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 state has the official language of Kannada?

  1. Kerala

  2. Andhra Pradesh

  3. Karnataka

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

Kannada is the official language of the state of Karnataka, located in southern India.

Multiple choice

Which state has the official language of Malayalam?

  1. Karnataka

  2. Tamil Nadu

  3. Kerala

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

Malayalam is the official language of the state of Kerala, located in southern India.

Multiple choice

What is the official language of the state of Andhra Pradesh?

  1. Telugu

  2. Kannada

  3. Tamil

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

Telugu is the official language of the state of Andhra Pradesh, located in southern India.

Multiple choice

In which language was Aryabhatiya written?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Prakrit

  3. Pali

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

Aryabhatiya was written in Sanskrit, the classical language of India.

Multiple choice

In which language was Surya Siddhanta written?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Prakrit

  3. Pali

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

Surya Siddhanta was written in Sanskrit, the classical language of India.

Multiple choice

In which language was Pancasiddhantika written?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Prakrit

  3. Pali

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

Pancasiddhantika was written in Sanskrit, the classical language of India.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is NOT a Dravidian language?

  1. Telugu

  2. Kannada

  3. Malayalam

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

Hindi is an Indo-Aryan language, while Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam are Dravidian languages.

Multiple choice

What is the approximate number of Dravidian languages spoken today?

  1. 20

  2. 70

  3. 150

  4. 250
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

There are approximately 70 Dravidian languages spoken today, with the majority of them found in India.

Multiple choice

Which Dravidian language has the largest number of speakers?

  1. Telugu

  2. Kannada

  3. Tamil

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

Telugu has the largest number of speakers among Dravidian languages, with over 75 million native speakers.

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 primarily spoken in South India, with some also found in parts of Central and Eastern India.

Multiple choice

Which Dravidian language is considered the oldest?

  1. Tamil

  2. Telugu

  3. Kannada

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

Tamil is considered the oldest Dravidian language, with a rich literary tradition dating back over 2,000 years.

Multiple choice

What is the characteristic feature of Dravidian languages in terms of their grammatical structure?

  1. Subject-Verb-Object

  2. Subject-Object-Verb

  3. Verb-Subject-Object

  4. Object-Subject-Verb
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Dravidian languages typically follow a Subject-Object-Verb grammatical structure.

Multiple choice

Which Dravidian language has the most complex system of verb conjugation?

  1. Telugu

  2. Kannada

  3. Tamil

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

Telugu has the most complex system of verb conjugation among Dravidian languages, with numerous verb forms and tenses.

Multiple choice

Which Dravidian language has the largest body of classical literature?

  1. Telugu

  2. Kannada

  3. Tamil

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

Tamil has the largest body of classical literature among Dravidian languages, with a rich tradition of poetry, prose, and drama.

Multiple choice

Which Dravidian language has the most distinctive phonological system?

  1. Telugu

  2. Kannada

  3. Tamil

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

Tamil has the most distinctive phonological system among Dravidian languages, with a unique set of consonants and vowel sounds.