| Kannada Language |
Article Index for Kannada |
Website Links For Kannada |
Information AboutKannada Language |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT KANNADA LANGUAGE | |
| kannada language | |
| dravidian languages | |
| languages of india | |
| karnatakakannada language | |
| dravidian languages | |
| languages of india | |
| karnataka | |
| languages of karnataka | |
| dravidian languages | |
Kannada (ಕನ್ನಡ '' '') is one of the major Dravidian Languages of India , spoken predominantly in the southern state of Karnataka . It is the 27th most spoken language in the world, with native speakers called Kannadiga s numbering roughly around 35 million. It is one of the Official Languages Of India and the official and administrative language of the state of Karnataka.1 Kannada is attested to by one of the earliest Epigraphies in India. The first written record in the Kannada language is traced to Emperor Ashoka 's ''Brahmagiri edict'' dated 230 BC. At present, a committee of scholars is seeking a Classical Language tag for Kannada based on its antiquity. 2 The Kannada language is written using the Kannada Script . The other native languages of Karnataka, Tulu , Kodava Takk and Konkani are also written using the Kannada script. The Telugu script is also derived from the old Kannada script. Contemporary Kannada Literature is the most successful in India, with India's highest literary honor, the Jnanpith Awards , having been conferred seven times upon Kannada writers, which is the highest for any language in India.3 HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT at Halmidi village dated 450 CE. ( Kadamba Dynasty )]] Kannada is one of the oldest Dravidian languages with an antiquity of at least 2000 years.Kamath (2001), pp5-6''Purava HaleGannada'' or Pre-old Kannada was the language of . However, the archaeological evidence would indicate a written tradition for this language of around 1500-1600 years. The initial development of the Kannada language is similar to that of other Dravidian languages and independent of Sanskrit.Kittel (1993), p1-2 During later centuries, Kannada, along with other Dravidian languages like Telugu , Tamil , Malayalam , etc., has been greatly influenced by Sanskrit in terms of vocabulary, grammar and literary styles."Literature in all Dravidian languages owes a great deal to Sanskrit, the magic wand whose touch raised each of the languages from a level of patois to that of a literary idiom". (Sastri 1955, p309)Takahashi, Takanobu. 1995. Tamil love poetry and poetics. Brill’s Indological library, v. 9. Leiden: E.J. Brill, p16,18 "The author endeavours to demonstrate that the entire Sangam poetic corpus follows the "Kavya" form of Sanskrit poetry"-Tieken, Herman Joseph Hugo. 2001. Kāvya in South India: old Tamil Caṅkam poetry. Groningen: Egbert Forsten Stone inscriptions The first written record in the Kannada language is traced to Emperor Ashoka 's ''Brahmagiri edict'' dated 230 BC.The word ''Isila'' found in the Ashokan inscription (called the Brahmagiri edict from Karnataka) meaning to ''shoot an arrow'' is a Kannada word, indicating that Kannada was a spoken language in the third century BCE (Dr. D.L. Narasimhachar in Kamath 2001, p5) The first example of a full-length Kannada language stone inscription (''shilashaasana'') containing Brahmi characters with charateristics resembling those of Tamil in ''Hale Kannada'' (''Old Kannada'') script can be found in the Halmidi Inscription , dated c. 450 CE, indicating that Kannada had become an administrative language by this time.Ramesh (1984), p10A report on Halmidi inscription, 5Kamath (2001), p10 Over 30,000 inscriptions written in the Kannada language have been discovered so far.6 The Chikkamagaluru inscription of 500 CE is another example.Narasimhacharya (1988), p6Rice (1921), p13 Prior to the Halmidi inscription, there is an abundance of inscriptions containing Kannada words, phrases and sentences, proving its antiquity. The 543 CE Badami cliff ''shilashaasana'' of Pulakesi I is an example of a Sanskrit inscription in ''Hale Kannada'' script.Kamath (2001), p587 ; Copper plates and Manuscripts inscription of Badami Chalukyas at Badami cave temple (6th. c.CE.)]] Examples of early Sanskrit-Kannada bilingual Copper Plate Inscription s (''tamarashaasana'') are the Tumbula inscriptions of the Western Ganga Dynasty dated 444 CE.In bilingual inscriptions the formulaic passages stating origin myths, geneologies, titles of kings and benedictions tended to be in Sanskrit, while the actual terms of the grant such as information on the land or village granted, its boundaries, the participation of local authorities, the rights and obligations of the grantee, taxes and dues and other local concerns were in the local language. The two languages of many such inscriptions were Sanskrit and the regional language such as Tamil or Kannada (Thapar 2003, pp393-394)8 The earliest full-length Kannada ''tamarashaasana'' in ''Old Kannada'' script (early eighth century CE) belongs to the Alupa King Aluvarasa II from