Kannada Language & History

• Kannada is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Kannada people in India, mainly in the state of Karnataka
• Some Kannada speakers can also be found in the neighboring states of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Kerala and Goa
• As of 2011, Kannada had 43.7 million native speakers
• Kannada has official administrative language status in Karnataka
• The Kannada language is nearly 2,500 years old
• The primary modes of the language's expression changed from stone inscriptions to palm-leaf manuscripts and now to digital formats
• UNESCO explains Kannada's journey through these transformations in their Records of evolution
• The Kannada language has been recognized as a Classical language by the Government of India
• Kannada is also a scheduled language of India

History

• Kannada is attested epigraphically from the mid-1st millennium CE
• Literary Kannada flourished in the 9th-century Rashtrakuta court
• Kannada has been used for over 1,500 years for literary purposes
• Kannada is related to Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu

Origins

• Linguists debate Kannada's exact origins
• Some suggest that Kannada's origins predate the common era
• Based on assessments of loanwords, it is suggested that Kannada had contact with other languages at the time even prior to the Kannada or Halegannada era
• Others claim that Kannada originated from a proto-Dravidian language family

Evolution

• Old Kannada (Halegannada): 450–1200 AD
• Middle Kannada (Nadugannada): 1200–1700 AD
• Modern Kannada (Hosagannada): 1700 AD–present

Inscriptions

• The earliest known Kannada inscription is the Halmidi inscription, dating back to 450 AD
• The earliest available literary work is the Kavirajamarga, from 850 AD
• Kavirajamarga is a treatise on Kannada poetics based on Sanskrit writings

Literary Old Kannada

• The earliest extant literary work in Kannada is the Kavirajamarga (c. 850 AD)
• Notable works of the 10th century include the epics Vikramarjuna Vijaya (Pampa Bharata) by Pampa (941 AD), Adipurana by Adikavi Ponna, and Shanti Purana by Ranna
• These works are examples of Jain literature

Medieval Kannada

• During the 12th century, the Veerashaiva movement produced significant literature
• The Vachanas, a form of rhythmic writing, were central to this movement
• Harihara and Raghavanka are notable writers of this period
• The Vijayanagara Empire (1336–1646) promoted Kannada literature
• Kumara Vyasa wrote the Karnata Bharata Kathamanjari during this time
• Chamarasa's Prabhulingaleele is another important work from this period

Modern Kannada

• Modern Kannada literature has been influenced by Western literature and Indian nationalism
• B. M. Srikantaiah played a key role in modernizing Kannada literature
• Kuvempu is widely regarded as the greatest Kannada poet of the 20th century
• Da. Ra. Bendre, Masti Venkatesha Iyengar, and K. Shivaram Karanth are other prominent figures
• Modern Kannada literature has won eight Jnanpith Awards, the most for any Dravidian language

Dialects

• Kannada has three main dialect regions: Dharwad, Bangalore, and Mysore

Geographical Distribution

• Kannada is primarily spoken in Karnataka
• Significant Kannada-speaking populations exist in neighboring states

Official Status

• Kannada is the official language of Karnataka
• The Karnataka government promotes the use of Kannada in administration and education

Phonology

• Kannada has a relatively phonetic alphabet
• Kannada generally exhibits a syllabic structure

Vowels

• Kannada has several vowels
• Vowel length distinguishes some sounds

Consonants

• Kannada has numerous consonants
• Some consonants are retroflex

Grammar

• Kannada is a SOV (subject-object-verb) language
• Kannada is a highly inflected language

Morphology

• Kannada uses suffixes extensively
• Compounding is common

Syntax

• Word order is relatively fixed
• Kannada uses postpositions rather than prepositions

Vocabulary

• Kannada has borrowed words from Sanskrit, Prakrit, and English

Writing System

• Kannada uses the Kannada script, derived from the Brahmi script
• The script is alphabetic

Script

• The Kannada script is used for writing Kannada
• It is closely related to the Telugu script

Structure

• The Kannada script has 49 letters
• Vowels and consonants are represented differently

Usage

• The Kannada script is used for writing and printing
• It is also used in digital media

Transliteration

• Several transliteration schemes exist for Kannada
• ISO 15919 is a common standard