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

Which language is spoken by another very tiny group of Indian diaspora in Malaysia?

  1. Manipuri

  2. Kashmiri

  3. Ladakhi

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

Manipuri is spoken by another very tiny group of Indian diaspora in Malaysia, with less than 1,000 speakers.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is NOT an Indo-Aryan language?

  1. Hindi

  2. Urdu

  3. Tamil

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

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

Multiple choice

What is the most widely spoken Indo-Aryan language?

  1. Hindi

  2. Urdu

  3. Bengali

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

Hindi is the most widely spoken Indo-Aryan language, with over 600 million speakers worldwide.

Multiple choice

Which Indo-Aryan language is spoken in Pakistan?

  1. Hindi

  2. Urdu

  3. Bengali

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

Urdu is the official language of Pakistan and is spoken by over 100 million people.

Multiple choice

Which Indo-Aryan language is spoken in the Punjab region of India and Pakistan?

  1. Hindi

  2. Urdu

  3. Bengali

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

Punjabi is spoken by over 100 million people in the Punjab region of India and Pakistan.

Multiple choice

The dialect spoken in the southern region of India, known for its distinct Dravidian influences, is:

  1. Telugu

  2. Kannada

  3. Malayalam

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

Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu and parts of Sri Lanka.

Multiple choice

Which language family is the primary source of East Indian languages?

  1. Indo-Aryan

  2. Austroasiatic

  3. Tibeto-Burman

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

The Indo-Aryan language family is the primary source of East Indian languages, with a majority of the languages belonging to this family.

Multiple choice

What is the most widely spoken East Indian language?

  1. Hindi

  2. Bengali

  3. Marathi

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

Hindi is the most widely spoken East Indian language, with over 400 million native speakers.

Multiple choice

Which East Indian language is known for its rich classical literature?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Tamil

  3. Kannada

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

Sanskrit is known for its rich classical literature, including the Vedas, Upanishads, and the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata.

Multiple choice

Which East Indian language is spoken in the state of Maharashtra?

  1. Marathi

  2. Hindi

  3. Bengali

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

Marathi is the official language of the state of Maharashtra and is spoken by over 80 million people.

Multiple choice

Which East Indian language is spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh?

  1. Telugu

  2. Hindi

  3. Bengali

  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 and is spoken by over 80 million people.

Multiple choice

Which language has won the most Jnanpith Awards?

  1. Hindi

  2. Bengali

  3. Kannada

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

Hindi has won the most Jnanpith Awards, with 11 awards.

Multiple choice

Which language family is predominantly spoken in the Indian Ocean region?

  1. Indo-European

  2. Afro-Asiatic

  3. Austronesian

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

The Indo-European language family, including Indo-Aryan and Iranian branches, is widely spoken in the Indian Ocean region, encompassing countries like India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Iran.

Multiple choice

What is the official language of Sri Lanka?

  1. Tamil

  2. Sinhala

  3. English

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

Sinhala, an Indo-Aryan language, is the official language of Sri Lanka, spoken by the majority of the population and used in government, education, and media.

Multiple choice

What is the primary language of the Maldives?

  1. Hindi

  2. Sinhala

  3. Dhivehi

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

Dhivehi, also known as Maldivian, is the official language of the Maldives, spoken by the majority of the population and used in government, education, and media.