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
20 core words in Telugu
Water
నీళ్ళు
/niːɭːu/
Fire
అగ్ని
/əɡni/
Sun
సూర్యుడు
/suːɾjuɖu/
Moon
చంద్రుడు
/tʃəndɾuɖu/
Mother
అమ్మ
/əmːə/
Father
నాన్న
/naːnːə/
Eat
తినడం
/tɪnəɖəm/
Drink
తాగడం
/taːɡəɖəm/
Love
ప్రేమ
/pɾeːmə/
Heart
హృదయం
/ɦɾudəjəm/
Tree
చెట్టు
/tʃeʈːu/
House
ఇల్లు
/ɪlːu/
Dog
కుక్క
/kukːə/
Cat
పిల్లి
/pɪlːɪ/
Hand
చేయి
/tʃeːjɪ/
Eye
కన్ను
/kənːu/
Hello
నమస్కారం
/nəməskaːɾəm/
Thank you
ధన్యవాదాలు
/dʱənjəʋaːdaːlu/
One
ఒకటి
/okəʈɪ/
Good
మంచి
/məntʃɪ/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Dravidian languages
| Meaning | Telugu | Kannada | Malayalam | Marathi | Odia | Gujarati | Punjabi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | నీళ్ళు /niːɭːu/ | ನೀರು /niːɾu/ | വെള്ളം /ʋeɭːəm/ | पाणी /paːɳiː/ | ପାଣି /paːɳi/ | પાણી /paːɳiː/ | ਪਾਣੀ /pɑːɳiː/ |
| Fire | అగ్ని /əɡni/ | ಬೆಂಕಿ /beŋkɪ/ | തീ /tiː/ | अग्नी /əɡniː/ | ନିଆଁ /niãː/ | આગ /aːɡ/ | ਅੱਗ /əɡː/ |
| Sun | సూర్యుడు /suːɾjuɖu/ | ಸೂರ್ಯ /suːɾjə/ | സൂര്യൻ /suːɾjən/ | सूर्य /suːɾjə/ | ସୂର୍ଯ୍ୟ /suːɾjɔ/ | સૂર્ય /suːɾjə/ | ਸੂਰਜ /suːɾədʒ/ |
| Moon | చంద్రుడు /tʃəndɾuɖu/ | ಚಂದ್ರ /tʃəndɾə/ | ചന്ദ്രൻ /tʃəndɾən/ | चंद्र /tʃəndɾə/ | ଚନ୍ଦ୍ର /tʃɔndɾɔ/ | ચંદ્ર /tʃəndɾə/ | ਚੰਦ /tʃənd/ |
| Mother | అమ్మ /əmːə/ | ಅಮ್ಮ /əmːə/ | അമ്മ /əmːə/ | आई /aːiː/ | ମା /maː/ | મા /maː/ | ਮਾਂ /mɑ̃ː/ |
| Father | నాన్న /naːnːə/ | ಅಪ್ಪ /əpːə/ | അച്ഛൻ /ətʃːʰən/ | वडील /ʋəɖiːl/ | ବାପା /baːpaː/ | પિતા /pɪtaː/ | ਪਿਤਾ /pɪtɑː/ |
| Eat | తినడం /tɪnəɖəm/ | ತಿನ್ನು /tɪnːu/ | കഴിക്കുക /kəɻɪkːukə/ | खाणे /kʰaːɳe/ | ଖାଇବା /kʰaːɪbaː/ | ખાવું /kʰaːʋũ/ | ਖਾਣਾ /kʰɑːɳɑː/ |
| Drink | తాగడం /taːɡəɖəm/ | ಕುಡಿ /kuɖɪ/ | കുടിക്കുക /kuɖɪkːukə/ | पिणे /pɪɳe/ | ପିଇବା /piːɪbaː/ | પીવું /piːʋũ/ | ਪੀਣਾ /piːɳɑː/ |
