తెలుగు
Telugu
Dravidian
Also known as: Telugu
Telugu (తెలుగు Telugu) is the largest Dravidian language by speakers (~83M L1), official in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana (separated 2014 from united Andhra Pradesh state). It earned the nickname "Italian of the East" because almost every word ends in a vowel — a result of strict Dravidian phonological rules (no word-final consonants). Like Tamil, it has been recognized as a Classical Language of India (2008), with a literary tradition since the 11th century — Nannayya's 1022 CE Andhra Mahabharatam established the standard. The Telugu script is a Brahmic abugida descended from the Bhattiprolu inscriptions (3rd c. BCE) and shares its origin with Kannada (the two scripts were nearly identical until the 14th c. and remain very similar). Linguistically: agglutinative SOV, three genders (masculine/feminine/neuter), distinct vocabulary strata from Sanskrit (tatsama "pure-form" loans) and indigenous Dravidian (dēśya).
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Telugu
Water
నీళ్ళు
/niːɭːu/
Fire
నిప్పు
/nippu/
Sun
సూర్యుడు
/suːɾjuɖu/
Moon
చంద్రుడు
/tʃəndɾuɖu/
Star
నక్షత్రం
/nakʂat̪ram/
Mother
అమ్మ
/əmːə/
Father
నాన్న
/naːnːə/
I
నేను
/neːnu/
You
నువ్వు
/nuʋːu/
Name
పేరు
/peːru/
Eye
కన్ను
/kənːu/
Hand
చేయి
/tʃeːjɪ/
Heart
హృదయం
/ɦɾudəjəm/
Love
ప్రేమ
/pɾeːmə/
Tree
చెట్టు
/tʃeʈːu/
House
ఇల్లు
/ɪlːu/
Dog
కుక్క
/kukːə/
Cat
పిల్లి
/pɪlːɪ/
Eat
తినడం
/tɪnəɖəm/
Drink
తాగడం
/taːɡəɖəm/
One
ఒకటి
/okəʈɪ/
Two
రెండు
/reɳɖu/
Hello
నమస్కారం
/nəməskaːɾəm/
Thank you
ధన్యవాదాలు
/dʱənjəʋaːdaːlu/
Good
మంచి
/məntʃɪ/
Cuckoo
కోయిల
/koːjila/
Woof
భౌ భౌ
/bʱau bʱau/
Computer
కంప్యూటర్
/kampjuːʈar/
Sushi
సుషీ
/su.ʂiː/
Dopamine
డోపమైన్
/ɖoːpəmaɪn/
At sign (@)
ఎట్
/eʈ/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Dravidian languages
