Telugu language

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Telugu talli bomma

Telugu speakers in India

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Andhra Pradesh districts map

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ఎన్నికల ప్రచార సామగ్రి దుకాణము

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British Museum Asia 14

Telugu

Region	South India
Speakers	81 million
Language family	Dravidian
This language related article is a stub.

Telugu (

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This template is designed to format and link to pages related to the Telugu language (`Lang-te`) on a MediaWiki-based site like Wikipedia. It allows for up to 15 parameters to be passed through, which can be used to format text or link to specific pages. The template also supports optional label, prefix, and suffix parameters for additional customization.) is a Dravidian language predominantly spoken in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and the official language of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Telugu is also a classical language of India.

History

The history of the Telugu language can be traced back to the 6th century CE. The earliest known inscriptions in Telugu date to the 6th century CE, and the language has a rich literary tradition that began with the works of Nannaya, Tikkana, and Yerrapragada in the 11th century.

Geographic Distribution

Telugu is primarily spoken in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It is also spoken by significant populations in the neighboring states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Odisha, and the Union Territory of Puducherry (specifically in the Yanam district).

Dialects

Telugu has several dialects, which can be broadly categorized into Coastal Andhra, Rayalaseema, and Telangana dialects. Each of these dialects has its own unique features and variations in pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar.

Phonology

Telugu phonology includes a set of 16 vowels and 36 consonants. The language is known for its melodious and rhythmic quality, which is often attributed to its extensive use of vowels.

Grammar

Telugu grammar is highly inflected and follows a subject-object-verb (SOV) word order. It has a rich system of agglutination, where suffixes are added to base words to express grammatical relations and nuances.

Writing System

The Telugu script is an abugida derived from the Brahmi script. It is written from left to right and consists of 60 symbols, including vowels, consonants, and diacritic marks.

Literature

Telugu literature has a long and illustrious history, with significant contributions from poets, scholars, and writers. The earliest known literary work in Telugu is the Andhra Mahabharatam by Nannaya. Other notable works include the Pothana Bhagavatam and the Kumara Sambhavam.

Culture

Telugu culture is rich and diverse, encompassing various forms of art, music, dance, and cuisine. The language plays a central role in the cultural identity of the Telugu-speaking people.

Related Pages

• Dravidian languages
• Andhra Pradesh
• Telangana
• Telugu script
• Telugu literature
• Languages of India