Kannada language

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Kannada redirects here. For other usages of Kannada, see Kannada (disambiguation).
ಕನ್ನಡ - Kannada
kannaḍa
Spoken in: Karnataka, India
Total speakers: 55 million (2001) 
Ranking: 29
Language family: Dravidian
 Southern Dravidian
  Tamil-Kannada
   ಕನ್ನಡ - Kannada 
Official status
Official language of: Karnataka, India
Regulated by: Various academies and the Government of Karnataka
Language codes
ISO 639-1: kn
ISO 639-2: kan
ISO/FDIS 639-3: kan

 
Indic script
 This page contains Indic text. Without rendering support you may see irregular vowel positioning and a lack of conjuncts. More...

Kannada (ಕನ್ನಡ kannaḍa) is one of the major Dravidian languages of southern India and one of the oldest languages in India. It is the 29th most spoken language in the world, with speakers of its various dialects numbering roughly 64 million, of which 55 million use it as their first language. It is the state language of Karnataka, one of the four southern states in India. It is also one of the official languages of the Republic of India. It is written using the Kannada script. Vinoba Bhave called the Kannada script as the Queen of Scripts [citation needed]. At present, a classical language tag for Kannada language is being sought by various government and non-government organisations on the lines of Sanskrit and Tamil, based on its antiquity.

Contents

[edit] History

Mix Kannada-Devanagari inscription, Badami cave temple (6th. c.CE.)
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Mix Kannada-Devanagari inscription, Badami cave temple (6th. c.CE.)
Badami Chalukya inscription in Old Kannada, Virupaksha Temple, 745 C.E, Pattadakal
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Badami Chalukya inscription in Old Kannada, Virupaksha Temple, 745 C.E, Pattadakal
Old Kannada inscription, Mallikarjuna temple (13th. c.CE. Hoysala) Mandya district
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Old Kannada inscription, Mallikarjuna temple (13th. c.CE. Hoysala) Mandya district

Stone inscriptions

The first record on Kannada language is traced to Emperor Ashoka's Brahmagiri edict dated 230 BC.[1] The first example of full length Kannada language stone inscription (shilashaasana) in Hale Kannada (Old-Kannada) script can be found in the Halmidi inscription, dated c. 450 CE.[2] Prior to this, there is an abundance of inscriptions containing Kannada words, phrases and sentences. The 543 CE. Badami cliff shilashaasana of Pulakesi I is an example of Sanskrit inscription in Hale Kannada script.[3]

Copper plate inscriptions

An example of early Sanskrit-Kannada bilinguial copper plate inscription (tamarashaasana) is the Tumbula inscriptions of Western Ganga Dynasty dated 444 CE.[4] The earliest full length Kannada tamarashaasana in Old Kannada script (early 8th c. CE) belongs to Alupas ruled by Aluvarasa II from Belmannu, South Kanara district and has the double crest fish, their royal emblem.[5]

Ancient manuscripts

The oldest well-preserved palm leaf manuscript is in old Kannada and is that of Dhavala, dated to around 9th century, preserved in the Jain Bhandar, Mudbidri, Dakshina Kannada district. The manuscript contains 1478 leaves written in ink.

Kannada language inscriptions are the highest of any language in India, with more than 30,000. These inscriptions were not only discovered in Karnataka but also quite commonly in Andhra Pradesh[6] Maharashtra[7] and Tamil Nadu.[8] Some inscriptions were also found in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat[9] As an example, the inscription at Jura 964 C.E. (Jabalpur), belonging to the reign of Rashtrakuta Krishna III, is regarded as an epigraphical landmark of classical Kannada literary composition, with charming poetic diction in polished Kannada metre.[10] This indicates the spread of the language over the ages, especially during the rule of large Kannada empires.

