Kodava language

The Kodava (, natively: Koḍava takkï, , meaning 'speech of Kodavas', Angloid name: Codava, Coorgi) is a Dravidian language spoken in Kodagu district (Coorg) in Southern Karnataka, India.

It is an endangered language. The term Kodava has two related usages. Firstly, it is the name of the Kodava language and culture followed by a number of communities from Kodagu. Secondly, within the Kodava-speaking communities and region (Kodagu), it is a demonym for the dominant Kodava people. Hence, the Kodava language is not only the primary language of the Kodavas but also of many other castes and tribes in Kodagu. The language has two dialects: Mendele (spoken in Northern and Central Kodagu, i.e. outside Kodagu's Kiggat naadu) and Kiggat (spoken in Kiggat naadu, in Southern Kodagu).

Historically, it has been associated to Old Canarese or Hale Kannada However, it has been re-analysed as a language by early 20th century academics. Now it is considered as an intermediate language between Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, and Tulu in comparative linguistics. The 2011 Census of India reports 96,918 persons who returned Kodava as their mother tongue and 16,939 who returned Coorgi/Kodagu, for a total of 113,857 persons coming under the parent group which is again identified as Coorgi/Kodagu (another name for Kodava) as the mother tongue.

Etymology

Derived from koḍa "west", -(v/g)a "person".

History

thumb|upright=1.2|right|[[Linguistic Survey of India (1906) map of the distribution of Dravidian languages]]

In Kannada, the region was called Kodagu and the people Kodaga. Natively, the people were called Kodava and the land was called Kodavu in the folksongs. Comparative Dravidian studies show that the Kodava language belongs to the South Dravidian language group.

Phonology

Vowels

thumb|Vowels in Kodava Language

Dravidian vowel systems contain five vowel qualities i.e. those usually corresponding to a, e, i, o and u., with a short and long variants for each. However, Kodava has two more: the mid and high (close) back unrounded vowels, with corresponding long variants.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

|+Vowels

!Front

!Central

!Back

!Close

!Close-mid

!Open

Consonants

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

|+Consonants

! colspan="2" |

!Bilabial

!Dental

!Alveolar

!Retroflex

!Palatal

!Velar

!Glottal

! colspan="2" |Nasal

! rowspan="2" |Plosive

!<small>voiceless</small>

!<small>voiced</small>

! colspan="2" |Fricative

! colspan="2" |Approximant

! colspan="2" |Trill

Kodava and Kannada share a lack of palatalization of word-initial *k-, which is a feature found in the Tamil-Malayalam branch.

Writing system

Kodava Takk is generally written in the Kannada script, but can also be found written in the Malayalam script, especially along the borders with Kerala, and more recently, the Latin alphabet.

Kodava script

thumb|right|Official Script of the Kodava language developed by Dr IM Muthanna in 1971.

Dr. IM Muthanna, developed a script to Kodava Thakk in 1971, and as of 2022, the Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy, a government body for the development of Kodava Language, accepted the script developed by Dr Muthanna as the official script of Kodava Language. Although around 7 scripts were developed between 1889 and 2008, only Dr Muthanna's script is considered the most acceptable for the Kodava Language.

The script is relatively simple in structure compared to other Brahmic scripts, with 16 vowels, 24 consonants and four diacritic marks. It has seen increasing use across the Kodagu district since its inception.

Thirke script

Recently an old Kodava script from the 14th century was discovered, it is now called the Thirke script. The script is a Brahmic abugida with a mix of characters from neigbhouring scripts like Malayalam, Tamil, Tigalari, Kannada, and Vatteluttu.

Coorgi–Cox alphabet

The Coorgi is an alphabet developed by the linguist Gregg M. Cox that is used by a number of individuals within Kodagu district of India to write the endangered Dravidian language of Kodava, also known sometimes as Coorgi.

The script uses a combination of 26 consonant letters, eight vowel letters and a diphthong marker. Each letter represents a single sound and there are no capital letters.

