Kannada

High school (ages 12+)
People & Society

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/kannada

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the number of native speakers?Approximately 44 million
2. What is the linguistic classification?Southern Dravidian language
3. How old is Kannada?Kannada has been written for more than 2,000 years. The first certain inscription is from the 5th century CE.
4. Why is Kannada special?It has kept its core identity for centuries while still changing. Kannada is part of the Dravidian family and shares roots with Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam.

Dravidian Language Family: A major language family indigenous to southern India and parts of Sri Lanka, distinct from Indo-European languages.
Abugida: A phonetic writing system where consonant-vowel sequences are represented by a common symbol, with modifications for vowels.
Epigraphy: The study of inscriptions, or writings on durable materials like stone, metal, or pottery.
Vachana Sahitya: A unique genre of Kannada literature characterized by rhythmic, prose-like verses advocating spiritual and social reform.