Kanikkaran language
In today's world, Kanikkaran language is a topic that has captured the attention of millions of people around the world. Whether due to its relevance in today's society, its impact on daily life or its historical importance, Kanikkaran language continues to be a topic that generates debate, interest and curiosity in people's minds. That is why it is essential to thoroughly analyze all aspects related to Kanikkaran language, from its origins to its evolution today, to understand its true meaning and its influence in different areas of daily life. In this article, we will explore some of the most relevant facets of Kanikkaran language to understand its importance and impact on today's society.
| Kanikkaran | |
|---|---|
| கணிக்காரன்/കണ്ണിക്കാരൻ | |
| Native to | India |
| Region | Tamil Nadu, Kanyakumari |
| Ethnicity | Kanikkaran |
Native speakers | 19,000 (2007)[1] |
Dravidian
| |
Early forms | |
| Tamil script, Malayalam script | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | kev |
| Glottolog | kani1275 |
Kanikkaran (IPA: [kaːɳikːaːrɐn]), also known as Kani, is a Dravidian language spoken by about 19,000 Kanikkar tribals in southern India.[1] They dwell in forests and hills of Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam districts of Kerala, and Kanyakumari and Tirunelveli districts of Tamil Nadu. It is called malambhāsha, or "hill-language."[2]
Phonology
Vowels
Kanikkaran has 5 vowels, /a, e, i, o, u/. It demonstrates contrastive vowel length.[2]
Consonants
| Labial | Dental | Alveolar | Retroflex | Palatal | Velar | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nasal | m | n̪ | n | ɳ | ɲ | ŋ | |
| Stop | voiceless | p | t̪ | ʈ | c | k | |
| voiced | b | d̪ | |||||
| Approximant | ʋ | l | ɭ | j | |||
| Trill | r | ||||||
| Flap | ɾ | ||||||
They use the phoneme /l̩/ occasionally.
Kanikkaran has transformed words in Malayalam starting with /a/ into /e/. añcu (5) becomes eñcu, ari (rice) becomes ei, arivāḷu (sickle) becomes erivāḷu, aluku (split reed) becomes elakku. It also adds a suffix -in or -n after all noun stems, except for nouns ending with -n in accusative.[2]
Grammar
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | ñān | ñāṇkaḷu |
| 2nd | īl | nīṇkaḷu |
| 3rd | avanu/avaḷu | avaru |
The language cannot use personal terminations, similar to Old Malayalam. Example: pōvā (go or going or let's go) and vārā (will come, or "see you").[2]
References
- ^ a b Kanikkaran at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022)
- ^ a b c d Shyam, S.K. (12 December 2017). "Aspects of Life and Language of Kanikkar Tribal Community of Kerala –A Study". Language in India.
Languages of Kerala | ||
|---|---|---|
| Non-tribal languages |  | |
| Tribal languages | ||
| Other languages and creoles | ||
| Related topics | ||
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