| South Dravidian | |
|---|---|
| South Dravidian I | |
| Geographic distribution | South India, Sri Lanka, diaspora |
| Linguistic classification | Dravidian
|
| Proto-language | Proto-South Dravidian |
| Subdivisions |
|
| Language codes | |
| Glottolog | sout3138 |
South Dravidian (also called "South Dravidian I") is one of the four major branches of the Dravidian languages family. It includes the literary languages Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam and Tulu, as well as several non-literary languages such as Badaga, Irula, Kota, Kurumba, Toda and Kodava.[1]
Kannada, Tamil and Malayalam are recognized among the official languages of India and are spoken mainly in South India. All three are officially recognized as classical languages by the Government of India, along with Sanskrit, Telugu, and Odia.[2]