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

What is the primary language used in Kathakali performances?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Malayalam

  3. Tamil

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

Kathakali performances are traditionally conducted in Malayalam, the native language of Kerala.

Multiple choice

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

  1. Paccha

  2. Kari

  3. Kathakali

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

Theeyattu is a different form of traditional dance-drama from Kerala, while Paccha, Kari, and Kathakali are all character types in Kathakali.

Multiple choice

What was the primary language used by the Eastern Chalukya Dynasty?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Telugu

  3. Kannada

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

Telugu was the primary language used by the Eastern Chalukya Dynasty, contributing to the development of Telugu literature and culture.

Multiple choice

What is the official language of Sri Lanka?

  1. Sinhala

  2. Tamil

  3. English

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

Sinhala is the official language of Sri Lanka and is spoken by around 74% of the population. Tamil is also an official language and is spoken by around 18% of the population.

Multiple choice

What is the official language of Sri Lanka?

  1. Sinhala

  2. Tamil

  3. English

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

Sinhala is the official language of Sri Lanka and is spoken by around 74% of the population. Tamil is also an official language and is spoken by around 18% of the population.

Multiple choice

Which language is spoken by the largest number of Indian South Africans?

  1. Tamil

  2. Hindi

  3. Telugu

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

Tamil is the most widely spoken Indian language in South Africa, with over 1 million speakers.

Multiple choice

What is the second most common Indian language spoken in South Africa?

  1. Hindi

  2. Telugu

  3. Gujarati

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

Hindi is the second most common Indian language spoken in South Africa, with over 500,000 speakers.

Multiple choice

Which Indian language is spoken by the smallest number of people in South Africa?

  1. Punjabi

  2. Malayalam

  3. Kannada

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

Punjabi is the least common Indian language spoken in South Africa, with fewer than 100,000 speakers.

Multiple choice

Which Indian language is closely related to Zulu?

  1. Tamil

  2. Telugu

  3. Gujarati

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

Telugu is closely related to Zulu, both belonging to the Dravidian language family.

Multiple choice

Which Indian language has the most number of dialects spoken in South Africa?

  1. Hindi

  2. Tamil

  3. Telugu

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

Hindi has the most number of dialects spoken in South Africa, with over 100 different dialects.

Multiple choice

Which Indian language is spoken by the majority of the Indian population in Durban?

  1. Tamil

  2. Hindi

  3. Telugu

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

Tamil is spoken by the majority of the Indian population in Durban, due to the large number of Tamil-speaking immigrants who settled in the city during the 19th and 20th centuries.

Multiple choice

Which Indian language is spoken by the majority of the Indian population in Johannesburg?

  1. Hindi

  2. Tamil

  3. Telugu

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

Hindi is spoken by the majority of the Indian population in Johannesburg, due to the large number of Hindi-speaking immigrants who settled in the city during the 20th century.

Multiple choice

Which Indian language is spoken by the majority of the Indian population in Cape Town?

  1. Tamil

  2. Hindi

  3. Telugu

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

Tamil is spoken by the majority of the Indian population in Cape Town, due to the large number of Tamil-speaking immigrants who settled in the city during the 19th and 20th centuries.

Multiple choice

Which Indian language is spoken by the majority of the Indian population in Pretoria?

  1. Hindi

  2. Tamil

  3. Telugu

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

Hindi is spoken by the majority of the Indian population in Pretoria, due to the large number of Hindi-speaking immigrants who settled in the city during the 20th century.

Multiple choice

Which Indian language is spoken by the majority of the Indian population in Port Elizabeth?

  1. Tamil

  2. Hindi

  3. Telugu

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

Tamil is spoken by the majority of the Indian population in Port Elizabeth, due to the large number of Tamil-speaking immigrants who settled in the city during the 19th and 20th centuries.