Telugu language - wikipedia Telugu language Telugu తెలుగు Pronunciation IPA : ( t̪el̪uɡu ) Native to India Region Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Rayalaseema Ethnicity Telugu people Native speakers 74 million ( 2001 ) 5 million L2 speakers in India ( 2001 ) Language family Dravidian Southern South - Central Telugu languages Telugu Writing system Telugu alphabet Telugu Braille Official status Official language in India Spoken in these States and union territories of India : Andhra Pradesh Telangana Language codes ISO 639 - 1 te ISO 639 - 2 tel ISO 639 - 3 tel Glottolog telu1262 Telugu oldt1249 Old Telugu Linguasphere 49 - DBA - aa Telugu is native to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana This article contains IPA phonetic symbols. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Unicode characters. For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, see Help : IPA. Telugu ( English : / ˈtɛlʊɡuː / ; తెలుగు ( t̪el̪uɡu ) ) is a South - central Dravidian language native to India. It stands alongside Hindi, English and Bengali as one of the few languages with official primary language status in more than one Indian state ; Telugu is the primary language in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and significant linguistic minorities in other neighbouring states. It is one of six languages designated a classical language of India by the country 's government. Telugu language ranks third in the population with number of native speakers in India ( 74 million, 2001 census ), sixteenth in the Ethnologue list of most - spoken languages worldwide. It is one of the twenty - two scheduled languages of the Republic of India. Approximately 10,000 pre-colonial inscriptions exist in the Telugu language and totally there are 14,000 inscriptions in Telugu language. Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 2.1 Earliest records 2.2 Post-Ikshvaku period 2.3 Middle Ages 2.4 Vijayanagara Empire 2.5 Delhi Sultanate and Mughal influence 2.6 Colonial period 2.7 Post-independence period 3 Epigraphical records 3.1 Ancient inscriptions 3.1. 1 Vishnukundina 3.1. 2 Western Chalukya Dynasty 3.1. 3 Eastern Chalukya Dynasty 3.1. 4 Chola Dynasty 3.1. 5 Early Cholas of Renadu 3.1. 6 Eastern Ganga 3.1. 7 Gajapati 3.1. 8 Kakatiya Dynasty 3.1. 9 Vijayanagara Dynasty 4 Telugu region boundaries 5 Telugu place names 6 Dialects 6.1 Geographic distribution 7 Phonology 7.1 Vowels 7.2 Consonants 8 Grammar 8.1 Inflection 8.2 Gender 8.3 Pronouns 9 Vocabulary 10 Writing system 10.1 Telugu Gunintālu ( తెలుగు గుణింతాలు ) 10.2 Number system 11 Literature 12 Telugu support on digital devices 13 See also 14 References 15 Bibliography 16 External links Etymology Bhimeswaram Srisailam Kaleswaram Locations of Trilinga Kshetras The speakers of the language call it `` Telugu ''. The older forms of the name include Teluṅgu, Tenuṅgu and Teliṅga. The etymology of Telugu is not certain. Some historical scholars have suggested a derivation from Sanskrit triliṅgam, as in Trilinga Desam, `` the country of the three lingas ''. Atharvana Acharya in the 13th century wrote a grammar of Telugu, calling it the `` Trilinga grammar '' ( Trilinga Śabdānusāsana ). Appa Kavi in the 17th century explicitly wrote that `` Telugu '' was derived from Trilinga. Scholar Charles P. Brown comments that it was a `` strange notion '' as all the predecessors of Appa Kavi had no knowledge of such a derivation. George Abraham Grierson and other linguists doubt this derivation, holding rather that Telugu was the older term and Trilinga must be a later Sanskritisation of it. If so the derivation itself must have been quite ancient because Triglyphum, Trilingum and Modogalingam are attested in ancient Greek sources, the last of which can be interpreted as a Telugu rendition of `` Trilinga ''. Another view holds that tenugu is derived from the proto - Dravidian word ten -- `` south '' to