Kannada language-the rich treasure of India

  Kannada is a language prevailing in Karnataka,A south Indian state. It is the native language of this state. This state has about six crore population and kannda is the state language in administration. about 80%people here know kannada and use it.People who speak this language , or live in Karnataka as permanent settlers are called Kannadigas. Many kannadigas have migrated to outside places like Mumbai where about 1million kannadigas live. It is easy to learn kannada.kannada-english dictionaries are available.

Many kannadigas live in other counrtieslike-England, U.S.A., Australia. and some other European countries. In Newyork alone, about 15,000 Kannada speaking people are living. Some of these people have served their domicile countrues by rendering kannada translations of good ;iterery works in those languages.

There are many kannadaspeakers'associations in America. The federation of their association is Called 'AKKA'which , in Kannada means-Elder sister.This association is convening annual conventions in different parts of America every year and helping their mother state in different ways.

LANGUAGE STRUCTURE

Kannada language has 50 alphabets.THESE ALPHABETS EXPRESS ALMOST EVERYSOUND IN THE language.So, Kannada is a phonetic language, unlike Englih, which is a non-Phonetic language.Kannada has its own script developed over centuries.

litereture

Kannada is recognised as 'Classical language' recently, by the union Governamnet of india.That means, it has a heritage of over 1500 years. Stone insriptions of 5th century A.D. are found in Kannada.While english litereture starts from 11th century( by Geoffery Chausser) Kannada literery history starts earlier to that and in more matured way.Pampa- was the first kannada poet according to available scripts. But, there is illustration of poets earlier to him. Their scripts have not yet been secured.

Ranna, ponna ,Chavunda Raya, were the other famous poets of 10^th century. In 11^th century many scholars wrote books on medicine, and such other useful sciences. Nagachandra was the other poet lived in that century. Jains began the writing of classical epics in kannada, in 10^th century.

In 12^th century, Kannada literature took another form.Poetry with the ease of prose came in vogue. These are called ‘Vachanas’.Basavanna, Allamaprabhu. Akkamahadevi, etc were famous in this form. This vachana literature was the bye-product of social reform against unaccountability etc .There are about 25,000 vachanas available as on now.

Kannada grammar, dictionaries etc, were also compiled during this period.

Presently…….

Presently, Kannada literature is flourishing at the peak. The prestigious ‘Jnanapeeta Award’ has been bagged 8 times by kannada authors. Kuvempu,D.R.Bendre, K.S.Narasimha Swamy etc were the celebrated poets of recent years whose poems are being sung in all parts where kannadigas live. Among contemporary scholors are Dr.Hampa Nagarajaiah, Dr.Kamala Hampana,Dr.M.M.kalburgi, Dr.M.Chidananda Murthy etc, have contributed much for the advancement of study of linguistics. Epigraphy, history, etc.There are many scholora who are working in the field of kannada translation, imrove kannada dictionary, etc.

To help foreigners to learn kannada,kannada-english dictionary was first prepared almost 100 years ago by a German Bishop Rev.Ferdinand Kittel, whose services kannadigas cannot forget.

Websites

Many website are there to inform you about kannada and day to-day affairs of Karnataka. Kannadigas living in other countries also have formed websites of their own and giving news in English to fecilitate other readers. One such important website is: www.mangalorean.com from Kannadigas living in Australia

Other website related to Kannada and kanndigas are as follows:

www.kannadaprabha.com

This is the web version of a famous kannada daily-Kannada prabha.

www.sudhaezine.com

This is the e-version of famous kannada weekly magazine-Sudha

www.thatskannada.com

This website is owned by kannada leading daily-Prajavani.This is being run for the past 10 years.

www.ourkarnataka.com

This is another website related to kannada and Karnataka.

www.baraha.com

This website founded by Mr.Sheshadri vasu. From here you can download kannada script software.This also has kannada-English dictionary

www.sampada.net

Here, kannada blogs are published

www.thatskannada.oneindia.in.mixed-bag/info/index.html.

Here you can know about kannada literature, music, cooking, cinema,tourist places. Etc.

Not only these, there are many more kannada websites.

Please have a look at them:and, understand, how much achievement is made in a language less known to you.