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Unraveling the Complexities of Dravidian Languages: A Grammatical Adventure

Description: Embark on a grammatical journey through the complexities of Dravidian languages. Test your knowledge of their unique features, including verb conjugation, case marking, and intricate sentence structures.
Number of Questions: 15
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Tags: dravidian languages grammar morphology syntax
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Which Dravidian language is spoken by the largest number of people?

  1. Tamil

  2. Telugu

  3. Kannada

  4. Malayalam


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

Telugu is the most widely spoken Dravidian language, with over 80 million speakers primarily located in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India.

What is the characteristic feature of Dravidian languages in terms of verb conjugation?

  1. Prefixing

  2. Suffixing

  3. Infixation

  4. Circumfixation


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

Dravidian languages typically employ suffixing to conjugate verbs, adding morphemes to the verb root to indicate tense, aspect, mood, and person.

In Dravidian languages, case marking is primarily expressed through:

  1. Postpositions

  2. Prepositions

  3. Infixes

  4. Tone


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Dravidian languages predominantly use postpositions to mark case relationships between nouns and other elements in a sentence.

Which Dravidian language exhibits a unique phenomenon called 'vowel harmony'?

  1. Tamil

  2. Kannada

  3. Malayalam

  4. Tulu


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Tulu, spoken in the southwestern region of India, is known for its vowel harmony, where the vowels in a word or phrase tend to assimilate to a common quality.

What is the term used for the Dravidian grammatical category that encompasses both nouns and pronouns?

  1. Noun

  2. Pronoun

  3. Nominal

  4. Verb


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

In Dravidian languages, the term 'nominal' is used to refer to the grammatical category that includes both nouns and pronouns.

Which Dravidian language has a rich tradition of classical literature dating back to the Sangam period?

  1. Tamil

  2. Telugu

  3. Kannada

  4. Malayalam


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Tamil has a rich literary tradition, with its earliest works dating back to the Sangam period (3rd century BCE to 3rd century CE).

What is the term used for the Dravidian grammatical feature where a verb agrees with its subject in person, number, and gender?

  1. Subject-verb agreement

  2. Verb-subject agreement

  3. Concord

  4. Inflection


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Dravidian languages exhibit subject-verb agreement, where the verb changes its form to match the person, number, and gender of its subject.

Which Dravidian language has a unique writing system called 'Grantha'?

  1. Tamil

  2. Telugu

  3. Kannada

  4. Malayalam


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Tamil has a unique writing system called 'Grantha', which is derived from the ancient Brahmi script and has been in use for over 2,000 years.

What is the term used for the Dravidian grammatical feature where nouns can be marked for definiteness or indefiniteness?

  1. Definiteness marking

  2. Indefiniteness marking

  3. Specificity marking

  4. Number marking


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Dravidian languages have a grammatical feature called definiteness marking, where nouns can be marked to indicate whether they refer to specific or general entities.

Which Dravidian language has a rich tradition of oral literature, including epic poems and folk tales?

  1. Tamil

  2. Telugu

  3. Kannada

  4. Malayalam


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

Kannada has a rich tradition of oral literature, with epic poems like 'Pampa Bharata' and folk tales like 'Kathe Saritsagara' being notable examples.

What is the term used for the Dravidian grammatical feature where verbs can be marked for tense, aspect, and mood?

  1. Tense marking

  2. Aspect marking

  3. Mood marking

  4. Inflection


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Dravidian languages use inflection to mark verbs for tense, aspect, and mood, indicating the time, duration, and modality of an action or event.

Which Dravidian language has a unique writing system called 'Kannada script'?

  1. Tamil

  2. Telugu

  3. Kannada

  4. Malayalam


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

Kannada has its own unique writing system called 'Kannada script', which is derived from the ancient Brahmi script and has been in use for over 1,000 years.

What is the term used for the Dravidian grammatical feature where nouns can be marked for case, indicating their syntactic function in a sentence?

  1. Case marking

  2. Number marking

  3. Gender marking

  4. Definiteness marking


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Dravidian languages use case marking to indicate the syntactic function of nouns in a sentence, showing their relationship to other elements.

Which Dravidian language has a rich tradition of classical dance forms, including Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi?

  1. Tamil

  2. Telugu

  3. Kannada

  4. Malayalam


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

Telugu has a rich tradition of classical dance forms, with Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi being two prominent examples.

What is the term used for the Dravidian grammatical feature where verbs can be marked for person, number, and gender?

  1. Person marking

  2. Number marking

  3. Gender marking

  4. Inflection


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Dravidian languages use inflection to mark verbs for person, number, and gender, indicating who is performing the action and its scope.

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