Dravidian

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Dra·vid·i·an

(drə-vĭd′ē-ən)

1. A large family of languages spoken especially in southern India and northern Sri Lanka that includes Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada.

2. A member of any of the peoples that speak one of the Dravidian languages, especially a member of one of the pre-Indo-European peoples of southern India.

[From Sanskrit drāviḍaḥ, a Dravidian.]

Dra·vid′i·an, Dra·vid′ic (-vĭd′ĭk) adj.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Dravidian

(drəˈvɪdɪən)

1. (Languages) a family of languages spoken in S and central India and Sri Lanka, including Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, and Gondi

2. (Peoples) a member of one of the aboriginal races of India, pushed south by the Indo-Europeans and now mixed with them

adj

3. (Peoples) denoting, belonging to, or relating to this family of languages or these peoples

4. (Languages) denoting, belonging to, or relating to this family of languages or these peoples

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

Dra•vid•i•an

(drəˈvɪd i ən)

n.

1. a language family of South Asia, spoken mainly in S India, and including Telugu and Tamil.

2. a speaker of a language belonging to this family.

adj.

3. of or pertaining to Dravidian or its speakers.

[1856; < Skt Draviḍ(a) ethnonym]

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Noun	1.	Dravidian - a member of one of the aboriginal races of India (pushed south by Caucasians and now mixed with them) Indian - a native or inhabitant of India Badaga - a member of an agricultural people of southern India Gadaba - a member of an agricultural people in southeastern India Gond - a member of a formerly tribal people in south central India Canarese, Kanarese - a member of a Kannada-speaking group of people living chiefly in Kanara in southern India Kolam - a member of a formerly tribal people now living in south central India Kota, Kotar - a member of the Dravidian people living in the Nilgiri Hills in southern India Kui - a member of the Dravidian people living in southeastern India Malto - a member of the Dravidian people living in northern Bengal in eastern India Savara - a member of the Dravidian people living in southern India Tamil - a member of the mixed Dravidian and Caucasian people of southern India and Sri Lanka Telugu - a member of the people in southeastern India (Andhra Pradesh) who speak the Telugu language Toda - a member of a pastoral people living in the Nilgiri Hills of southern India Tulu - a member of a Dravidian people living on the southwestern coast of India
	2.	Dravidian - a large family of languages spoken in south and central India and Sri Lanka Dravidian language, Dravidic natural language, tongue - a human written or spoken language used by a community; opposed to e.g. a computer language South Dravidian - a Dravidian language spoken primarily in southern India South-Central Dravidian - a Dravidian language spoken primarily in south central India Central Dravidian - a Dravidian language spoken primarily in central India North Dravidian - a Dravidian language spoken primarily in eastern India

Translations

dravidien

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References in periodicals archive ?

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In post-independence period, India was fortunate to have visionary leaders who tactfully muzzled centrifugal forces like insurgencies in East Punjab and eastern states, besides the Dravidian and Naxal Bari movements.