindi

  2. English

  3. Tamil

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

Tamil is recognized as the official language of the state of Tamil Nadu, along with English, which is used for official purposes at the state level.

Multiple choice

What is the primary script used for writing Hindi, the most widely spoken language in India?

  1. Devanagari

  2. Bengali

  3. Telugu

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

Devanagari is the primary script used for writing Hindi, the official language of India. It is also used for Sanskrit, Marathi, and Nepali, among other languages.

Multiple choice

What is the script used for writing Telugu, a Dravidian language spoken in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh?

  1. Devanagari

  2. Bengali

  3. Telugu

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

The Telugu script is used for writing Telugu, a Dravidian language spoken in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and parts of Telangana.

Multiple choice

What is the script used for writing Kannada, a Dravidian language spoken in the southern Indian state of Karnataka?

  1. Devanagari

  2. Bengali

  3. Telugu

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

The Kannada script is used for writing Kannada, a Dravidian language spoken in the southern Indian state of Karnataka.

Multiple choice

What is the script used for writing Oriya, a language spoken in the eastern Indian state of Odisha?

  1. Devanagari

  2. Bengali

  3. Oriya

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

The Oriya script is used for writing Oriya, a language spoken in the eastern Indian state of Odisha.

Multiple choice

What is the script used for writing Assamese, a language spoken in the northeastern Indian state of Assam?

  1. Devanagari

  2. Bengali

  3. Assamese

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

The Assamese script is used for writing Assamese, a language spoken in the northeastern Indian state of Assam.

Multiple choice

What is the script used for writing Konkani, a language spoken in the western Indian state of Goa?

  1. Devanagari

  2. Bengali

  3. Konkani

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

The Konkani script is used for writing Konkani, a language spoken in the western Indian state of Goa.

Multiple choice

Which script is commonly used for writing the Marathi language?

  1. Devanagari

  2. Gujarati

  3. Kannada

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

Marathi is written in the Devanagari script, which is also used for Hindi and several other Indian languages.