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 spoken by the majority of the population in the state of Tamil Nadu?

  1. Tamil

  2. Telugu

  3. Kannada

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

Tamil is the official language of Tamil Nadu and is spoken by over 80% of the population.

Multiple choice

Which language is spoken by the majority of the population in the state of Karnataka?

  1. Kannada

  2. Telugu

  3. Tamil

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

Kannada is the official language of Karnataka and is spoken by over 60% of the population.

Multiple choice

Which language is spoken by the majority of the population in the state of Andhra Pradesh?

  1. Telugu

  2. Tamil

  3. Kannada

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

Telugu is the official language of Andhra Pradesh and is spoken by over 80% of the population.

Multiple choice

Which language is spoken by the majority of the population in the state of Kerala?

  1. Malayalam

  2. Tamil

  3. Kannada

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

Malayalam is the official language of Kerala and is spoken by over 90% of the population.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is NOT a traditional character type in Kathakali?

  1. Paccha

  2. Kari

  3. Kathakali

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

Mudiyettu is a ritualistic dance form from Kerala, distinct from Kathakali. Paccha, Kari, and Kathakali are all traditional character types in Kathakali.

Multiple choice

What is the relationship between Sanskrit and the regional languages of ancient India?

  1. Sanskrit was the parent language of all regional languages

  2. Sanskrit was a liturgical language used in religious texts

  3. Sanskrit was the language of the ruling class

  4. Sanskrit was the language of trade and commerce
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Sanskrit, a classical language of ancient India, served as the parent language from which many regional languages evolved, contributing to the linguistic diversity of the subcontinent.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is a language belonging to the Nicobarese family?

  1. Hindi

  2. Bengali

  3. Tamil

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

Nicobarese is a language spoken in the Nicobar Islands of India and belongs to the Nicobarese family of languages.

Multiple choice

How many languages are there in the Nicobarese family?

  1. 2

  2. 3

  3. 4

  4. 5
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

There are two languages in the Nicobarese family: Car Nicobarese and Chowra.

Multiple choice

What is the main language spoken in Lakshadweep?

  1. Hindi

  2. English

  3. Malayalam

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

The primary language spoken in Lakshadweep is Lakshadweep Creole, a dialect of Malayalam.

Multiple choice

In ancient India, which language was primarily used for mathematical discourse and scholarly communication?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Prakrit

  3. Tamil

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

Sanskrit was the dominant language for mathematical discourse in ancient India, serving as a medium for recording mathematical knowledge and facilitating scholarly communication.

Multiple choice

Which language is the second most widely spoken language in India?

  1. English

  2. Bengali

  3. Telugu

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

Bengali is the second most widely spoken language in India.

Multiple choice

Which language is the third most widely spoken language in India?

  1. Telugu

  2. Marathi

  3. Tamil

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

Telugu is the third most widely spoken language in India.

Multiple choice

Which language is the fourth most widely spoken language in India?

  1. Marathi

  2. Tamil

  3. Gujarati

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

Marathi is the fourth most widely spoken language in India.

Multiple choice

Which language is the fifth most widely spoken language in India?

  1. Tamil

  2. Gujarati

  3. Kannada

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

Tamil is the fifth most widely spoken language in India.

Multiple choice

Which language is the sixth most widely spoken language in India?

  1. Gujarati

  2. Kannada

  3. Malayalam

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

Gujarati is the sixth most widely spoken language in India.