The script was developed out of the request by a group of Kodava individuals to have a distinct script for Kodava Takk, to distinguish the language. The new script is intended as a unified writing system for all Kodava Takk speakers.

Comparisons

Linguistically, Kodava/Kodagu language belongs to the South Dravidian subfamily of the Dravidian family. Further within the South Dravidian subfamily, it belongs to the subgroup Tamil-Malayalam-Kodagu-Kota-Toda. It is closely related to and influenced by Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil and Tulu. A majority of the words are common between Kodava and Beary bashe, a dialect which is a mixture of Tulu and Malayalam spoken by the Beary Muslims and Kodava Thiyyar communities. Kodava is also closely related to the Kasaragod and Kannur dialects of Malayalam, which are in turn related to Beary.

Grammar

The grammar of Kodagu has been systematically studied and documented since at least around 1867 when Captain R.A. Cole published the seminal work An Elementary Grammar of the Coorg Language.

thumb|"Desha Katt" Song, Praising the provinces of Kodagu, written in Kodava Script.

Nouns

These, as is typical in Dravidian languages, may be proper, common, verbal, derivative, or compound.

The Pattole Palame, a collection of Kodava folksongs and traditions compiled in the early 1900s by Nadikerianda Chinnappa, was first published in 1924. The most important Kodava literature, it is said to be one of the earliest, if not the earliest, collection of folklore of a community in an Indian language. Nearly two-thirds of the book consists of folksongs that were handed down orally through generations, sung even today during marriage and death ceremonies and during festivals relating to the seasons and in honour of local deities and heroes. Traditionally known as Balo Pat, these songs are sung by four men who beat dudis (drums) as they sing. Kodava folk dances are performed to the beat of many of these songs. The Pattole Palame was written using the Kannada script originally; it has been translated into English by Boverianda Nanjamma and Chinnappa, grandchildren of Nadikerianda Chinnappa, and has been published by Rupa & Co., New Delhi.

Cinema

The Kodava Cinema industry is very small. A few movies portraying the native culture and traditions of the Kodavas have been produced in this language. The first Kodava film 'Nada Mann Nada Kool' was directed by S.R.Rajan and produced in the year 1972.

Kodava words

{| class="wikitable"

! Kodava

! Kannada

! Tamil

! Malayalam

! Tulu

! English

| Moodi

| Hudugi

| Peṇ/Peḍai/Ponnŭ

| Penkutti

| Ponnu

| Girl

| Kinha

| Huduga

| Aan/Peḍiyan/Paiyan/Chiruvan

| Aankutti

| Aan/Kinni

| Boy

| Po(Singular); Poyi(Plural)

| Hogu

| Pō(y)

| Poyko

| Poyi

| Go

| Kanni

| Saaru/ganji

| Kañji/Kūṭṭŭ/Chārŭ

| Chaar

| Kajipu

| Stew (lentils, vegetables, etc.)

| Koole

| Anna/Kool

| Chōr/Kūḻ

| Chor

| Nuppu

| Cooked Rice

| Id

| Idu

| Iḍŭ/Vai

| Ide

| Dee

| Put

| Thimbak

| Tinnakke

| Thinnŭ/Uṇṇŭ/Sāppiḍŭ

| Tinnuka/Kazhikkuka

| Thinere

| To Eat

| kuLi

| snana

| kuLi

| Meela

| To Bath

| Unda?

| Unta/ideya?

| Uṇḍā?/Irukkuthā?

| Undo?

| Unda?

| Is There?

| Bappi

| Bartini

| Var(uk)iṟēn/Varuvēn

| Varam

| Barpe

| I will Come (Farewell Greeting)

| Ulla-

| iddene/ulle

| irukkiṟēn/uḷḷēn

| Ulle

| Am There

| Bandand Ulla-

| Baruta iddene

| Var(uk)iṟēn

| Varunnund

| Barond ulle

| Am coming

| Yenene Ulliya?

| Hege iddiya?