| Love | ప్రేమ /pɾeːmə/ | ಪ್ರೀತಿ /pɾiːtɪ/ | സ്നേഹം /sneːɦəm/ | प्रेम /pɾemə/ | ପ୍ରେମ /pɾemɔ/ | પ્રેમ /pɾem/ | ਪਿਆਰ /pɪɑːɾ/ |
| Heart | హృదయం /ɦɾudəjəm/ | ಹೃದಯ /ɦɾudəjə/ | ഹൃദയം /ɦɾudəjəm/ | हृदय /ɦɾudəjə/ | ହୃଦୟ /hɾudɔjɔ/ | હૃદય /ɦɾudəj/ | ਦਿਲ /dɪl/ |
| Tree | చెట్టు /tʃeʈːu/ | ಮರ /məɾə/ | മരം /məɾəm/ | झाड /dʒʱaːɖ/ | ଗଛ /ɡɔtʃʰɔ/ | ઝાડ /dʒʱaːɖ/ | ਰੁੱਖ /ɾʊkːʰ/ |
| House | ఇల్లు /ɪlːu/ | ಮನೆ /məne/ | വീട് /ʋiːʈə/ | घर /ɡʱəɾ/ | ଘର /ɡʱɔɾɔ/ | ઘર /ɡʱəɾ/ | ਘਰ /kə̀ɾ/ |
| Dog | కుక్క /kukːə/ | ನಾಯಿ /naːjɪ/ | നായ /naːjə/ | कुत्रा /kutɾaː/ | କୁକୁର /kukuɾɔ/ | કૂતરો /kuːtɾo/ | ਕੁੱਤਾ /kʊtːɑː/ |
| Cat | పిల్లి /pɪlːɪ/ | ಬೆಕ್ಕು /bekːu/ | പൂച്ച /puːtʃːə/ | मांजर /mãːdʒəɾ/ | ବିଲେଇ /bilei/ | બિલાડી /bɪlaːɖiː/ | ਬਿੱਲੀ /bɪlːiː/ |
| Hand | చేయి /tʃeːjɪ/ | ಕೈ /kəi/ | കൈ /kəi/ | हात /haːt/ | ହାତ /haːtɔ/ | હાથ /haːtʰ/ | ਹੱਥ /hətːʰ/ |
| Eye | కన్ను /kənːu/ | ಕಣ್ಣು /kəɳːu/ | കണ്ണ് /kəɳːə/ | डोळा /ɖoɭaː/ | ଆଖି /aːkʰi/ | આંખ /ãːkʰ/ | ਅੱਖ /əkːʰ/ |
| Hello | నమస్కారం /nəməskaːɾəm/ | ನಮಸ್ಕಾರ /nəməskaːɾə/ | നമസ്കാരം /nəməskaːɾəm/ | नमस्कार /nəməskaːɾ/ | ନମସ୍କାର /nɔmɔskaːɾɔ/ | નમસ્તે /nəməste/ | ਸਤਿ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਅਕਾਲ /sət sɾiː əkɑːl/ |
| Thank you | ధన్యవాదాలు /dʱənjəʋaːdaːlu/ | ಧನ್ಯವಾದ /dʱənjəʋaːdə/ | നന്ദി /nəndi/ | धन्यवाद /dʱənjəʋaːd/ | ଧନ୍ୟବାଦ /dʱɔnjɔbaːdɔ/ | આભાર /aːbʱaːɾ/ | ਧੰਨਵਾਦ /tə̀nːʋɑːd/ |
| One | ఒకటి /okəʈɪ/ | ಒಂದು /ondu/ | ഒന്ന് /onːə/ | एक /ek/ | ଏକ /ekɔ/ | એક /ek/ | ਇੱਕ /ɪkː/ |
| Good | మంచి /məntʃɪ/ | ಒಳ್ಳೆಯ /oɭːejə/ | നല്ല /nəlːə/ | चांगले /tʃaːŋɡle/ | ଭଲ /bʱɔlɔ/ | સારું /saːɾũ/ | ਚੰਗਾ /tʃəŋɡɑː/ |
Word order compared
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