Telugu is a Dravidian language native to the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, where it is also the official language. Spoken by about 96 million people (2022), Telugu is the most widely spoken member of the Dravidian language family, and one of the twenty-two scheduled languages of the Republic of India. It is one of the few languages that has primary official status in more than one Indian state, alongside Hindi and Bengali. Telugu is one of the six languages designated as a classical language by the Government of India.
The Telugu language has a long and rich history, dating back to at least the 6th century CE. The earliest known Telugu inscription is dated to 575 CE. Telugu literature began to flourish in the 11th century, with the work of Nannaya Bhatta, who translated the Hindu epic Mahabharata into Telugu. Telugu literature has since produced a wide range of genres, including poetry, drama, fiction, and non-fiction.
Telugu is a highly inflected language, with a complex system of noun declensions and verb conjugations. The language also has a rich system of vowel harmony, which means that the vowels in a word must agree with each other in certain respects. Telugu is a beautiful and expressive language, and it is spoken by a vibrant and diverse community. I hope that you will have the opportunity to learn more about this fascinating language.
Here are some additional facts about Telugu: • The Telugu script is derived from the Brahmi script. • Telugu is a tonal language, with four tones: high, low, rising, and falling. • Telugu has a rich vocabulary, with many words borrowed from Sanskrit and other Dravidian languages. • Telugu is a popular language for film, music, and literature. • Telugu is spoken by a large diaspora community, including in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia.