| Eppaḍi/Enneṇdŭ (uḷḷ-/irukkiṟ-)(-ai/-āi/-īrgaḷ)

| Engane und?

| Encha ulla/ya?

| How are you?

|Māṅge

|Maavu

|Māṅgā(y)/Māmpaḻam

|Māṅga/Māmpaḻam

|Mudi/Kukku

|Mango

|Kaḷḷa

|Kaḷla

|Kaḷḷan/Kaḷvan/Thiruḍan

|Kaḷḷan

|Kalva

|Thief

|Suroole /Minyathele

|Modalu/Suroonalli

|Mudal(il)

|Adyam

|Suru

|First

|Karay Paambu

|Kere Haavu

|Chārai Pāmbŭ

|Chēra Pamb

|Keri

|Rat Snake

|Mūle

|Mūlai

|Mūla

|Mudye/mūle

|Corner

|Āme

|Āmai

|Āma

|Eme

|Tortoise

|Bēli

|Vēli

|Bēli

|Fence

|Bitth/Kuru

|Beeja/bitha

|Vitthŭ/Vithai

|Vitth/Kuru

|Bitth

|Seed

|Bādege

|Bādige

|Vādakai

|Vādaka

|Badige

|Rent

|Chaththe

|Sante

|Chanthai

|Chantha

|Santhe

|Market

|Ēni

|Ēṇi

|Ēni

|Ladder

|Pulunja Puḷi

|Hunase Huli

|PuLi

|Punke puli

|Tamarind

|Gaali/Kaath

|Gaali

|Kāṟṟŭ/Kāththŭ

|Kaatt

|Gaali

|Wind

|Thaari

|Kodu/tha

|Tharŭ/Koḍŭ

|Tharu

|Koru

|give

|Kaapi

|Coffee

|Paaduva-

|Haadu

|Paadŭ

|Paaduka

|Pada paad

|to sing

Words for family members

{| class="wikitable"

| Mother

| Avva-

| Father

| Appa-

| Grandfather

| Ajja-

| Grandmother

| Ajjava- Thaayi

| Maternal Uncle / Paternal Aunt's husband

| Thammaava- / Maava-

| Maternal Uncle's wife / Paternal Aunt

| Maavi / Thammaavi

| Eldest Paternal Uncle / Eldest Maternal Aunt's husband

| Balyeappa-

| Eldest Paternal Uncle's wife / Eldest Maternal Aunt

| Balyeavvo-

| Elder Paternal Uncle / Elder Maternal Aunt's husband

| Bojappa-

| Elder Paternal Uncle's wife / Elder Maternal Aunt

| Bojavva-

| Younger Paternal Uncle / Younger Maternal Aunt's husband

| Kunjappa-

| Younger Paternal Uncle's wife/ Younger Maternal Aunt

| Kunjavva-

| Youngest Paternal Uncle / Youngest Maternal Aunt's husband

| Cheriyappa-

| Youngest Paternal Uncle's wife/ Youngest Maternal Aunt

| Cheriyavvo-

| Father-in-law

| Maavn-

| Mother-in-law

| Maavi

| brother-in-law (elder) / cross-cousin (elder, brother) / lineal cousin (elder, sister)'s husband

| Baava-

| sister-in-law (elder)/ cross-cousin (elder, sister) / lineal-cousin (elder, brother)'s wife

| Mamma-

| brother (elder) / lineal cousin (elder brother) / cross-cousin (elder, sister)'s husband

| Anna- / Annaiah

| sister (elder) / lineal-cousin (elder, sister) / cross-cousin (elder, brother)'s wife

| Akko / Akkaiah

| brother (younger)

| Thammanna-

| sister (younger)

| Thange

| Wife

| Ponne

| Husband

| Wadiyye

| Son

| Movn-

| Daughter

| Mova

Recent developments

thumb|An example of digital primers released about the new script

Since 2021, the Mangalore University teaches an MA degree in the Kodava language.

References

Bibliography

External links

Kodava Literature
Kodava Samaj