Kannada
is the State Language of Karnataka. Kannada - aptly described as 'sirigannada'
(known to few as Kanarese) is one of the oldest Dravidian languages
and is spoken in its various dialects by roughly 45 million people
worldwide.
The
Kannada language has been spoken
for about 2500 years, with the Kannada writing system being in use
for about the last 1900 years. The initial development of the Kannada
language is similar to that of other Dravidian languages, notably
Tamil and Telugu. During later centuries, Kannada, along with Telugu,
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.
There is also a sharp 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. Notable of
them are Kodava (spoken in Coorg district), Kunda (spoken exclusively
in Kundapura), Havyaka (spoken mainly by Havyaka Brahmanas of Dakshina
Kannada, Uttara Kannada, Shimoga, Sagara, and Udupi districts), Are
Bhashe (spoken mainly in Sullia region of Dakshina Kannada), Soliga
Kannada, Badaga Kannada, Gulbarga Kannada, Hubli Kannada, etc. (Source:
Wikipedia.org)
Kannada
is one of the 22 official languages of India and is the official language
of the state of Karnataka.
Kannada
is Unique in a few respects.
1]
The first encyclopedia was written in Kannada.
This was later translated to Sanskrit under name Shivatatvaratnakara.
2]
Kannada is the third oldest language
of India. (After Sanskrit & Tamil)
3]
Kannada is as old as 2000 years.
4]
Kannada is 99.99% perfect - logically
and scientifically.
5]
Kannada writers got 7 Gnana Peetha
Awards - highest among all languages .
6]
Shri VINOBA BHAVE has called Kannada
script as QUEEN OF WORLD SCRIPTS - " Vishwa lipigaLa RaaNi -
kannada "
7]Kannada
is phonetic - you write as you speak
8]
When " kaviraja maarga was written . . ." kaaveriyimda ,
gOdaavarivaregirpa ... " by Amogha varsha nripathumga, English
was in cradle & hindi was not born at all.
9]
Kannada is the one of the first
indian languages for which a foreigner(Rev. Ferdinand Kittel) wrote
a dictionary ( Shabda Kosha) in the year 1894.
10]
Ragale Saahithya can be seen only in Kannada
which is of a rare and different kind of literature.
11] Kannada Chandassu (shatpadis)
out pared all other languages.
Tracing
the antiquity of Kannada, a recently
released book titled " Kannada
kisigannadi" of Kannada Gelayara Balaga, Bangalore, claims that
the term "Karnata" figures in the Mahabharata. Sanskrit
"Matachi" in Chandogya Upanishad is the root form of "Midathe."
The term "Isila" meaning a town of forts is found in an
inscription of Ashoka in Brahmagiri in Chitradurga district. Kannada
words are found in the Greek comedies of second AD and the Shatavahana
king Hala's "Gatha Sapta Shati."
