The Place of Tulu in the Dravidian Family of Languages
Summary
The article discusses the significance of Tulu, a Dravidian language spoken in the South Kanara district, highlighting its unique position within the Dravidian language family. The author emphasizes the cultural and linguistic richness of South India, particularly the South Kanara district, which is inhabited by speakers of nearly half a dozen languages. Tulu is spoken in specific taluks such as Udupi, Mangalore, Puttur, Uppinangady, Karkala, and Karkala, and was recorded as having over half a million speakers in the 1872 census. The main argument centers on Tulu's antiquity and purity, drawing heavily on the observations of Dr. Caldwell, the famous Dravidian philologist and Bishop of Tinnevelly. Caldwell listed Tulu among the cultivated Dravidian dialects, praising it as a highly developed language despite the lack of an independent script. The author notes that Tulu shares significant linguistic features with Tamil, ancient Kanarese, and Malayaalam, which differ from modern Kanarese and Telugu. These include specific conditional forms, negative conditionals, and unique phonetic changes like the insertion of the letter 'n' to prevent hiatus. Evidence discussed includes the language's peculiar pronunciation, which puzzles strangers and must be learned from native speakers. The article also mentions the existence of two dialects: one spoken by Brahmins and another by rustic villagers. The rustic dialect is noted for its faithfulness to the language, while Brahmin migrants have been indifferent, leading to a decline in its use among them. Sources cited include Caldwell's Dravidian grammar, Rev. Brigel's Tulu grammar and English dictionary, and the work of Basel missionaries in Mangalore, who printed biblical translations in the Sadra dialect. The author also references historical events, such as the Tuluva dynasty ruling over Vijayanagara, and the efforts of Mr. J. U. Paniyadi, who published a Tulu grammar and translated the drama of Sakuntala around 1929. The article concludes by lamenting the lack of independent Tulu literature and the fading of early efforts to cultivate the language.
AI-generated summary, automatically checked against the article text.
Conclusion
The article establishes Tulu as a highly developed and ancient Dravidian language, characterized by unique phonetic and grammatical features such as specific tense formations and euphonic insertions. Despite its lack of an independent script and literary history, Tulu maintains significant linguistic affinities with Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam, preserving archaic elements. Its speakers, particularly the rural populace, demonstrate remarkable linguistic conservatism, resisting assimilation by surrounding languages like Kannada. The text underscores Tulu's cultural and anthropological value as a repository of ancient South Indian traditions. Ultimately, the language's distinctiveness and resilience highlight its crucial role in understanding the broader Dravidian linguistic family and the historical continuity of indigenous South Indian cultures, warranting further scholarly attention and literary cultivation.