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 of the following South Indian languages is most closely related to Malayalam?

  1. Tulu

  2. Kodava

  3. Konkani

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

Kodava is a Dravidian language that is closely related to Malayalam. It is spoken by the Kodava people of Kodagu district in Karnataka.

Multiple choice

Which of the following South Indian languages is most closely related to Marathi?

  1. Tulu

  2. Kodava

  3. Konkani

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

Konkani is an Indo-Aryan language that is closely related to Marathi. It is spoken by the Konkani people of Goa, Maharashtra, and Karnataka.

Multiple choice

Which of the following South Indian languages is most closely related to Tamil?

  1. Tulu

  2. Kodava

  3. Konkani

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

Beary is a Dravidian language that is closely related to Tamil. It is spoken by the Beary community in the coastal regions of Karnataka and Kerala.

Multiple choice

Which of the following South Indian languages is most closely related to Telugu?

  1. Tulu

  2. Kodava

  3. Konkani

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

Tulu is a Dravidian language that is closely related to Telugu. It is spoken by the Tulu people of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts in Karnataka.

Multiple choice

Which of the following South Indian languages is most closely related to Kannada?

  1. Tulu

  2. Kodava

  3. Konkani

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

Tulu is a Dravidian language that is closely related to Kannada. It is spoken by the Tulu people of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts in Karnataka.

Multiple choice

What is the traditional 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 language spoken in Kerala.

Multiple choice

Which language is primarily used in religious texts and rituals in India?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Hindi

  3. Urdu

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

Sanskrit is the primary language used in religious texts and rituals in India, particularly in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.

Multiple choice

Which language is primarily used in religious texts and rituals in Sri Lanka?

  1. Sinhala

  2. Tamil

  3. English

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

Sinhala is the primary language used in religious texts and rituals in Sri Lanka, particularly in Buddhism.

Multiple choice

What is the language of the Rigveda, one of the four Vedas in Hinduism?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Hindi

  3. Urdu

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

Sanskrit is the language of the Rigveda, one of the four Vedas in Hinduism, and is considered a sacred language.

Multiple choice

What is the primary language used in Jain devotional music?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Prakrit

  3. Hindi

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

Prakrit, an ancient Indian language, is commonly used in Jain devotional music due to its historical significance and association with Jain scriptures.

Multiple choice

Which language is widely spoken in the eastern region of India and has a rich literary tradition dating back to the 16th century?

  1. Bengali

  2. Hindi

  3. Telugu

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

Bengali is the official language of West Bengal, Tripura, and Bangladesh and is known for its vibrant literature, poetry, and music.

Multiple choice

In which language is the Manusmriti written?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Hindi

  3. Tamil

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

The Manusmriti is written in Sanskrit, which was the literary language of ancient India.

Multiple choice

Which language is predominantly used in the rock music of the southern state of Tamil Nadu?

  1. Hindi

  2. English

  3. Tamil

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

Tamil is the primary language used in the rock music of Tamil Nadu, reflecting the region's strong cultural identity and linguistic heritage.

Multiple choice

What language was the Kadamba Script used to write?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Kannada

  3. Tamil

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

The Kadamba Script was used to write Kannada.

Multiple choice

What is the name of the script that evolved from the Kadamba Script?

  1. Kannada

  2. Telugu

  3. Tamil

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

The Kannada script evolved from the Kadamba Script.