mean `` the people who lived in the south / southern direction '' ( relative to Sanskrit and Prakrit - speaking peoples ). The name telugu then, is a result of ' n ' - > ' l ' alternation established in Telugu. History Telugu Thalli Bomma, the personification of Telugu language in Andara Pradesh. According to the Russian linguist Mikhail S. Andronov, Proto - South - Dravidian languages split from the Proto - Dravidian language between 1500 and 1000 BC. According to linguist Bhadriraju Krishnamurti, Telugu, as a Dravidian language, descends from Proto - Dravidian, a proto - language. Linguistic reconstruction suggests that Proto - Dravidian was spoken around the third millennium BC, possibly in the region around the lower Godavari river basin in peninsular India. The material evidence suggests that the speakers of Proto - Dravidian were of the culture associated with the Neolithic societies of South India. A legend gives the Lepakshi town a significant place in the Ramayana -- this was where the bird Jatayu fell, wounded after a futile battle against Ravana who was carrying away Sita. When Sri Rama reached the spot, he saw the bird and said compassionately, `` Le Pakshi '' -- ' rise, bird ' in Telugu. This indicates the presence of Telugu Language during Ramayana period. It has been argued that there is a historical connection between the civilizations of ancient southern Mesopotamia and ancient Telugu speaking peoples. Earliest records Prakrit Inscriptions with some Telugu words dating back to between 400 BC and 100 BC have been discovered in Bhattiprolu in the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh. The English translation of one inscription reads, `` gift of the slab by venerable Midikilayakha ''. Dated between 200 BCE -- 200 CE, a Prakrit work called Gāthā Saptaśatī written by Sathavahana King Hala, Telugu words like అత్త, వాలుంకి, పీలుఅ, పోట్టం, కిలించిఅః, అద్దాఏ, భోండీ, సరఅస్స, తుప్ప, ఫలహీ, వేంట, రుంప - రంప, మడహసరిఆ, వోడసుణఓ, సాఉలీ and తీరఏ have been used. Certain exploration and excavation missions conducted by the Archaeological Department in and around the Keesaragutta temple brought to light number of brick temples, cells and other structures encompassed by brick prakara wall along with coins, beads, stucco figures, garbhapatra, pottery, Brahmi label inscriptions datable to 4th -- 5th C.A.D. On top of one of the rock - cut caves, an early Telugu label inscription reading as ' Thulachuvanru ' can be noticed. On the basis of palaeography, the inscription is dated to 4th - 5th century A.D. The first word in the Telugu language, `` Nagabu '', was found in a Sanskrit inscription of the 1st century B.C at Amravati. Telugu words were also found in the Dharmasila inscription of Emperor Ashoka. A number of Telugu words were found in the Sanskrit and Prakrit inscriptions of Satavahanas, Vishnukundins, Ikshwaks etc. According to the native tradition Telugu grammar has an ancient past. Sage Kanva was said to be the first grammarian of Telugu. A Rajeswara Sarma discussed the historicity and content of Kanva 's grammar written in Sanskrit. He cited twenty grammatical aphorisms ascribed to Kanva, and concluded that Kanva wrote an ancient Telugu Grammar which was lost. The legends on coins of the Satavahanas, in all areas and all periods and without exception, used a Prakrit dialect. Some legends on the reverse of coins are in Tamil, and Telugu. Post-ikshvaku period Main article : Early Telugu epigraphy The period from 575 AD to 1022 AD corresponds to the second phase of Telugu history, after the Andhra Ikshvaku period. This is evidenced by the first inscription that is entirely in Telugu, dated 575 AD, which was found in the Rayalaseema region and is attributed to the Renati Cholas, who broke with the prevailing custom of using Sanskrit and began writing royal proclamations in the local language. During the next fifty years, Telugu inscriptions appeared