Interesting Facts about the Kanarese Language

A language is the vocabulary we use to define the world around us.  Every language is different, and will lead to new ways of interpreting the world as well as variations in how we express our thoughts through the written word.

One interesting example of how a language can be unique is the Kannada Language.  Let’s take a few moments to review some interesting facts regarding this language.  While some of these you may already know, others are sure to surprise.

What is the Kannada Language?
The Kannada Language is a language spoken in southern India.  Specifically, it is spoken in Karnataka, and it is a member of the official language, Dravidian.  Kannada is also referred to as Kanarese or Kannana.  Currently, there are about 38 million people in the world who speak this language, with another 10 million who speak it as a second language.  In addition, verbs are marked for person, number, and gender.

Some Interesting Facts About the Kannada Language:

• The Kannada Language is one of the oldest languages in India and was recently been given the label as classical-language status
• The Kannada Language is one of the five classical languages of India.
• The Kannada Language is the only known Indian language that had a foreigner write a dictionary for.
• Of the five classical languages of India, the Kannada Language is the third oldest.
• The Kannada Language is thought to be a little over 2000 years old.  This makes it significantly older then the vast number of languages spoken today.
• The Kannada Language has often been referred to as a the “Queen of Word Scripts.”  This is in part due to its stable structure and grammatical consistency.
• The Kannada Language is often referred to as an international language as well as a national language. 
• Ragale Saahithya, a rare and different kind of literature, can only be seen in texts and documents in the Kannada Language.  This makes the Kannada Language of central importance in understanding this form of literature.
• When it comes to awards given for literature, those pieces of literature written in Kannada Language received far more awards then the many other languages in India.  In addition, there are a great number of successful authors who write in the Kannada Language.