Impact on other cultures and languages

Kannada has had significant influence on other Indian languages and overseas cultures. It has been brought to light the influence of old Kannada on the language of Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions from the 2nd. c. BCE - 4th. c. CE. These observations were made using grammatical and lexical analysis.[11]

Charition mime, a Greek drama discovered at Oxyrhynchus and dated to 2nd century CE. or earlier contains scenes where Indian characters in the skit speak dialogue in Kannada.[12]

Prior to and during the early Christian era, Kannada country seems to have been in close trade ties with the Greek and Roman empires of the west. Greek dramatists of 4th century BCE., particularly Euripedes and Aristophanes seem to have been familiar with Kannada language. This is evident in their usage of Kannada words and phrases in their dramas and skits.[13]

Coinage

Recent discovery of copper coin dated back to 5th century CE. in Banavasi, Uttara Kannada district with the inscription Srimanaragi in Kannada script proves that Kannada had become official by the time of the Kadambas of Banavasi.[14] Coins with Kannada legends have been found from the time of Chalukyas.[15]

[edit] Development

The development of Kannada as a distinct spoken language from a southern proto-Dravidian language is probably impossible to date. The spoken language is said to have separated from its proto-Dravidian source at about the same time as Tamil. However, the written tradition of this language is around 1500-1600 years based on the archaeological evidences. The initial development of the Kannada language is similar to that of other Dravidian languages and independent of Sanskrit. During later centuries, Kannada, along with other Indian languages like Telugu, Malayalam etc., has been highly influenced by Sanskrit vocabulary and literary styles. Kannada is a highly inflected language with three genders (masculine, feminine, neutral or common) and two numbers (singular, plural). It is inflected for gender, number and tense, among other things.

[edit] Dialects

There is also some distinction between the spoken and written forms of the language. Spoken Kannada tends to vary from region to region. The written form is more or less constant throughout Karnataka, however. The ethnologue identifies about 20 dialects of Kannada. Among them are Kundagannada (spoken exclusively in Kundapura), Havyaka (spoken mainly by Havyaka Brahmins), Are Bhashe (spoken mainly in Sullia region of Dakshina Kannada), Soliga, Badaga, Gulbarga Kannada, Dharawad Kannada, Chitradurga Kannada, and others. All of these dialects are influenced by their regional and cultural background.

[edit] Literature and Poetry

Main article: Kannada literature

The earliest extant record of Kannada poetry in tripadi metre are the Kappe Arabhatta record of 700 C.E.[16] Kavirajamarga, of King Nripatunga Amoghavarsha I (850 CE) is the earliest extant literary work in Kannada. It is a complex work on Kannada grammar meant to standardize various Kannada dialects used in literature in previous centuries. The book also makes reference to Kannada works by early writers such as King Durvinita.[17] The work refers to the entire area between the Kaveri River and Godavari River as Kannada country, implying the language was popular further north in present day Maharashtra. An early extant prose work, Vaddaradhane by Shivakotiacharya of 900 CE describes the life of Bhadrabahu of Shravanabelagola elaborately.[18] Many Kannada works from 6th, 7th and 8th centuries mentioned in Kavirajamarga are not yet traced. Kannada literature has been prolific ever since.

Other ancient texts referenced in later centuries are works by Syamakundacharya of 650 CE who wrote Prabhrita and Tumubuluracharya of 650 CE who wrote Chudamani (96,000 verse-measures) a commentary on logic Tatwartha-mahashastra.[19] Karnateshwara Kathe depicting king Pulakesi II as its hero is also said to have belonged to the 7th century, Gajastaka a work on elephant management by king Shivamara II of Western Ganga Dynasty belonged to the 8th century.[20] Chandraprabha-purana by Sri Vijaya in the court of Amoghavarsha belonged to early 9th century.[21] Since the earliest extant Kannada work is one of complex grammar and a guide of sorts to unify existing variants of Kannada grammar(ವ್ಯಾಕರಣ) and literary styles, it can be safely assumed that literature in Kannada must have started several centuries earlier.[22] Many historians consider that only Sanskrit and Tamil have an older written tradition than Kannada based on available inscriptions and literature. Kannada is one of the most ancient literatures not only of South India, but of all India as well. Tamil Buddhist commentators of the 10th century CE (Comentary on Nemrinatham, a Tamil grammatical work) make references that show that Kannada literature must have flourished as early as 4th century CE.[23]

[edit] Current Literary Trends

Modern Kannada in twentieth century has been influenced by many movements. Notable among them are Navodaya, Navya, Dalita/Bandaya. Kannada literature has had the prestige of most Jnanpith awards (seven in all) and forty eight Sahitya Academy awards among all Indian languages.