| Meaning | Telugu | Kannada | Malayalam | Marathi | Odia | Irula | Gujarati |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | నీళ్ళు /niːɭːu/ | ನೀರು /niːɾu/ | വെള്ളം /ʋeɭːəm/ | पाणी /paːɳiː/ | ପାଣି /paːɳi/ | nīr /niːɾ/ | પાણી /paːɳiː/ |
| Fire | నిప్పు /nippu/ | ಬೆಂಕಿ /beŋkɪ/ | തീ /tiː/ | अग्नी /əɡniː/ | ନିଆଁ /niãː/ | tī /tiː/ | આગ /aːɡ/ |
| Sun | సూర్యుడు /suːɾjuɖu/ | ಸೂರ್ಯ /suːɾjə/ | സൂര്യൻ /suːɾjən/ | सूर्य /suːɾjə/ | ସୂର୍ଯ୍ୟ /suːɾjɔ/ | čūriyen /tʃuːɾijen/ | સૂર્ય /suːɾjə/ |
| Moon | చంద్రుడు /tʃəndɾuɖu/ | ಚಂದ್ರ /tʃəndɾə/ | ചന്ദ്രൻ /tʃəndɾən/ | चंद्र /tʃəndɾə/ | ଚନ୍ଦ୍ର /tʃɔndɾɔ/ | niLā /niɭaː/ | ચંદ્ર /tʃəndɾə/ |
| Star | నక్షత్రం /nakʂat̪ram/ | ನಕ್ಷತ್ರ /nakʂat̪ra/ | നക്ഷത്രം /nakʂat̪ram/ | तारा /t̪aːɾaː/ | ତାରା /taɾa/ | naTčattiram /naʈtʃatːiɾam/ | તારો /t̪aːɾo/ |
| Mother | అమ్మ /əmːə/ | ಅಮ್ಮ /əmːə/ | അമ്മ /əmːə/ | आई /aːiː/ | ମା /maː/ | ammā /amːaː/ | મા /maː/ |
| Father | నాన్న /naːnːə/ | ಅಪ್ಪ /əpːə/ | അച്ഛൻ /ətʃːʰən/ | वडील /ʋəɖiːl/ | ବାପା /baːpaː/ | ayyā /ajːaː/ | પિતા /pɪtaː/ |
| I | నేను /neːnu/ | ನಾನು /naːnu/ | ഞാൻ /ɲaːn/ | मी /miː/ | ମୁଁ /mũ/ | nānu /naːnu/ | હું /ɦũ/ |
| You | నువ్వు /nuʋːu/ | ನೀನು /niːnu/ | നീ /niː/ | तू /t̪uː/ | ତୁମେ /tume/ | nī /niː/ | તું /t̪ũ/ |
| Name | పేరు /peːru/ | ಹೆಸರು /hesaru/ | പേര് /peːrɨ/ | नाव /naːʋ/ | ନାମ /namɔ/ | pēru /peːɾu/ | નામ /naːm/ |
| Eye | కన్ను /kənːu/ | ಕಣ್ಣು /kəɳːu/ | കണ്ണ് /kəɳːə/ | डोळा /ɖoɭaː/ | ଆଖି /aːkʰi/ | kaNN /kaɳː/ | આંખ /ãːkʰ/ |
| Hand | చేయి /tʃeːjɪ/ | ಕೈ /kəi/ | കൈ /kəi/ | हात /haːt/ | ହାତ /haːtɔ/ | kayyu /kajːu/ | હાથ /haːtʰ/ |
| Heart | హృదయం /ɦɾudəjəm/ | ಹೃದಯ /ɦɾudəjə/ | ഹൃദയം /ɦɾudəjəm/ | हृदय /ɦɾudəjə/ | ହୃଦୟ /hɾudɔjɔ/ | idayam /idajam/ | હૃદય /ɦɾudəj/ |
| Love | ప్రేమ /pɾeːmə/ | ಪ್ರೀತಿ /pɾiːtɪ/ | സ്നേഹം /sneːɦəm/ | प्रेम /pɾemə/ | ପ୍ରେମ /pɾemɔ/ | kāhal /kaːhal/ | પ્રેમ /pɾem/ |
| Tree | చెట్టు /tʃeʈːu/ | ಮರ /məɾə/ | മരം /məɾəm/ | झाड /dʒʱaːɖ/ | ଗଛ /ɡɔtʃʰɔ/ | maram /maɾam/ | ઝાડ /dʒʱaːɖ/ |
| House | ఇల్లు /ɪlːu/ | ಮನೆ /məne/ | വീട് /ʋiːʈə/ | घर /ɡʱəɾ/ | ଘର /ɡʱɔɾɔ/ | vīDu /viːɖu/ | ઘર /ɡʱəɾ/ |