in Anantapuram and other neighbouring regions. Telugu was more influenced by Sanskrit and Prakrit during this period, which corresponded to the advent of Telugu literature. Telugu literature was initially found in inscriptions and poetry in the courts of the rulers, and later in written works such as Nannayya 's Mahabharatam ( 1022 AD ). During the time of Nannayya, the literary language diverged from the popular language. It was also a period of phonetic changes in the spoken language. Middle ages The third phase is marked by further stylization and sophistication of the literary language. During this period the split of the Telugu and Kannada alphabets took place. Tikkana wrote his works in this script. Vijayanagara Empire The Vijayanagara Empire gained dominance from 1336 to the late 17th century, reaching its peak during the rule of Krishnadevaraya in the 16th century, when Telugu literature experienced what is considered its Golden Age. Telugu script on Copper plates, Eastern Chalukya, 10th century AD. Delhi Sultanate and Mughal influence With the exception of Coastal Andhra, a distinct dialect developed in the Telangana State and the parts of Rayalaseema region due to Persian / Arabic influence : the Delhi Sultanate of the Tughlaq dynasty was established earlier in the northern Deccan Plateau during the 14th century. In the latter half of the 17th century, the Mughal Empire extended further south, culminating in the establishment of the princely state of Hyderabad State by the dynasty of the Nizam of Hyderabad in 1724. This heralded an era of Persian influence on the Telugu language, especially Hyderabad State. The effect is also evident in the prose of the early 19th century, as in the Kaifiyats. In the princely Hyderabad State, the Andhra Mahasabha was started in 1921 with the main intention of promoting Telugu language, literature, its books and historical research led by Madapati Hanumantha Rao ( the founder of the Andhra Mahasabha ), Komarraju Venkata Lakshmana Rao ( Founder of Library Movement in Hyderabad State ), Suravaram Pratapa Reddy and others. Colonial period The 16th - century Venetian explorer Niccolò de ' Conti, who visited the Vijayanagara Empire, found that the words in the Telugu language end with vowels, just like those in Italian, and hence referred it as `` The Italian of the East '' ; a saying that has been widely repeated. In the late 19th and the early 20th centuries, the influence of the English language was seen, and modern communication / printing press arose as an effect of the British rule, especially in the areas that were part of the Madras Presidency. Literature from this time had a mix of classical and modern traditions and included works by such scholars as Gidugu Venkata Ramamoorty, Kandukuri Veeresalingam, Gurazada Apparao, Gidugu Sitapati and Panuganti Lakshminarasimha Rao. Since the 1930s, what was considered an elite literary form of the Telugu language, has now spread to the common people with the introduction of mass media like movies, television, radio and newspapers. This form of the language is also taught in schools and colleges as a standard. Post-Independence period Telugu is one of the 22 languages with official status in India. The Andhra Pradesh Official Language Act, 1966, declares Telugu the official language of the state that is currently divided into Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. This enactment was implemented by GOMs No 420 in 2005. Telugu also has official language status in the Yanam district of the union territory of Puducherry. Telugu, along with Kannada, was declared as one of the classical languages of India in the year 2008. The fourth World Telugu Conference was organized in Tirupati in the last week of December 2012 and deliberated at length on issues related to Telugu language policy. Telugu is the third most spoken native language in India after Hindi and Bengali. Telugu