Jnanpeetha Awardees

  1. Kuvempu for Sri Ramayana Darshanam (1967)
  2. Da.Ra.Bendre for Naaku thanthi (1973)
  3. Shivaram Karanth for Mookajjiya Kanasugalu (1977)
  4. Masti Venkatesh Iyengar for Chikaveera Raajendhra (1983)
  5. Vi.Kru.Gokak for Bhaaratha Sindhhu Rashmi (1990)
  6. U.R.Ananthamurthy for his works in Kannada / samagra sahitya (1994)
  7. Girish Karnad for his works in Kannada Drama/ samagra sahitya (1998)

[edit] Classification

The written Kannada language has come under various religious and social influences in its 1600 years of known existence. Linguists generally divide the written form into four broad categories.

  • Poorvada Halegannada (Pre-ancient Kananda) : This is the language of Halmidi scripture thought to be from fourth or fifth century CE.
  • Halegannada (Ancient Kannada) : From ninth century CE onwards, until fourteenth century, Kannada works were classified under Old Kannada. In this period Kannada showed a high level of maturity as a language of original lierature. Mostly Jain and Saivite poets produced works in this period. This period saw the emergence of Jain puranas and Virashaiva Vachana Sahitya or simply vachana, a unique and native form of literature which was the sum contributions from all sections of society.
  • Nadugannada (Middle Kannada): In the period between fifteenth and eighteenth century CE., Brahmanical Hinduism had a great influence on Kannada. Kannada grammar was further developed based on Sanskrit grammar by Keshiraja Bhatta. The language itself Sanskritized to a large extent. Non-brahmin Hindu saints like Kanakadasa and Brahminical saints of Vaishnava cadre such as Purandaradasa, Vijayadasa, Jagannathadasa etc., also produced devotional poems in this period. Kanakadasa's Ramadhanya Charite is a rare work on class struggle. This period saw the advent of Haridasa Sahitya which made rich contributions to bhakti literature and sowed the seeds of carnatic music.
  • Hosagannada (Modern Kannada) : The Kannada works produced by the end of nineteenth century and later are classified under Hosagannada or Modern Kannada. However, till the beginning of twentieth century there were Kannada literary works that could still be classified under Middle Kannada. Most notable among them is poet Muddana's works. Sometimes, his works were described as the 'dawn of Modern Kannada'. Generally, linguists treat Indira Bai or Saddharma Vijayavu by Gulvadi Venkata Raya as the first literary work in Modern Kannada.

[edit] Geographic distribution

Kannada is mainly spoken in Karnataka in India, and to a good extent in the neighbouring states of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and in Goa.

[edit] Official status

A Kannada language sign board
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A Kannada language sign board

Kannada is one of the 22 official languages of India and is the sole administrative language of the state of Karnataka.

[edit] Misinterpretation

The term "Kannada language" is often misinterpreted as meaning "the language of Canada"[citation needed]. However, the languages of Canada are English and French.

[edit] Kannada script

Main article: Kannada script
Kannada language edition of Wikipedia
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Kannada language edition of Wikipedia

The language has 49 letters phonemic. These 49 letters are divided into three groups: Swaragalu (13 letters), Yogavaahakagalu(2 letters- ಅಂ,ಅಃ), and Vyanjanagalu (34 letters), similar to the vowels and consonants of English, respectively. The character set is almost identical to that of other Indian languages. The script itself, derived from brahmi script, is fairly complicated like most other languages of India owing to the occurrence of various combinations of "half-letters"(Glyphs), or symbols that attach to various letters in a manner similar to diacritical marks in the Romance languages. The Kannada script is almost perfectly phonetic, but for the sound of a "half n" (which becomes a half m). The number of written symbols, however, is far more than the 49 characters in the alphabet, because different characters can be combined to form compound characters (vattaksharas). Each written symbol in the Kannada script corresponds with one syllable, as opposed to one phoneme in languages like English. The script of Kannada is also used in other languages such as Tulu, Kodava Takk and Konkani. Simply put the Kannada script is syllabic.

[edit] The Dictionary

A German priest Reverend Ferdinand Kittel composed the first Kannada dictionary consisting of more than 70,000 words.

[edit] Extinct Kannada Letters

Until the thirteenth century, Kannada literary works employed letters 'rh', 'lh (zh)', whose manner of articulation most plausibly could be akin to those in present day Malayalam and Tamil . The later Kannada works replaced 'rh' and 'lh' with ರ (ra) and ಳ (La) respectively.

