ABSTRACT
The Dravidian language family has four subgroups: South Dravidian with Badaga, Irula, Kannada, Kodagu, Kota, Malayalam, Tamil, Toda and Tulu; South-Central Dravidian with Gondi, Konda, Küi, Küvi, Manda, Pengo and Tel ugu; Central Dravidian with Gadaba, Kolami, Naiki and Parji; and North Dravid ian with Brahui, Kurux and Malto. Since the 1950s reports of other languages have appeared, but the lack of adequate descriptions prevents us from saying whether these are new, independent languages or merely dialects of ones al ready known. For South Dravidian, Bellari, Burgundi, Kaikudi, Koraga, Korava, Kuruba, Sholega, Yerava and Yerukula have been reported; for South-Central Dravidian, Âwë, Indu and Savara. Conversely, certain dialects of Gondi, Kola mi, and Kurux could prove, under closer inspection, to be independent languages.