is also the most spoken Dravidian language in the world. Telugu is the 3rd most spoken Indian language in the U.S after Hindi, and Gujarati as of 2017. Epigraphical records Main article : Early Telugu epigraphy According to the famous Japanese Historian Noboru Karashima who once served as the President of the Epigraphical Society of India in 1985 calculated that there are approximately 10,000 inscriptions which exist in the Telugu language as of the year 1996 making it one of the most densely inscribed languages. Telugu inscriptions are found in all the districts of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. They are also found in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Orissa, and Chhattisgarh. According to recent estimates by ASI ( Archaeological Survey of India ) the number of inscriptions in Telugu language goes up to 14,000. Namely Adilabad, Nizamabad, Hyderabad, Anantapur, and Chittoor -- produced no more than a handful of Telugu inscriptions in the Kakatiya era spanning between 1175 - 1324 AD. Ancient inscriptions This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( December 2017 ) This section may contain an excessive amount of intricate detail that may only interest a specific audience. Please help by spinning off or relocating any relevant information, and removing excessive detail that may be against Wikipedia 's inclusion policy. ( February 2018 ) Vishnukundina No. 1. ( A.R. No. 581 of 1925 ) On a white marble pillar near the entrance into the temple of Ramalingavami at Velpuru, Sattenpalli Taluk, Guntur District. Undated. This is the only stone inscription of this dynasty so far found and it is damaged and incomplete. Only the name of the family Vishnukundi and that of a ruler Madhava Varma are legible. Western Chalukya dynasty No. 27. ( A.R. No. 596 of 1909. ) On the Naga pillar in the temple of Virabhadra outside the village of Gurazala, Palnadu Taluk, same District. S. ( 10 ) 51. States that a Brahmin named Dara son of Kommana who was the head of Kummunuru village and who claimed to be an incarnation of the serpent king Sesha, put up a Naga - stambha in front of the temple of Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva built by himself and that Betabhupa of the Haihaya family, a dependent of Bhulo Kamalla Deva ( Someshvara III ) made a gift of four kharis of land to the said temple. Eastern Chalukya dynasty No. 4. ( A.R. No. 431 of 1915 ) On a nandi slab set up near the temple of Someshvara at Eluru, Narasaraopeta Taluk, Same District. S. 925. Records the grant of land to god Somanathadeva by Paricheda Chikka Bhimaraju. Chola dynasty No. 64. ( A.R. No. 567 of 1925. ) On a big white marble pillar set up near the dhvajastambha in the temple of Ramalingesvara, Velpuru, Sattenepalli Taluk, Guntur District. S. 1030 Records the gift of a perpetual lamp by Kota Gokaraju son of Bhima to the temple of Ramesvara of Velupuru. Early cholas of Renadu. No. 607. ( A.R. No. 380 of 1904. ) On two faces of a broken pillar lying in the courtyard of the temple of Chennakesavasvami at Kalamalla, Kamalapuram Taluk, same District. Undated. Damaged and unintelligible. Mentions Dhananjaya MuttaRasu ( Raju ) and Renadu. He is the descendant of early Tamil cholas. Here in this place these people population is so high. The first Telugu inscription known as ' Kalamalla ', dating back to 575 AD, found in Sri Chennakesava Swamy temple premises in Kalamalla village in Kadapa district was made by Renati Chola King Erikal Muturaju Dhanunjaya Varma. Eastern ganga No. 651. ( A.R. No. 99 of 1909. ) On a stone lying near Paravastu Rangacharya 's house at Vizagapatam. S. 101 ( 3 ) ( h ) 17th year of Ananta Varma Deva. Records the gift of `` perumbadi '' ( ? ) by the `` city twelve '' of Visakhapattanamu alias Kulottunga - Chodapattanamu to Matamana of Malamandala. The description of the donor is not quite intelligible. No. 675 ( A.R. No. 