Belmannu, South Kanara district and displays the double crested fish, his royal emblem.Gururaj Bhat in Kamath (2001), p97 The oldest well-preserved palm leaf manuscript is in ''Old Kannada'' and is that of ''Dhavala'', dated to around the ninth century, preserved in the Jain Bhandar, Mudbidri, Dakshina Kannada district.9 The manuscript contains 1478 leaves written using ink. ; Impact on other cultures and languages ]] inscription in ''Old Kannada'', Virupaksha Temple, 745 CE Pattadakal ]] Kannada has had a significant influence on other Indian languages and overseas cultures. The influence of ''Old Kannada'' on the language of the and Aristophanes , seem to have been familiar with the Kannada language. This is evident in their usage of Kannada words and phrases in their dramas and skits.12 Kannada inscriptions were not only discovered in Karnataka but also quite commonly in Andhra Pradesh ,13 Maharashtra Inscriptions, place names and manuscripts prove that regions such as Kolhapur and Sholapur were at one time Kannada-speaking areas, where Marathi is now spoken.14, p12Kannada was an administrative language in Devagiri (present day Daulatabad), the Seuna capital, from the tenth to the thirteenth centuries CE. (Srinivas Ritti & O.P. Varma in Kamath 2001, p137) and Tamil Nadu .The famous Kanchi Kailasanatha temple inscriptions of Chalukya Vikramaditya II , inscribed after the capture of Kanchipuram (K.V. Ramesh 1984, pp159-161)The inscriptions of Rashtrakuta Krishna III on a victory pillar at Rameshvaram describing his victories against the Cholas, Pandyas and Keralas and the tributes he received from the King of Ceylon. (Kamath 2001, p83) Some inscriptions were also found in Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat .The princes of the Gujarat line hailing from the Rashtrakuta family signed their Sanskrit records in Kannada, examples of which are the Navasari and Baroda plates of Karka I and the Baroda records of Dhruva II (D.R. Bhandarkar in Kamath 2001, p73) As an example, the inscription at Jura 964 CE ( Jabalpur ), belonging to the reign of Rashtrakuta Krishna III , is regarded as an epigraphical landmark of classical Kannada literary composition, with charming poetic diction in polished Kannada metre.Kamath (2001), p83 This indicates the spread of the language over the ages, especially during the rule of large Kannada empires. Because of coexistance with Kannada, Tulu , Kodava , Sankethi , and Konkani have also borrowed many words from Kannada. ; Coinage The recent discovery of a copper coin dated to the fifth century CE in Banavasi, Uttara Kannada District with the inscription ''Srimanaragi'' in Kannada script proves that Kannada had become an official language by the time of the Kadambas of Banavasi.15 Coins with Kannada legends have been discovered spanning the rule of the Western Ganga Dynasty , the Badami Chalukyas , the Alupas , the Western Chalukyas , the Rashtrakutas , the Hoysalas , the Vijayanagar Empire , the Kadambas , the Keladi Nayaka s and the Mysore Kingdom , the Badami Chalukya coins being a recent discovery.Kamath (2001), p12, p571617 PHASES OF EVOLUTION The written Kannada language has come under various religious and social influences in its 1600 years of known existence. Linguists generally divide the written form into four broad phases. ; ''Poorvada Halegannada'' or Pre-ancient Kananda This is the language of Halmidi scripture known to be from the fifth century CE. From available epigraphical evidence it can be concluded that the spoken Kannada language evolved much earlier than that of the Halmidi inscription. The language of the Halmidi inscription is said to be highly Sanskitized. ; ''Halegannada'' or Ancient Kannada depicting ''Halegannada'' (old Kannada)]] From the ninth to fourteenth centuries CE, Kannada works were classified under ''Old Kannada''. In this period Kannada showed a high level of maturity as a language of original literature.The earliest cultivators of Kannada literature were Jain scholars (Narasimhacharya 1988, p17) Mostly Jain and Saivite poets produced works in this period. This period saw the growth of Jain ''puranas'' and Virashaiva ''Vachana Sahitya'' or simply Vachana , a unique and native form of literature which was the summary of contributions from all sections of society.More than two hundred contemporary Vachana poets have been recorded (Narasimhacharya 1988, p20)Sastri (1955), p361 Early Brahminical works also emerged from the eleventh century Durgasimha, who wrote the ''Panchatantra'', and Chandraraja, who wrote the ''Madanakatilaka'', were early Brahmin writers in the eleventh century under Western Chalukya King Jayasimha II (Narasimhacharya 1988, p19). By the tenth century Kannada had seen its greatest poets, such as Pampa , Sri Ponna and Ranna , and its great prose writings such as the '' Vaddaradhane '' of Shivakotiacharya , indicating that a considerable volume of classical prose and poetry in Kannada had come into existence a few centuries before Kavirajamarga.Sastri (1955), p355 Among existing