Chapter Two
LANGUAGE I. The Dravidian Languages : Grouping and Distribution Tamil is one of the Dravidian group of languages. From the existence of Dravidian languages in Central and Northern India and the number of Dravidian loan words in Sanskrit, it is argued that Dravidian speakers at one time were very widespread in Northern India. KAMIL ZVELEBIL, Professor of Dravidology in Charles University, Prague, in the first pages of an article, "An Introduction to the comparative study of Dravidian", enumerates the Dravidian languages and briefly traces their history and genetic relationship. Archiv Orientálni, 33, 1965, pages 367 to 372. ACCORDING TO THE present state of our knowledge, we may set up the scheme I (shown on p. 44) illustrating the groupings and sub-groupings among the various Dravidian languages, and their possible genetic relations:1 For the South Dravidian sub-family, we may probably set up the scheme II (shown on p. 45) indicating the historical and genetic relations among its members. Kannada and Telugu; further Tulu, and a number-possibly eighteen or more-non-literary languages spoken by a number of minor nationalities and tribes: Toda, Kota, Kodagu, Savara (?), Kolami, Naiki, Parji, Gadba (in two dialects, Ollari and Salur, formerly called Poya), Kui, Kuvi, ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 The abbrevation P stands for proto, PDr for Proto-Dravidian, N for Northern, C for Central and S for Southern. |