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 the seventh most widely spoken language in India?

  1. Kannada

  2. Malayalam

  3. Odia

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

Kannada is the seventh most widely spoken language in India.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is the oldest known language of India?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Tamil

  3. Telugu

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

Sanskrit is the oldest known language of India, with its roots dating back to the 2nd millennium BCE.

Multiple choice

The ancient Indian language Prakrit is the ancestor of which modern Indian languages?

  1. Hindi

  2. Marathi

  3. Gujarati

  4. All of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Prakrit is the ancestor of many modern Indian languages, including Hindi, Marathi, and Gujarati.

Multiple choice

Which ancient Indian language is known for its rich literature, including the Vedas and the Upanishads?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Tamil

  3. Telugu

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

Sanskrit is known for its rich literature, including the Vedas and the Upanishads, which are considered sacred texts in Hinduism.

Multiple choice

Which ancient Indian language is known for its rich poetic tradition, including the works of Kalidasa and Bhavabhuti?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Tamil

  3. Telugu

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

Sanskrit is known for its rich poetic tradition, including the works of Kalidasa and Bhavabhuti, who are considered two of the greatest poets in Indian literature.

Multiple choice

Which ancient Indian language is known for its extensive use of compound words and its complex grammatical structure?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Tamil

  3. Telugu

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

Sanskrit is known for its extensive use of compound words and its complex grammatical structure, which makes it a challenging language to learn.

Multiple choice

Which ancient Indian language is known for its use of retroflex consonants and its distinctive vowel system?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Tamil

  3. Telugu

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

Tamil is known for its use of retroflex consonants and its distinctive vowel system, which gives it a unique sound.

Multiple choice

Which ancient Indian language is known for its use of Dravidian languages?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Tamil

  3. Telugu

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

Tamil is known for its use of Dravidian languages, which are a family of languages spoken in South India and parts of Pakistan.

Multiple choice

Which ancient Indian language is known for its use of Telugu languages?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Tamil

  3. Telugu

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

Telugu is known for its use of Telugu languages, which are a family of languages spoken in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Multiple choice

Which ancient Indian language is known for its use of Kannada languages?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Tamil

  3. Telugu

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

Kannada is known for its use of Kannada languages, which are a family of languages spoken in Karnataka.

Multiple choice

Which ancient Indian language is known for its use of Malayalam languages?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Tamil

  3. Telugu

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

Malayalam is known for its use of Malayalam languages, which are a family of languages spoken in Kerala.

Multiple choice

Which ancient Indian language is known for its use of Odia languages?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Tamil

  3. Telugu

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

Odia is known for its use of Odia languages, which are a family of languages spoken in Odisha.

Multiple choice

Which ancient Indian language is known for its use of Bengali languages?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Tamil

  3. Telugu

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

Bengali is known for its use of Bengali languages, which are a family of languages spoken in West Bengal and Bangladesh.

Multiple choice

Which ancient Indian language is known for its use of Assamese languages?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Tamil

  3. Telugu

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

Assamese is known for its use of Assamese languages, which are a family of languages spoken in Assam.

Multiple choice

Which ancient Indian language is known for its use of Punjabi languages?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Tamil

  3. Telugu

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

Punjabi is known for its use of Punjabi languages, which are a family of languages spoken in Punjab.