681 of 1926. ) On a pillar in the mandapa in front of the central shrine in the temple of Nilakanthesvara, Narayanapuram, Bobbili Taluk, same District. S. 1053. Records gift of a perpetual lamp by Chodaraju Maha Devi ( and another ? ) to the temple of Nilisvara for the merit of Chodagangadeva. No. 727. ( A.R. No. 827 of 1917. ) On a stone lying at the entrance into the temple of Tumbesvara, Pratapur, Chatrapur Taluk, Ganjam District. Year missing. Incomplete. Mentions. Ananta Varma Gajapati No. 732. ( A.R. No. 802 of 1922. ) On the four faces of the Garuda - pillar planted near the dhvajastambha in the temple of Chennakesava, Idupulapadu, same Taluk and District. S. 1422. ( Raudri ) Records the gift by Pratapa - Radra of the village Idvulapadu to the east of Vinikonda, to Madhava - mantrin of the Bharadvaja - gotra and the Yajnyavalkya - saka. Gives a genealogy of the Gajapatis and of the donor. No. 733. ( A.R. No. 375 of 1926. ) On a stone built into a gate of the fort at Tangeda, Palnad Taluk, same District. S. 14 ( 3 ) 1 ( Sukla ) Damaged. Unintelligible ; Mentions some Khan. States that Pratapa - Rudradeva Gajapati was ruling. No. 741. ( A.R. No. 54 of 1912. ) On a pillar in the temple of Kesavasvami at Chodavaram, Viravalli Taluk, Vizagapatam District. Saka year not given ( Kalayukti ) Records the consecration of the image of Garutmanta by Bondu Mallayya for the prosperity etc. of Bhupatiraju Vallabha Raju - Mahapatra. Kakatiya dynasty No. 257. ( A.R. No. 324 of 1915. ) On the Garudastambha in the temple of Venugopalasvami, Uppumaguluru, Narasaraopeta Taluk, same District. S. 1133. Damaged and partly illegible. Refers to the gift of an oil - mill and land made by Balli Chodaraju presumably to some temple. ( A.R. No. 138 of 1917. ) On a slab lying in front of the temple of Venugopalasvami, Potturu, Guntur Taluk, Guntur District. S. 1168. Incomplete. The portion which describes the actual grant is missing. The portion available refers to what was probably a gift made to a Siva temple by Paricheda Bhimaraja, Tammu Bhimaraju, Devaraju and Ganapa Deva Raju for the merit of their father Komma Raju and mother Surala Devi. Contains the usual Parichedi titles. No. 373. ( A.R. No. 283 of 1924. ) On a pillar lying in the temple of Chandramaulisvara, Anumanchipalli, Nandigama Taluk, Krishna District. S. 1182. ( Raudri ) States that a certain Brahmin Chavali Bhaskara consecrated the image of Sagi - Ganapesvara and that king Sagi Manma endowed the temple with land. Describes the Sagi family as of Kshatriya caste ( bahujakula ) and gives the donor 's genealogy. No. 376. ( A.R. No. 769 of 1922. ) On a stone built into the back wall of the temple of Chennakesavasvami, Nayanipalli, Bapatla Taluk, Guntur District. Year unknown. States that, in the course of his conquest of the South, king Ganapati Deva protected the king of Nelluru have killed his enemies Padihari Bayyana, Tikkana and others, that he vanquished Kulottunga Rajendra Choda of Dravila mandala, that he received presents of elephants from the king of Nelluru, that he saved the Bhringi matha on the Sriparvata and that he consecrated the image of Kumara Ganapesvara - mahadeva after his own name in... palli. The concluding portion is missing. No. 381. ( A.R. No. 142 of 1913. ) On a slab brought from Yanamadala and preserved in the Collector 's Office, Guntur, same District. S. 11. 