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 of the following is a characteristic feature of the Tamil language?

  1. Extensive use of Sanskrit loanwords

  2. Absence of gender distinction in nouns

  3. Use of ergative case in grammar

  4. Presence of a complex system of verb conjugations
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Tamil is unique among Dravidian languages for its lack of gender distinction in nouns, meaning that nouns do not have inherent masculine or feminine forms.

Multiple choice

What is the linguistic root of Dhivehi, the language spoken in the Maldives?

  1. Indo-Aryan

  2. Dravidian

  3. Austronesian

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

Dhivehi, the language of the Maldives, has Indo-Aryan roots, with influences from Arabic and Dravidian languages.

Multiple choice

Which language family includes Tamil, a Dravidian language spoken in South India and Sri Lanka?

  1. Indo-European

  2. Austronesian

  3. Dravidian

  4. Afro-Asiatic
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Tamil is a Dravidian language, belonging to a distinct language family originating in South India.

Multiple choice

What is the linguistic root of Maldivian Sign Language?

  1. Indo-Aryan

  2. Dravidian

  3. Austronesian

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

Maldivian Sign Language has roots in Indo-Aryan languages, with influences from Arabic and Dravidian sign languages.

Multiple choice

Which language family includes Sinhala, the official language of Sri Lanka?

  1. Indo-European

  2. Austronesian

  3. Dravidian

  4. Sino-Tibetan
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Sinhala belongs to the Indo-European language family, specifically the Indo-Aryan branch, and is closely related to other Indo-Aryan languages of the Indian subcontinent.

Multiple choice

Which language family includes Gujarati, a language spoken in the Indian state of Gujarat?

  1. Indo-European

  2. Dravidian

  3. Austronesian

  4. Sino-Tibetan
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Gujarati belongs to the Indo-European language family, specifically the Indo-Aryan branch, and is closely related to other Indo-Aryan languages spoken in the Indian subcontinent.

Multiple choice

Which language is considered the most widely spoken modern Indian language?

  1. Hindi

  2. Bengali

  3. Telugu

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

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

Multiple choice

What is the official language of the state of Tamil Nadu?

  1. Tamil

  2. Hindi

  3. English

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

Tamil is the official language of the state of Tamil Nadu.

Multiple choice

Which modern Indian language is known for its rich literature and poetry?

  1. Urdu

  2. Punjabi

  3. Gujarati

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

Urdu is known for its rich literature and poetry, with notable poets such as Mirza Ghalib and Faiz Ahmed Faiz.

Multiple choice

Which modern Indian language is known for its unique script and rich cultural heritage?

  1. Kannada

  2. Telugu

  3. Malayalam

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

Kannada is known for its unique script and rich cultural heritage.

Multiple choice

Which modern Indian language is spoken by the largest number of people in the state of Andhra Pradesh?

  1. Telugu

  2. Hindi

  3. English

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

Telugu is spoken by the largest number of people in the state of Andhra Pradesh.

Multiple choice

What is the official language of the state of Kerala?

  1. Malayalam

  2. Hindi

  3. English

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

Malayalam is the official language of the state of Kerala.

Multiple choice

In which language is the Grahalaghava written?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Prakrit

  3. Apabhramsa

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

The Grahalaghava is written in Sanskrit.

Multiple choice

Which state in India has the official language with the most grammatical genders?

  1. Kerala

  2. Tamil Nadu

  3. Andhra Pradesh

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

Kerala's official language, Malayalam, has the most grammatical genders among Indian languages. It distinguishes between masculine, feminine, and neuter genders, adding complexity to its grammar.

Multiple choice

Which state in India has the official language with the most postpositions?

  1. Manipur

  2. Mizoram

  3. Tripura

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

Manipur's official language, Meitei, has the most postpositions among Indian languages. These postpositions are used to indicate various grammatical relationships between words, adding nuance to the language.