Kolami
Kolami (Northwestern Kolami/Southeastern Kolami) also known as Kōlav, is a tribal Central Dravidian language spoken in Maharashtra and Telangana states of India. It falls under the Kolami–Naiki group of languages. It is the most widely spoken Central Dravidian language.
Kolami, kōlav | |
---|---|
kolami, kōlav | |
कॊलमि, कोलव् | |
Native to | India |
Region | Maharashtra, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh |
Ethnicity | 239,583 Kolam (2011 census)[1] |
Native speakers | 128,451, 54% of ethnic population (2011 census)[2] |
Dravidian
| |
• Devanagari,
• Telugu script, • Goykanadi, • Modi script, • Tamil script | |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | Either:kfb – Northwestern Kolaminit – Southeastern Kolami (Naiki) |
Glottolog | nort2699 |
Sathupati Prasanna Sree has developed a unique script for use with the language.
Person | kōlavan, kōlavtad |
---|---|
People | kōlavar |
Language | Kolami, kōlav |
Country | Maharashtra |
Classification
Kolami,kōlav language has been classified as a central dravidian language. It is well known as dravidian language of Maharashtra state. Well influenced by south central dravidian languages like Telugu and Gondi. It is also a tribal Dravidian language. Kolami is the dialect of the Kolam tribal group.
The Kolami/kōlav dialect differs considerably from the Gond language of the neighboring district. In some respects, Kolami/Kōlav is closely related to Telugu and in others to Kannada. The influence of the Bhilli language is felt as the communication in the surrounding area comes into contact. Some other points of similarity are also important like the Toda dialect of the Nilgiris and according to Dr. Grierson, linguistically speaking, the Kolami/kōlav may be the remaining descendants of the Dravidian tribes. who either never participated in the development of the main Dravidian language or who never adopted Dravidian language.
Writing systems
Currently, kolami, Kōlav language is used in Telugu and Devanagari script and also in Goykanadi for writing purposes.
Characteristics
Kolami has a two-gender system, being either masculine or non-masculine. Kolami has developed aspirated stops, distancing itself from its ancestor Proto-Dravidian.
Phonology
Front | Central | Back | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
short | long | short | long | short | long | |
High | i | iː | u | uː | ||
Mid | e | eː | o | oː | ||
Low | a | aː |
Sample Text
Phrases | English Translation | Dēvanāgari | Telugu |
---|---|---|---|
Inne pēr tāned ? | What is your name ? | इन्नॆ पेर् तानॆद् ? | ఇన్నె పేర్ తానెద్ ? |
Anne pēr rāmak | My name is rāmak | अन्नॆ पेर् रामक् | అన్నె పేర్ రామక్ |
Āy | Yes | आय् | ఆయ్ |
Tōd | No | तोद् | తోద్ |
War itti | Come here | वर् इत्ति | వర్ ఇత్తి |
Sē atti | Go there | से अत्ति | సే అత్తి |
Etti āṇi enāṅ | where and how | ऎत्ति आणि ऎनाङ् | ఎత్తి ఆణి ఎనాఙ్ |
Also see Kolami Swadesh list on wiktionary.
References
- "A-11 Individual Scheduled Tribe Primary Census Abstract Data and its Appendix". www.censusindia.gov.in. Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
- "Census of India Website : Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India". censusindia.gov.in. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
- Krishnamurti, Bhadriraju (2003). The Dravidian Languages. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-139-43533-8.