Difference between Telugu and Tamil
Tamil and Telugu are Dravidian languages spoken by people the Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, respectively. In 2004, the Indian government declared Tamil to be a classical language. It is interesting to note that Tamil is the official language of Singapore and Sri Lanka. It is also spoken in Malaysia and Mauritius. Telugu takes the honor as the fifteenth most spoken languages throughout the world. Telugu is influenced from Sanskrit and Urdu. Both Tamil and Telugu are among the twenty two scheduled languages in India.
History
The emergence of the Tamil language dates back to third century BC. The history of the Tamil language is divided into three parts. These are the Old Tamil, Middle Tamil and Modern Tamil. Old Tamil was spoken from 300 BC to around 700 AD. Middle Tamil lasted till 1600. From 1600 to present day the form of Tamil spoken comes under Modern Tamil. Tamil descends from proto-Dravidian which was spoken around the lower Godavari basin. In the past Telugu was called Telungu, Tenugu and Tenungu. Telugu has descended from Prakrit. It was spoken by the general population in the times of Satavahana Dynasty. Inscriptions in Telugu were found in the Guntur District in Andhra Pradesh – famous for the many things amongst which is the Amaravati stupa which the Dalai Lama blessed with a Kalachakra ceremony in 2006 due to its history as the King of Shambhala’s site for learning the Buddhist vajrayana teachings.
Geographic Distribution
Besides Tamil Nadu, Tamil is spoken in some parts of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Maharashtra. It is also spoken by majority of people in northern and eastern provinces of Sri Lanka. Descendents of colonial-era migrants in South Africa, Indonesia, Thailand, Burma, Singapore and Malaysia speak Tamil, but of course these are the minorities. Telugu is spoken by most of the people in Yanam district of Puducherry. It is also spoken in some parts of Jharkhand and Kharagpur in West Bengal. After Hindi and Bengali, Telugu is the third most popular language in India. More than eight hundred thousand people in U.S. speak Telugu.
Vocabulary
Some of the words used in Tamil are copied from languages of Tamil’s trading partners such as Munda, Malay, Chinese and Greek. Modern Tamil has some words imported from Urdu, Marathi, Persian and Arabic. The impact is also the other way round. Many languages use words that have Tamil origin. Some popular examples are mango from mangai, cheroot from curuttu and so on. Telugu, on the other hand, uses a large number of Sanskrit words. Usage of Telugu depends on the region in which it is spoken. In the regions near Hyderabad, the language is influenced by Urdu as Muslims conquered and ruled this region for centuries. It sometimes also depends on social status. Most middle class groups use Telugu mixed with English.
Similarities and Differences
Tamil
- In 2004 Indian government declared Tamil to be a classical language.
- History of Tamil language is divided into three parts: Old Tamil, Middle Tamil and Modern Tamil.
- It is spoken in some parts of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Maharashtra.
- Modern Tamil has some words imported from Urdu, Marathi, Persian and Arabic.
Telugu
- Telugu is fifteenth most spoken language in the world.
- Inscriptions in Telugu were found in Guntur District in Andhra Pradesh.
- It uses a large number of Sanskrit words.
- It is also spoken in some parts of Jharkhand and Kharagpur in West Bengal.
