Notes on Dravidian
Summary
This linguistic study explores several features of the Dravidian languages. In the first section it examines the suffix –ga/–ge found in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and tribal dialects, arguing that it developed from a demonstrative ending and often functions as a nominalising affix. Examples from Kurukh, Kuvi and Gondi illustrate how the suffix operates in forming nouns and past‑tense verb stems. The author then investigates the feminine personal ending –ce/-ci, tracing its origins and distribution across the Dravidian family. Subsequent sections discuss the development of nasal consonants, vowel harmony and the formation of place names with elements like –ur and –pal. Throughout the article the author compares cognate forms across languages and attempts to reconstruct proto‑Dravidian roots. The study concludes that many morphological features of modern Dravidian languages can be explained by internal developments rather than by borrowing from Indo‑Aryan languages.
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Conclusion
The linguistic study concludes that many distinctive features of Dravidian languages result from internal evolution, highlighting the family’s independence from Indo‑Aryan influence.