Kurumba languages explained

Kurumba languages should not be confused with Koromfe language.

Kurumba
States:	India
Region:	Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala
Ethnicity:	88,750 Kurumbar
Familycolor:	Dravidian
Fam2:	Southern
Fam3:	Tamil–Kannada
Script:	Tamil script, Kannada script, Malayalam script
Iso3:	kfi
Glotto:	kann1253
Glottorefname:	Kurumba, Kannada

Kurumba (also known as Kuruba in Karnataka and Kuruma in Kerala), is a group of Southern Dravidian languages of the Tamil–Kannada subgroup spoken by the Kurumba tribes. Some of them are from different branches.^[1]

Classification

Kannadoid

• Alu Kurumba
• Betta Kurumba, also known as Urali Kurumba or Kadu Kurumba
• Jennu Kurumba, also known as Ten Kurumba or Kattunaika

Together they are known as Kannada Kurumba as they are similar to Kannada.^[2]

Irulic

• Attapady Kurumba - also known as Palu Kurumba, a dialect of Muduga as they are mutually intelligible.

Malayalamoid

• Mullu Kurumba, also known as Mullu Kuruma

Geographical distribution

Kannadoid Kurumba languages are spoken at the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border. Irulic and Malayalamoid Kurumba languages are spoken in Wayanad district of Kerala.

References

• Web site: The Tribes of Palakkad, Kerala A Sociolinguistic Profile.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Glottolog 4.8 - Mullu Kurumba .
2. Web site: Glottolog 4.8 - Kurumba, Kannada .