3. Incomplete and somewhat damaged. States that a certain Beta Raju founded the temple of Gopalasvami and endowed it with land, that Queen Ganapama gave it an oil - mill and a garden and that certain merchants assigned to it certain customs duties and taxes. Ganapama was probably the wife of the Kota chief. No. 395. ( A.R. No. 94 of 1917. ) On the huge Nandi pillar lying near the ruined temple in Malkapuram, Guntur Taluk, Guntur District. ( Published in the Journal of the Andhra Historical Research Society, Vol. IV, pp. 147 -- 64. ) S. 1183. ( Durmati ) Gives a detailed account of the Kakatiya family and of the foundation and pontifical succession of the Golaki - matha of the Saivas and states that king Ganapatideva promised the village of Mandara in the Velanadu - Kandravati country to his guru Visvesvara Sivacharya and that Ganapati 's daughter Rudramadevi made a formal gift of that village along with the village of Velangapundi, that Visvesvara Siva established a new village with the name of Visvesvara - Golaki and peopled it with person of different castes brought from various parts of the country, that he also established the temple of Visvesvara, a Sanskrit college, a matha for Saivas, a choultry for feeding people without distinction of caste and creed, a general land a maternity hospital, besides some other things and that he made grants of land for the maintenance of all these institutions. Gives a detailed description of the administration of the trust and of the village affairs. Incidentally, it mentions a large number of other religious and charitable institutions established by Visvesvara Siva in several other places. Kakatiyas are described as belonging to the Solar race of Kshatriyas. No. 426. ( A.R. No. 222 of 1905. ) On the north wall of the dark room in the temple of Tripurantakesvara, Tripurantakam, Kurnool District. S. 1192. ( Pramoduta ). States that Paricheda Vadamani Kota Deva Raju gave 17 cows for a lamp in the temple of Tripurantakadeva. Vijayanagara dynasty No. 129. ( A.R. No. 690 of 1917. ) Kovelakuntla, Koilkuntla Taluk, Kurnool District. On a slab set up in front of the Ankalamma temple. Sadasiva Raya, 1543 AD. This is dated Saka 1465, Sobhakrit, Nija - Sravana ba. 10., corresponding to AD 1543, 25 August ( Saturday ). It registers the grant of income derived from svamyatas in his nayankara territory of Kovila Kuntlasima for the Cherapu ( Sirappu ) and Paruventa festivals of the goddess Ahankal Amma by Maha Mandalesvara Nandyala Avubhalesvara Deva Maharaju, son of Singa Raju Deva Maharaju and the grandson of Narasingayya Deva Maharaju of the lunar race. No. 139. ( A.R. No. 498 of 1906. ) Mopuru, Pulivendla Taluk, Cuddapah District. On a slab set up in front of the central shrine of the Bhairavesvara temple. Sadasiva, AD 1545. This is dated Saka 1466, Krodhin, Magha su. 7, Rathasaptami, Monday, corresponding to AD 1545, 19 January 1950. It records the remission of all taxes like Durga Vartana, Danayani Vartana, bedige, kanika and others in favour of the Vidvan mahajanas of the villages belonging to temples and to agraharas in Ghandikota Sakalisima obtained by the donor, Timmaya Deva Maharaju, son of Narasingaya Deva Maharaju and grandson of Maha Mandalesvara Nandyala Avubhala Deva Maharaju as Nayankara from the king. A similar remission of these taxes in the villages granted to the Bhai Ravesvara temple of Mopura is also recorded with the stipulation that the amount accrued was to be utilised for the daily worship and the rathosvava of the god. No. 167. ( A.R. No. 377 of 1926. ) Tangeda, Palnadu Taluk, Guntur District. On a slab set up in front of the deserted temple of Sita Rama Svamin in the fort. Sadasiva, AD 1548. This is dated Saka 1470, Kilaka, vaisakha su. 15, Sunday, lunar eclipse corresponding to AD 1548, 22 April. It registers the grant of the village Kachavaram in Tangedasima to the god Lakshmi Narasimha at Tangeda by Deva Chodaraju, son of Mummaya Deva Chodaraju and the grandson of Maha Mandalesvara Apratika Malla Kurucheti Somaya Deva Chodaraju of the solar race and belonging to the Kasyapa - gotra, apastamba - sutra and Yajus - sakha at the command of Rama Raja Vithalaya Deva Maharaju who is said to have conferred the Tangedasima as nayankara the donor. No. 175. ( A.R. No. 369 of 1920. ) Chitrachedu, Gooty Taluk, Anantapur District. On a slab in the compound of the mosque. Sadasiva, AD 1550. This is dated Saka 1473 ( current ), Sadharana, Ashadha su. 10 