landmarks in Kannada grammar, Nagavarma II 's ''Karnataka-bhashabhushana'' (1145) and Kesiraja's ''Sabdamanidarpana'' (1260) are the oldest.Sastri (1955), p359Narasimhacharya (1988), p19 ; ''Nadugannada'' or Middle Kannada In the period between the fourteenth and eighteenth centuries CE, Brahman ical Hinduism had a great influence on Kannada language and literature. Non-brahmin Hindu saints like Kanakadasa and Brahminical saints of the Vaishnava sect such as Purandaradasa , Naraharitirtha , Vyasatirtha , Sripadaraya , Vadirajatirtha , Vijaya Dasa , Jagannathadasa, etc., produced devotional poems in this period.Sastri (1955), pp364-365 Kanakadasa's ''Ramadhanya Charite'' is a rare work, concerning itself with the issue of class struggleThe writing exalts the grain Ragi above all other grains that form the staple foods of much of modern Karnataka (Sastri 1955, p365. This period saw the advent of '' Haridasa Sahitya'' which made rich contributions to '' Bhakti '' literature and sowed the seeds of Carnatic music. ; ''Hosagannada'' or Modern Kannada The Kannada works produced by the end of the nineteenth century and later are classified as ''Hosagannada'' or Modern Kannada. However, till the beginning of the twentieth century there were Kannada literary works that could still be classified under the heading of Middle Kannada. Most notable among them are the poet Muddana's works. His works may be described as the "Dawn of Modern Kannada". Generally, linguists treat ''Indira Bai'' or ''Saddharma Vijayavu'' by Gulvadi Venkata Raya as the first literary works in Modern Kannada. LITERATURE AND POETRY See Also: Kannada literature Medieval Kannada literature Kannada poetry (981 CE. Western Ganga Dynasty )]] inscription of 1220 CE at Ishwara temple temple Hassan District ]] The oldest existing record of Kannada poetry in ''tripadi'' metre is the Kappe Arabhatta record of 700 CE.Kamath (2001), p67 '' Kavirajamarga '' by King Nripatunga Amoghavarsha I ( 850 CE) is the earliest existing literary work in Kannada. It is a writing on literary criticism and poetics meant to standardize various written Kannada dialects used in literature in previous centuries. The book makes reference to Kannada works by early writers such as King Durvinita of the sixth century and Ravikirti, the author of the Aihole record of 636 CE.Sastri (1955), p355Kamath (2001), p90 Since the earliest available Kannada work is one on grammar and a guide of sorts to unify existing variants of Kannada grammar(ವ್ಯಾಕರಣ) and literary styles, it can be safely assumed that literature in Kannada must have started several centuries earlier.18Sastri (1955), p355 An early Extant prose work, the ''Vaddaradhane'' by Shivakotiacharya of 900 CE provides an elaborate description of the life of Bhadrabahu of Shravanabelagola .Sastri (1955), p356 Kannada works from earlier centuries mentioned in the Kavirajamarga are not yet traced. Some ancient texts now considered extinct but referenced in later centuries are ''Prabhrita'' (650 CE) by Syamakundacharya, ''Chudamani'' (Crest Jewel-650 CE) by Srivaradhadeva, also known as Tumbuluracharya, which is a work of 96,000 verse-measures and a commentary on logic (''Tatwartha-mahashastra'').The seventeenth-century Kannada grammarian Bhattakalanka wrote about the ''Chudamani'' as a milestone in the literature of the Kannada language (Sastri (1955), p355)19Narasimhacharya (1988), pp 4-5 Other sources date ''Chudamani'' to the sixth century or earlier.6th century Sanskrit poet Dandin praised Srivaradhadeva's writing as "having produced Saraswati from the tip of his toungue, just as Shiva produced the Ganges from the tip of his top knot (Rice E.P., 1921, p27) The ''Karnateshwara Katha'', a eulogy for King Pulakesi II , is said to have belonged to the seventh century; the ''Gajastaka'', a work on elephant management by King Shivamara II , belonged to the eighth century,Kamath (2001), p50, p67 and the ''Chandraprabha-purana'' by Sri Vijaya, a court poet of King Amoghavarsha I , is ascribed to the early ninth century.The author and his work were praised by the latter-day poet Durgasimha of 1025 CE (Narasimhacharya 1988, p18.) Tamil Buddhist commentators of the tenth century CE (in the commentary on ''Nemrinatham'', a Tamil grammatical work) make references that show that Kannada literature must have flourished as early as the fourth century CE. The Middle Kannada period gave birth to several genres of Kannada literature, with new forms of composition coming into use, including ''Ragale'' (a form of blank verse) and meters like ''Sangatya'' and ''Desi''. The works of this period are based on Jain and Hindu principles. Two of the early writers of this period are Harihara and Raghavanka, trailblazers in their own right. Harihara established the ''Ragale'' form of composition while Raghavanka popularized the ''Shatpadi''(six-lined stanza) meter.Sastri (1955), pp361-2 A famous Jaina writer of the same period is Janna , who expressed Jain religious teachings through his works.Narasimhacharya (1988), p20 EXTERNAL LINKS |
|
|