History of Malayalam Language

History of Malayalam

Ancient Period

• Malayalam evolved from Tamil, with which it shares a significant amount of vocabulary and grammatical structure.
• The earliest known inscription in Malayalam dates back to the 9th century CE.
• The language was heavily influenced by Sanskrit and Prakrit during this period.

Medieval Period (12th-16th century)

• Malayalam started to emerge as a distinct language during this period.
• The first Malayalam literature, including the epic poem "Ramacharitam" and the prose work "Bhasha Kautilyam", were written during this period.
• The language was heavily influenced by Tamil and Sanskrit during this period.

Colonial Period (16th-19th century)

• The arrival of European colonizers, particularly the Portuguese, brought new influences to the language.
• Malayalam script was standardized during this period, with the introduction of the modern Malayalam alphabet.
• The language was influenced by European languages, particularly Portuguese and English.

Modern Period (19th-20th century)

• The modern Malayalam movement, led by scholars and writers, aimed to standardize and promote the language.
• The language became more distinct from Tamil and other Dravidian languages during this period.
• Malayalam literature flourished during this period, with notable writers such as Kumaran Asan and Ulloor S. Parameswara Iyer contributing to its development.

Contemporary Period (20th century onwards)

• Malayalam has become an important language in Kerala, with a rich literary and cultural heritage.
• The language continues to evolve, with modern writers and poets contributing to its development.
• Efforts are being made to promote and preserve the language, including the establishment of institutions such as the Kerala Sahitya Akademi.

History of Malayalam

Ancient Period

• Malayalam originated from Tamil, sharing vocabulary and grammatical structure.
• The earliest known inscription in Malayalam dates back to the 9th century CE.
• The language was influenced by Sanskrit and Prakrit during this period.

Medieval Period

• Malayalam emerged as a distinct language between the 12th-16th century.
• The first Malayalam literature, including "Ramacharitam" and "Bhasha Kautilyam", were written during this period.
• The language was influenced by Tamil and Sanskrit during this period.

Colonial Period

• European colonizers, particularly the Portuguese, introduced new influences to the language between the 16th-19th century.
• The modern Malayalam alphabet was standardized during this period.
• The language was influenced by European languages, particularly Portuguese and English.

Modern Period

• The modern Malayalam movement aimed to standardize and promote the language between the 19th-20th century.
• Malayalam became more distinct from Tamil and other Dravidian languages during this period.
• Notable writers such as Kumaran Asan and Ulloor S.Parameswara Iyer contributed to the development of Malayalam literature.

Contemporary Period

• Malayalam has become an important language in Kerala, with a rich literary and cultural heritage since the 20th century.
• The language continues to evolve with modern writers and poets contributing to its development.
• Efforts are being made to promote and preserve the language, including the establishment of institutions such as the Kerala Sahitya Akademi.

Learn about the evolution of Malayalam language from ancient to medieval period, its influences and development as a distinct language.