Another letter (or unclassified vyanjana (consonant)) that has become extinct is 'nh' or 'inn' (Again this has its equivalent in Malayalam and Tamil). The usage of this consonant was observed until the 1980s in mostly coastal Karnataka (especially, Dakshina Kannada district) Kannada works. Now hardly any mainstream works use this consonant. This letter has been replaced by ನ್(consonant n).

[edit] Kannada script in Computing

[edit] Transliteration

Several transliteration schemes are used to type Kannada characters using a standard keyboard. These include Baraha[24] (based on ITRANS). Nudi, the government of Karnataka's standard for Kannada Input is a phonetic layout loosely based on transliteration.

[edit] Unicode

Kannada
Unicode.org chart (PDF)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F
U+0C8x ಀ ಁ ಂ ಃ ಄ ಅ ಆ ಇ ಈ ಉ ಊ ಋ ಌ ಍ ಎ ಏ
U+0C9x ಐ ಑ ಒ ಓ ಔ ಕ ಖ ಗ ಘ ಙ ಚ ಛ ಜ ಝ ಞ ಟ
U+0CAx ಠ ಡ ಢ ಣ ತ ಥ ದ ಧ ನ ಩ ಪ ಫ ಬ ಭ ಮ ಯ
U+0CBx ರ ಱ ಲ ಳ ಴ ವ ಶ ಷ ಸ ಹ ಺ ಻ ಼ ಽ ಾ ಿ
U+0CCx ೀ ು ೂ ೃ ೄ ೅ ೆ ೇ ೈ ೉ ೊ ೋ ೌ ್ ೎ ೏
U+0CDx ೐ ೑ ೒ ೓ ೔ ೕ ೖ ೗ ೘ ೙ ೚ ೛ ೜ ೝ ೞ ೟
U+0CEx ೠ ೡ ೢ ೣ ೤ ೥ ೦ ೧ ೨ ೩ ೪ ೫ ೬ ೭ ೮ ೯
U+0CFx ೰ ೱ ೲ ೳ ೴ ೵ ೶ ೷ ೸ ೹ ೺ ೻ ೼ ೽ ೾ ೿

