Is Tamil the first Dravidian language?

Tamil. Of the four literary languages in the Dravidian family, Tamil is the oldest, with examples dating to the early Common Era. In the early 21st century, Tamil was spoken by more than 66 million people, mostly residing in India, northern Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, Fiji, and Myanmar (Burma).

Which language came first Tamil or Telugu?

3. Telugu is one the oldest languages in the world. The Dravidian languages are considered some of the oldest ever spoken. Specifically, Tamil –one of Telugu’s “cousin” languages – is recognized as having been around approximately 5,000 years ago.

Are Tamilians Dravidian?

Tamils have strong attachment to the Tamil language, which is often venerated in literature as Tamil̲an̲n̲ai, “the Tamil mother”. It has historically been, and to large extent still is, central to the Tamil identity. It is a Dravidian language, with little relation to the Indo-European languages of northern India.

When were the Dravidian languages first attested?

Epigraphically the Dravidian languages are first attested in the 2nd century BCE as Tamil-Brahmi script on the cave walls discovered in the Madurai and Tirunelveli districts of Tamil Nadu.

What is the origin of the Tamil word ‘dravidha’?

Joseph (1989: IJDL 18.2:134-42) gives extensive references to the use of the term draviḍa, dramila first as the name of a people, then of a country. Sinhala BCE inscriptions cite dameḍa -, damela – denoting Tamil merchants.

Which Dravidian language has the most speakers in India?

The Dravidian languages with the most speakers are Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam. There are also small groups of Dravidian-speaking scheduled tribes, who live outside Dravidian-speaking areas, such as the Kurukh in Eastern India and Gondi in Central India.

Are there any unclassified Southern Dravidian languages?

Ethnologue also lists several unclassified Southern Dravidian languages: Mala Malasar, Malasar, Thachanadan, Ullatan, Kalanadi, Kumbaran, Kunduvadi, Kurichiya, Attapady Kurumba, Muduga, Pathiya, and Wayanad Chetti . Pattapu may also be Southern.