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

  1. Tamil

  2. English

  3. Hindi

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

Tamil is recognized as the official language of the state of Tamil Nadu, as per the Tamil Nadu Official Language Act, 1956.

Multiple choice

The Bangalore Literature Festival is known for its focus on which language?

  1. English

  2. Hindi

  3. Kannada

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

The Bangalore Literature Festival primarily focuses on Kannada literature, along with other Indian and international languages.

Multiple choice

Which language family is the most widely spoken in India?

  1. Indo-Aryan

  2. Dravidian

  3. Sino-Tibetan

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

The Indo-Aryan language family is the most widely spoken in India, with languages like Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, and Gujarati being prominent members.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is a Dravidian language?

  1. Tamil

  2. Telugu

  3. Kannada

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

Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam are all Dravidian languages spoken in southern India.

Multiple choice

Which Dravidian language is spoken by the largest number of people in India?

  1. Tamil

  2. Telugu

  3. Kannada

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

Telugu is the Dravidian language with the largest number of speakers in India, primarily concentrated in the state of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Multiple choice

Which script is used to write Tamil, one of the major Dravidian languages of India?

  1. Tamil

  2. Telugu

  3. Kannada

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

Tamil is the script used to write Tamil, one of the major Dravidian languages of India.

Multiple choice

Which script is used to write Telugu, a major language spoken in the southern states of India?

  1. Telugu

  2. Kannada

  3. Malayalam

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

Telugu is the script used to write Telugu, a major language spoken in the southern states of India.

Multiple choice

Which script is used to write Kannada, a language spoken in the state of Karnataka in India?

  1. Kannada

  2. Telugu

  3. Malayalam

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

Kannada is the script used to write Kannada, a language spoken in the state of Karnataka in India.

Multiple choice

Which script is used to write Malayalam, a language spoken in the state of Kerala in India?

  1. Malayalam

  2. Kannada

  3. Telugu

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

Malayalam is the script used to write Malayalam, a language spoken in the state of Kerala in India.

Multiple choice

Which script is used to write Oriya, a language spoken in the state of Odisha in India?

  1. Oriya

  2. Bengali

  3. Assamese

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

Oriya is the script used to write Oriya, a language spoken in the state of Odisha in India.

Multiple choice

Which script is used to write Bengali, a language spoken in the state of West Bengal in India?

  1. Bengali

  2. Oriya

  3. Assamese

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

Bengali is the script used to write Bengali, a language spoken in the state of West Bengal in India.

Multiple choice

Which script is used to write Gujarati, a language spoken in the state of Gujarat in India?

  1. Gujarati

  2. Marathi

  3. Hindi

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

Gujarati is the script used to write Gujarati, a language spoken in the state of Gujarat in India.

Multiple choice

Which script is used to write Marathi, a language spoken in the state of Maharashtra in India?

  1. Marathi

  2. Gujarati

  3. Hindi

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

Marathi is the script used to write Marathi, a language spoken in the state of Maharashtra in India.

Multiple choice

Which regional language is associated with the works of the renowned poet and writer, K. Satchidanandan?

  1. Malayalam

  2. Kannada

  3. Telugu

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

K. Satchidanandan is a renowned Malayalam poet, writer, and critic whose works have been translated into various languages.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is NOT an East Indian language?

  1. Bengali

  2. Hindi

  3. Marathi

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

Tamil is a Dravidian language, while Bengali, Hindi, and Marathi are Indo-Aryan languages.