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ The word Isila found in Ashokan inscription (called Brahmagiri edict from Karnataka) meaning throw an arrow is a Kannada word indicating Kannada was a spoken language in 3rd century BCE, accroding to Dr. D.L. Narasimhachar, A Concise History of Karnataka, pp 5, Dr. S.U.Kamath. Staff reporter. Declare Kannada a classical language. The Hindu, Friday, May 27, 2005. The Hindu. Retrieved on 2006-11-25.
  2. ^ A report on Halmidi inscription, Muralidhara Khajane. Halmidi village finally on the road to recognition. The Hindu, Monday, Nov 03, 2003. The Hindu. Retrieved on 2006-11-25.
  3. ^ Concise History of Karnataka, pp 58, Dr. S.U. Kamath, Azmathulla Shariff. Badami: Chalukyans' magical transformation. Spectrum, Deccan Herald,Tuesday, July 26, 2005. Deccan Herald. Retrieved on 2006-11-25.
  4. ^ N. Havalaiah, Reader and Principal Investigator, Department of Studies in Ancient History and Archaeology, University of Mysore. Ancient inscriptions unearthed. The Hindu, Saturday, Jan 24, 2004. The Hindu. Retrieved on 2006-11-25.
  5. ^ According to Dr. Gururaj Bhat who discovered it. A Concise History of Karnataka, pp 97, Dr. S.U.Kamath.
  6. ^ Dr. Shama Shastry, N. Lakshminarayana Rao. Indian Inscriptions, South Indian Inscriptions-vol 9. Archaeological Survey of India. What Is India Publishers (P) Ltd. Retrieved on 2006-11-25.
  7. ^ The area between Kaveri River and Godavari River was known as "Kannada Nadu" from Kavirajamarga of 850 CE, writes Prof. K.A.N. Sastri, A History of South India : From Prehistoric times to fall of Vijayanagar, pp 355
  8. ^ The famous Kanchi Kailasanatha temple inscriptions of Chalukya Vikramaditya II after the capture of Kanchi is an example, Chalukyas of Vatapi, pp 159, 161, Dr. K.V. Ramesh.
  9. ^ The Viceroys (Dandanayaka) of the Gujarat line hailing from the Rashtrakuta family signed their Sanskrit records in Kannada, examples of which are the Navasari and Baroda plates of Karka I and the Baroda records of Dhruva II, according to Dr. D.R. Bhandarkar in A Concise History of Karnataka, pp 73, by Dr. S.U. Kamath
  10. ^ A Concise History of Karnataka, pp 83, Dr. S.U.Kamath
  11. ^ Indira Parathasarathy. Records and revelations. Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D., Iravatham Mahadevan. The Hindu, Sunday, Aug 03, 2003. Retrieved on 2006-11-25.,K.N. Venkatasubba Rao. Kannada likely to get classical tag. The Hindu, Wednesday, Oct 04, 2006. The Hindu. Retrieved on 2006-11-25.
  12. ^ This was deciphered by noted German Indologist Dr. Hultzsch, E. (1904), "Remarks on a papyrus from Oxyrhynchus", Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, 1904: 399-405. Later scholars like Dr. Shama Sastry, M. Govinda Pai and Dr. B.A. Saletore argued that the language was indeed Kannada where as Dr. Barnett rejected this idea, A Concise History of Karnataka, pp 5, Dr. S.U. Kamath
  13. ^ Sri K. Appadurai. The place of Kannada and Tamil in Indias national culture. Copyright INTAMM. 1997. Retrieved on 2006-11-25.
  14. ^ Dr Gopal, director, Department of Archaeology and Ancient History. 5th century copper coin discovered at Banavasi. Deccan Herald, Tuesday, February 7, 2006. Deccan Herald. Retrieved on 2006-11-25.
  15. ^ Coins with Kannada legends have been discovered spanning the rule of the Gangas, Badami Chalukyas, Western Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Hoysalas, Vijayanagar Empire, Kadambas, Keladi Nayakas and Mysore Kingdom, according to Dr. Suryanath U. Kamath, A Concise History of Karnataka, pp 12. According to Dr. Kamath, Badami Chalukya coins have Kannada legends is a recent discovery, pp 57. Govindaraya Prabhu, S. Indian coins-Dynasties of South. Prabhu's Web Page On Indian Coinage, November 1, 2001. Retrieved on 2006-11-27., Harihariah Oruganti-Vice-President, Madras Coin Society. Vijayanagar Coins-Catalogue. Retrieved on 2006-11-27.
  16. ^ Dr. S.U.Kamat, A Concise history of Karnataka, pp 67
  17. ^ Prof. Nilakanta Sastri, K.A., A History of South India,pp 355, A Concise History of Karnataka, pp 90, Dr. S.U. Kamath
  18. ^ Prof. Nilakanta Sastri, K.A., A History of South India,pp 356
  19. ^ A 17th century poet Bhattakalanka calls Chudamini the greatest work of literature in Kannada language according to Dr. Nilakanta Sastri, K.A., A History of South India, pp 355, Dr. (Mrs) Jyotsna Kamat. History of the Kannada Literature - I. Kamat's Potpourri, November 04,2006. Kamat's Potpourri. Retrieved on 2006-11-25., R. Narasimhacharya, History of Kannada Literature, pp 4-5
  20. ^ Dr. Suryanath.U. Kamath, A Concise History of Karnataka, pp 50, pp 67
  21. ^ According to R. Narasimhacharya, History of Kannada Literature, pp 18. The author and his work were prasied by later day poet Durgasimha of 1025 CE
  22. ^ Dr.(Mrs) Jyotsna Kamat. History of the Kannada Literature-I. Kamat's Potpourri, November 04,2006. Kamat's Potpourri. Retrieved on 2006-11-25., Dr. Nilakanta Sastri, K.A., A History of South India, pp 355
  23. ^ Sri K. Appadurai. The place of Kannada and Tamil in Indias national culture. Copyright INTAMM. 1997. Retrieved on 2006-11-25.
  24. ^ See http://baraha.com/

[edit] References

[edit] See also

Kannada Literature

[edit] External links

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Dravidian
Languages Kannada - Kodava Takk - Malayalam - Tamil - Telugu - Tulu
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People Kannada people - Kodava people - Malayali people - Tamil people - Telugu people - Tulu people
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