Language Comparison between Badaga vs Kurumba

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Badaga and the Kurumba languages are spoken side by side in the Nilgiris, and both belong to the Dravidian language family. People often ask how close they are. The short answer: Badaga is one language, closely related to Kannada, while “Kurumba” is a name shared by several different languages - most of them also Kannada-like, but some closer to Malayalam or to Irula.

Note: an earlier version of this page described Kurumba as close to Tamil and gave word and phrase lists that we could not verify; they have been removed.

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Badaga vs Kurumba at a Glance

Aspect	Badaga	Kurumba languages
Family	Dravidian; closely related to Kannada, with Tamil influence	Dravidian; Jenu, Betta and Alu Kurumba are Kannada-like, Mullu Kurumba is Malayalam-like, Palu (Attapady) Kurumba is close to Muduga (Irula group)
Where spoken	Badaga villages (hattis) across the Nilgiris	The Nilgiris and the neighbouring forests of Karnataka and Kerala, including Wayanad and Attappadi
Speakers	About 1,34,000 (2011 census)	Each Kurumba language has far fewer speakers
Writing	Written in Tamil or Kannada script, and in a Badagu script created in 1968	Mainly spoken; no standard script
Status	“Definitely endangered” in UNESCO’s categories, as younger people shift to Tamil and English	Several are endangered; Betta Kurumba, for example, is considered endangered with ongoing language shift
Word order	Subject-Object-Verb, like all Dravidian languages	Subject-Object-Verb

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1. Badaga: A Kannada-Related Language

• Like modern Kannada, Badaga probably comes from Old Kannada, which fits the Badagas’ own tradition of migration from the Mysore plateau (see Badaga origin theories).

• One shared feature: where Tamil has an initial p, Kannada and Badaga typically have h. Compare Tamil paal and Kannada haalu, both meaning “milk”.

• Badaga is famous among linguists for its retroflex vowels. It once had about 30 vowel sounds because vowels could be “half” or “fully” retroflexed; today’s speakers keep the distinction in only a few vowels.

• Living alongside Tamil for centuries, Badaga has also absorbed Tamil influence.

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2. The Kurumba Languages

“Kurumba” covers several languages, matching the different Kurumba groups (see categories of Kurumba). Linguists group them by the language each is closest to:

• Kannada-like: Jenu Kurumba (also Kattunayakan), Betta Kurumba (also Urali or Kadu Kurumba) and Alu Kurumba. These are spoken around the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border. Alu Kurumba has a full grammar and etymological dictionary by the linguist Dieter B. Kapp and has been described as an independent South Dravidian language.

• Malayalam-like: Mullu Kurumba, spoken in Wayanad district, Kerala.

• Irula-group: Palu (Attapady) Kurumba, mutually intelligible with Muduga, in Attappadi, Kerala.

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3. So How Close Are They?

• Badaga and the Kannada-like Kurumba languages are relatives within the same Kannada-related branch, so they share a good deal of basic vocabulary and grammar. They are still separate languages.

• Badaga and Mullu or Palu Kurumba are more distant, since those belong to other branches.

• We have not found a published study that measures how well Badaga speakers and Kurumba speakers understand each other, so we do not give a percentage here.

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4. Language and Culture

Each language carries its community’s life. Badaga is used in songs, prayers and stories, including those connected with the goddess Hethai Amma. The Kurumba languages carry knowledge of the forests where their speakers have long lived. Because both are spoken mainly within their communities and both are endangered, recording elders’ speech, songs and stories is important for keeping them alive.

The two communities have lived as neighbours for centuries, and their relations are a subject of their own; see Badaga perception of Kurumbas.

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Summary

Badaga = one language of the Nilgiris, closely related to Kannada, with about 1.3 lakh speakers and its own rich sound system.
Kurumba = a family name for several smaller languages: most are Kannada-like, one is Malayalam-like and one belongs with Irula and Muduga.

They share Dravidian ancestry, and some are close cousins, but they are distinct languages.

Sources: Wikipedia, "Badaga language" and "Kurumba language"; 2011 Census of India.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Similar Posts : Language Comparison between Badaga vs Kurumba, Who are Kurumba Gounder, Are Kodava and Baduga Same, Badaga Social Structure and Hatti Governance, Badaga Perception of Kurumbas,

See Also:baduga kurumba Badaga Language Kurumba Language Nilgiris Dravidian Languages