Kannada – the queen of all languages!

Introduction

Languages are a medium of communication that help express a wide range of concepts, ideas, and emotions. Languages, therefore, have a crucial role to play in understanding feelings and emotions. Of the thousands of different languages spoken around the world, the one language that has been regarded as the ‘queen of all languages’ is Kannada. Kannada is spoken in the southern state of Karnataka and is one of the most prominent Dravidian languages in India. The language has about 3000 years of written history and the highest number of Jnanpith literary awards, as compared to any other Indian language. 

Here is everything you need to know about the queen of all languages! 

The queen of all languages is the oldest language in India

According to the oldest literary works identified in the Epigraphs, old Kannada was a language that flourished during the Ganga and Rashtrakuta Dynasty in the 6th and 9th centuries AD, respectively. 

The oldest preserved manuscript found in the Kannada language is Jain Bhandar Mudbidri. This is a palm-leaf manuscript of Dhavala that consists of 1478 leaves inscribed with old Kannada from the 9th century AD. 

Linguists also believe the queen of all languages branched from the pronto-Tamil South Dravidian division well before the Christian era. This makes Kannada significantly older than both Hindi & English. 

Kannada was also popular during the Vijayanagar period. One of the seminal works of Kannada literature is Vishaw Lipigala Raani, which is cherished as the queen of Kannada scriptures. 

There is no silent letter in the queen of all languages 

This is easily one of the most surprising facts about Kannada. While the English language is known for its silent letters and associated word formations, Kannada is starkly different. 

There are absolutely no silent letters involved in the Kannada language. This is precisely why Kannada is also referred to as the ‘most scientific language on Earth’. 

Based on Sanskrit, the Kannada script does not have any scope for silent letters. 

Every word in Kannada ends with a vowel 

One of the most interesting facts about the queen of all languages is that it has a set of 10 vowels. Almost every word in the language, therefore, ends with a vowel. 

As per the linguistic giants of the world, this makes for one of the most unique facts about the queen of all languages. A heavy Sanskrit influence can also be identified with this singular characteristic. 

Ferdinand Kittel produced a Kannada-English dictionary 

Reverend Ferdinand Kittel is known for his efforts invested in the study of the queen of all languages. One of his most famous works is a Kannada-English dictionary that consisted of about 70,000 words. This dictionary was produced in 1894. 

This makes Kannada the only language in India to have a dictionary written by a foreigner. 

An ancient Greek play used Kannada phrases 

Chariton mime was an ancient Greek play produced in the 2nd century. Various historical facts collected about the queen of all languages indicate a surprising fact; many great Greek dramatists were strongly familiar with Kannada speakers and the language well before the 4th century BCE. 

It has also been found that the queen of all languages was used in various literary pieces. Personalities such as Aristophanes and Euripides used Kannada phrases and expressions extensively in dialogues of their dramas. 

Another interesting fact about Kannada is that it has extraordinary grammatical rules and is significantly easy to learn & follow. The Kannada language is written using the Kannada script. This script evolved from the 5th-century Kadamba script. 

Additionally, Kannada literature has also been honored with 8 distinct Jnanpith awards. This makes it the only language in India to be presented with so many distinctions. 

Is Kannada the ugliest language in the world? 

In 2001, search engine giant Google attracted a massive backlash from Indians around the world. Google showed Kannada as the ugliest language in the world, in response to a search query “ugliest languages”. 

Kannada language speakers all around the world slammed Google for insulting the historically significant language that dates back to more than 2000 years. The Karnataka government also condemned the response and warned that appropriate action will be taken against authorities that insult or behave in contempt of the Kannada language. 

The tech giant soon after deleted the response and apologized, stating the search results are not always perfect. The organization also stated that it is working continuously to improve algorithms that do not “reflect the opinions of Google.” 

Key takeaways 

• India is a country that is recognized as one of the most culturally-diverse regions in the world. 
• The country is also home to some of the most beautiful languages in the world, including Kannada, the queen of all languages. 
• Kannada has a rich history as a language, given that it is also the oldest spoken language in India. 
• Learning everything there is to know about the Kannada language can be a wonderful way to appreciate the years of history behind the script. 

Was this blog informative? If so, please share your thoughts in the comments below. Click here to reach out to us for more information on the queen of all languages! We would be happy to assist you with your queries! 

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FAQs

Q1. What are Dravidian languages? 

Answer – Dravidian or Dravidic languages are a family of languages largely spoken by the people in southern India, northeast Sri Lanka, and southwest Pakistan.

Q2. What languages, other than Sanskrit, have influenced Kannada’s 10 vowels set? 

Answer – Other languages that are believed to have made an impression on Kannada are Pali and Prakrit. 

Q3. Who said, “Kannada script is the queen of world scripts”? 

Answer – “Kannada script is the queen of world scripts” was a statement made by Shri Vinobha Bhave.