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

Multiple choice

What is the approximate number of Dravidian languages spoken today?

  1. 20

  2. 50

  3. 70

  4. 100
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

There are approximately 70 Dravidian languages spoken today, with varying degrees of mutual intelligibility.

Multiple choice

Which Dravidian language has the largest number of speakers?

  1. Tamil

  2. Telugu

  3. Kannada

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

Telugu is the most widely spoken Dravidian language, with over 80 million native speakers primarily in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.

Multiple choice

What is the primary geographical region where Dravidian languages are spoken?

  1. North India

  2. South India

  3. East India

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

Dravidian languages are predominantly spoken in South India, with some extending into parts of Central and Eastern India.

Multiple choice

Which Dravidian language is known for its rich literary tradition dating back to the Sangam period?

  1. Tamil

  2. Telugu

  3. Kannada

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

Tamil has a rich literary tradition dating back to the Sangam period (3rd century BCE to 3rd century CE), with a vast corpus of classical literature.

Multiple choice

What is the unique feature of Dravidian languages that distinguishes them from Indo-European languages?

  1. Tonal System

  2. Gender System

  3. Case System

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

Dravidian languages have a tonal system, where the pitch of the voice can change the meaning of a word, unlike Indo-European languages which rely primarily on stress and intonation.

Multiple choice

Which Dravidian language is spoken in the state of Kerala, India?

  1. Tamil

  2. Telugu

  3. Kannada

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

Malayalam is the primary Dravidian language spoken in the state of Kerala, India.

Multiple choice

What is the approximate number of Dravidian languages that are considered endangered or critically endangered?

  1. 10

  2. 20

  3. 30

  4. 40
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Approximately 30 Dravidian languages are considered endangered or critically endangered, facing the risk of extinction due to language shift and cultural assimilation.

Multiple choice

Which Dravidian language is spoken in the state of Karnataka, India?

  1. Tamil

  2. Telugu

  3. Kannada

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

Kannada is the primary Dravidian language spoken in the state of Karnataka, India.

Multiple choice

Which Dravidian language is spoken in the state of Tamil Nadu, India?

  1. Tamil

  2. Telugu

  3. Kannada

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

Tamil is the primary Dravidian language spoken in the state of Tamil Nadu, India.

Multiple choice

What is the approximate number of Dravidian languages that are spoken outside of India?

  1. 5

  2. 10

  3. 15

  4. 20
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Approximately 10 Dravidian languages are spoken outside of India, primarily in neighboring countries such as Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Nepal.

Multiple choice

Which Dravidian language is spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India?

  1. Tamil

  2. Telugu

  3. Kannada

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

Telugu is the primary Dravidian language spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India.

Multiple choice

What is the unique feature of Dravidian languages in terms of their noun class system?

  1. Two-Class System

  2. Three-Class System

  3. Four-Class System

  4. Five-Class System
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Dravidian languages typically have a two-class noun class system, distinguishing between animate and inanimate nouns.

Multiple choice

Which Dravidian language is spoken in the state of Telangana, India?

  1. Tamil

  2. Telugu

  3. Kannada

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

Telugu is the primary Dravidian language spoken in the state of Telangana, India.

Multiple choice

What was the primary language used in the Harappan Civilization?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Tamil

  3. Hindi

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

The Harappan Civilization used a Dravidian language, which is still spoken by some communities in South India today.

Multiple choice

What was the name of the Golconda Sultanate's official language?

  1. Persian

  2. Urdu

  3. Telugu

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

Persian was the official language of the Golconda Sultanate, as it was the language of the ruling class.