| Dog | కుక్క /kukːə/ | ನಾಯಿ /naːjɪ/ | നായ /naːjə/ | कुत्रा /kutɾaː/ | କୁକୁର /kukuɾɔ/ | nāyi /naːji/ | કૂતરો /kuːtɾo/ |
| Cat | పిల్లి /pɪlːɪ/ | ಬೆಕ್ಕು /bekːu/ | പൂച്ച /puːtʃːə/ | मांजर /mãːdʒəɾ/ | ବିଲେଇ /bilei/ | pūne /puːne/ | બિલાડી /bɪlaːɖiː/ |
| Eat | తినడం /tɪnəɖəm/ | ತಿನ್ನು /tɪnːu/ | കഴിക്കുക /kəɻɪkːukə/ | खाणे /kʰaːɳe/ | ଖାଇବା /kʰaːɪbaː/ | činnu /tʃinːu/ | ખાવું /kʰaːʋũ/ |
| Drink | తాగడం /taːɡəɖəm/ | ಕುಡಿ /kuɖɪ/ | കുടിക്കുക /kuɖɪkːukə/ | पिणे /pɪɳe/ | ପିଇବା /piːɪbaː/ | kuDi /kuɖi/ | પીવું /piːʋũ/ |
| One | ఒకటి /okəʈɪ/ | ಒಂದು /ondu/ | ഒന്ന് /onːə/ | एक /ek/ | ଏକ /ekɔ/ | onnu /onːu/ | એક /ek/ |
| Two | రెండు /reɳɖu/ | ಎರಡು /eraɖu/ | രണ്ട് /raɳɖɯ/ | दोन /d̪oːn/ | ଦୁଇ /dui/ | reNDu /reɳɖu/ | બે /be/ |
| Hello | నమస్కారం /nəməskaːɾəm/ | ನಮಸ್ಕಾರ /nəməskaːɾə/ | നമസ്കാരം /nəməskaːɾəm/ | नमस्कार /nəməskaːɾ/ | ନମସ୍କାର /nɔmɔskaːɾɔ/ | vannakkam /vanːakːam/ | નમસ્તે /nəməste/ |
| Thank you | ధన్యవాదాలు /dʱənjəʋaːdaːlu/ | ಧನ್ಯವಾದ /dʱənjəʋaːdə/ | നന്ദി /nəndi/ | धन्यवाद /dʱənjəʋaːd/ | ଧନ୍ୟବାଦ /dʱɔnjɔbaːdɔ/ | nanri /nanɾi/ | આભાર /aːbʱaːɾ/ |
| Good | మంచి /məntʃɪ/ | ಒಳ್ಳೆಯ /oɭːejə/ | നല്ല /nəlːə/ | चांगले /tʃaːŋɡle/ | ଭଲ /bʱɔlɔ/ | nalla /nalːa/ | સારું /saːɾũ/ |
| Cuckoo | కోయిల /koːjila/ | ಕೋಗಿಲೆ /koːɡile/ | കുയിൽ /kujil/ | कोकीळ /koːkiːɭ/ | କୋଇଲି /koili/ | — | કોયલ /koːjal/ |
| Woof | భౌ భౌ /bʱau bʱau/ | ಬೌ ಬೌ /bau bau/ | ബൗ ബൗ /bau bau/ | भो भो /bʱoː bʱoː/ | — | — | — |
| Computer | కంప్యూటర్ /kampjuːʈar/ | ಕಂಪ್ಯೂಟರ್ /kampjuːʈar/ | കമ്പ്യൂട്ടർ /kampjuːʈːar/ | कॉम्प्युटर /kɔmpjuʈəɾ/ | କମ୍ପ୍ୟୁଟର /kɔmpjuʈɔɾɔ/ | — | કમ્પ્યુટર /kəmpjuʈəɾ/ |
| Sushi | సుషీ /su.ʂiː/ | ಸುಶಿ /suʃi/ | സുഷി /suʂi/ | सुशी /sʊ.ʃi/ | ସୁଶି /su.si/ | — | સુશી /suʃi/ |
| Dopamine | డోపమైన్ /ɖoːpəmaɪn/ | ಡೋಪಮೈನ್ /ɖoːpɐmain/ | ഡോപാമിൻ /ɖoːpaːmin/ | डोपामिन /ɖoːpaːmin/ | ଡୋପାମିନ୍ /ɖoːpaːmin/ | — | ડોપામાઇન /ɖoːpaːˈmaːɪn/ |
| At sign (@) | ఎట్ /eʈ/ | ಎಟ್ /eʈ/ | അറ്റ് /aʈːə/ | ॲट /æʈ/ | ଆଟ୍ /aʈ/ | — | ઍટ /æʈ/ |
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