Badaga language
Encyclopedia
The Badaga language is a southern Dravidian language (Tamil–Kannada branch) spoken by approximately 400,000 people (the Badagas
) in the Nilgiri Hills in Southern India
. It is known for its retroflex vowels
. The word Badaga refers to the Badaga language as well as the Badaga community/tribe. The Badagas were the Kannada speaking people from Mysore in Karnataka
state, India.
Note on transcriptions: rhoticity (e.g. [i˞], [e˞]) indicates half-retroflexion or pharyngealization; an underdot (e.g. [ị], [ẹ]) indicates full retroflexion.
, English
and Kannada. Tamil, because many Badagas are literate in Tamil; English, this is a popular second language taught in schools; and Kannada, as Badaga is very closely related to Kannada.
Badagas
The Badagas are an indigenous people inhabiting the Nilgiri Hills of Tamil Nadu, southern India. Their language is Badaga.-Traditional Attire:In olden days the Badagas used to wear distinctive dresses...
) in the Nilgiri Hills in Southern India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It is known for its retroflex vowels
R-colored vowel
In phonetics, an R-colored or rhotic vowel is a vowel that is modified in a way that results in a lowering in frequency of the third formant...
. The word Badaga refers to the Badaga language as well as the Badaga community/tribe. The Badagas were the Kannada speaking people from Mysore in Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
state, India.
Sounds
Badaga has five vowels /i e a o u/, all of which can be contrastively half and fully retroflexed. Only the most conservative dialects have the complete set of contrasts (that is contrasts of pharyngealized and retroflexed vowels).| IPA | Gloss |
|---|---|
| /noː/ | disease |
| /pọː/ | scar |
| /mo˞e˞/ | sprout |
| /a˞e˞/ | tiger's den |
| /ha˞ːsu/ | to spread out |
| /kạːʃu/ | to remove |
| /i˞ːụ/ | seven |
| /hụːj/ | tamarind |
| /be˞ː/ | bangle |
| /bẹː/ | banana |
| /huj/ | to strike |
| /hu˞j/ | tamarind |
| /ụj/ | chisel |
Note on transcriptions: rhoticity (e.g. [i˞], [e˞]) indicates half-retroflexion or pharyngealization; an underdot (e.g. [ị], [ẹ]) indicates full retroflexion.
Badaga Script
Several attempts at constructing an orthography based on TamilTamil script
The Tamil script is a script that is used to write the Tamil language as well as other minority languages such as Badaga, Irulas, and Paniya...
, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Kannada. Tamil, because many Badagas are literate in Tamil; English, this is a popular second language taught in schools; and Kannada, as Badaga is very closely related to Kannada.
External links
- Badaga Social Web Site
- Badagas of the Blue Mountains
- Badaga at EthnologueEthnologueEthnologue: Languages of the World is a web and print publication of SIL International , a Christian linguistic service organization, which studies lesser-known languages, to provide the speakers with Bibles in their native language and support their efforts in language development.The Ethnologue...
- Online community of Badagas worldwide