corresponding to AD 1550, 23 June, ( Monday ). This fragmentary record mentions the pontiff Santa Bhiksha Vritti Ayyavaru and his three spiritual sons, the Narapati, Asvapati and Gajapati kings who seem to have made some gifts to god Mallikarjuna of Srisaila worshipped by them. No. 191. ( A.R. No. 584 of 1909. ) Macherla, Palnadu Taluk, Guntur District. On a slab set up in the courtyard of the Virabhadresvara temple. Sadasiva, AD 1554. The record is dated in Chronogram ' rasa - saila - veda... ' and the numerals 76, Ananda, Ashadha, su. 15, Friday, lunar eclipse. The word for the numeral 1 is apparently lost. The details of the date correspond to AD 1554, 15 June 1551, if the month was Adhika Ashadha. The inscription which is damaged, records a grant of 14 putti and 10 tumu of land constituting it into a village by name Lingapuram, by Ling Amma, wife of Veligoti Komara Timma Nayaka to the gods Ishta Kamesvara and Viresvara of Macherla situated to the north of Macherla and west of the Chandra Bhaga river, in Nagarjuna - konda - sima which Komara Timma Nayaka is said to have obtained as nayankara from Maha Mandalesvara Rama Raju Thirumalaraju Deva Maharaju. No. 201. ( A.R. No. 161 of 1905. ) Markapur, Markapur Taluk, Kurnool District. On the east wall, left of entrance, of the antarala - mandapa in the Chenna - kesava - svamin temple. Sadasiva, AD 1555. This is dated Saka 1476, Ananda, Magha su. 7, corresponding to AD 1555, 29 January. It records a gift of the various toll incomes due from the 18 villages, viz., Marakarapuram, Channavaram, Konddapuram, Yachavaram, Rayavaram, Gonguladinna, Tarnumbadu, Surepalli, Vanalapuram, Chanareddipalle, Gangireddipalle, Korevanipalle, Medisettipalle, Gollapalle, Jammuladinna, Tellambadu, Kamalpuram and Kondapalli to god Chennakesava by Maha Mandalesvara Madiraju Narappadeva Maharaju, son of Aubhalayya Deva Maharaju, grandson of Maha Mandalesvara Madiraju Singa Raju Deva Maharaju, of Kasyapa - gotra and Surya - vamsa, and nephew of Maha Mandalesvara Rama Raju Thirumalaraju. The gift villages are said to be situated in Kochcherla Kotasima which was held by the donor as Nayankara from the king. Records in addition that the lanjasunkham ( levy on prostitutes ) collected during the festivals at Marakapuram was also made over to the temple and that five out of every six dishes of offerings to the deity, were to be made over to the satra ( feeding house ) for feeding paradesi Brahmanas of the smartha sect, the sixth dish being the share of the sthanikas, the adhikaris and the karanas. Telugu region boundaries Andhra is characterised as having its own mother tongue, and its territory has been equated with the extent of the Telugu language. The equivalence between the Telugu linguistic sphere and geographical boundaries of Andhra is also brought out in an eleventh century description of Andhra boundaries. Andhra, according to this text, was bounded in north by Mahendra mountain in the modern Ganjam District of Orissa and to the south by Kalahasti temple in Chittor District. But Andhra extended westwards as far as Srisailam in the Kurnool District, about halfway across the modern state. Page number - 36. According to other sources in the early sixteenth century, the northern boundary is Simhachalam and the southern limit is Tirupati or Tirumala Hill of the Telugu Country. Telugu place Names Main article : Place names in India Telugu place names are present all around Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Common suffixes are ooru, pudi, pedu, peta, patnam, wada, giri, cherla, seema, Gudem, Palle, Palli etc. Example : Guntur, Chintalapudi, Yerpedu, Suryapet, Vemulawada, Visakhapatnam, Ananthagiri Hills Vijayawada, Vuyyuru Macherla Poranki, Chennur, Mancherial, Miryalagudem etc. They can also be seen in the border areas of Tamil Nadu. Dialects There are three major dialects : Andhra dialect spoken in the coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema dialect spoken in the four Rayalaseema districts of Andhra Pradesh and finally Telangana dialect, laced with Urdu words, spoken mainly in Telangana. Waddar, Chenchu, and Manna - Dora are all closely related to Telugu. Dialects of Telugu are Berad, Dasari, Dommara, Golari, Kamathi, Komtao, Konda - Reddi, Salewari, Vadaga, Srikakula, Vishakhapatnam, East Godaveri, Rayalseema, Nellore, Guntur, Vadari and Yanadi. In Karnataka the dialect sees more influence of Kannada and is a bit different than what is spoken in Andhra. There are significant populations of Telugu speakers in the eastern districts of Karnataka viz. Bangalore Urban, Bellary, Chikballapur, Kolar. In Tamil Nadu the Telugu dialect is classified into Salem, Coimbatore, Vellore, Tiruvannamalai and Madras Telugu dialects. It is also spoken in pockets of Virudhunagar, Tuticorin, Tirunelveli, Madurai, Theni, Madras ( Chennai ) and Thanjavur districts. Geographic distribution See also : States of India by Telugu speakers Geographic distribution of Telugu immigrants in light blue, Telugu is native to dark blue. Telugu is natively spoken in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and Yanam district of Puducherry. Telugu speaking migrants are also found in the neighboring states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, some parts of Jharkhand and the Kharagpur region of West Bengal in India. At 7.2 % of the population, Telugu is the third-most - spoken language in the Indian subcontinent after Hindi and Bengali. In Karnataka, 7.0 % of the population speak Telugu, and 5.6 % in Tamil Nadu. The Telugu diaspora numbers more than 800,000 in the United States, with the highest concentration in Central New Jersey ( Little Andhra ) ; Telugu speakers are found as well in Australia, New Zealand, Bahrain, Canada ( Toronto ), Fiji, Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, Myanmar, Europe ( Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland and the United Kingdom ), South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, and United Arab Emirates. Phonology The roman transliteration of the Telugu script is in National Library at Kolkata romanisation. Telugu words generally end in vowels. In Old Telugu, this was absolute ; in the modern language m, n, y, w may end a word. Atypically for a Dravidian language, voiced consonants were distinctive even in the oldest recorded form of the language. Sanskrit loans have introduced aspirated and murmured consonants as well. Telugu does not have contrastive stress, and speakers vary on where they perceive stress. Most place it on the penultimate or final syllable, depending on word and vowel length. Vowels Telugu features a form of vowel harmony wherein the second vowel in disyllabic noun and adjective roots alters according to whether the first vowel is tense or lax. Also, if the second vowel is open ( i.e., / aː / or / a / ), then the first vowel is more open and centralized ( e.g., ( mɛːka ) ' goat ', as opposed to ( meːku ) ' nail ' ). Telugu words also have vowels in inflectional suffixes that are harmonized with the vowels of the preceding syllable. Vowels -- అచ్చులు acculu / i / ఇ i / iː / ఈ ī / u / ఉ u / uː / ఊ ū / e / ఎ e / eː / ఏ ē / o / ఒ o / oː / ఓ ō / æː / / a / అ a / aː / ఆ ā / æː / only occurs in loan words or in the Guntur dialect frequently as an allophone of / aː / for certain verbs in the past tense. Telugu has two diphthongs : / ai / ఐ ai and / au / ఔ au. Consonants The table below illustrates the articulation of the consonants. Telugu consonants Bilabial Labiodental Denti - alveolar Retroflex `` Palatal '' Velar Plosive tenuis / p / ప pa / t̪ / త ta / ʈ / ట ṭa / t͡ʃ / చ ca / k / క ka voiced / b / బ ba / d̪ / ద da / ɖ / డ ḍa / d͡ʒ / జ ja / ɡ / గ ga aspirated * / ph / ఫ pha / t̪h / థ tha / ʈh / ఠ ṭha / t͡ʃh / ఛ cha / kh / ఖ kha breathy voiced * / bɦ / భ bha / d̪ɦ / ధ dha / ɖɦ / ఢ ḍha / d͡ʒɦ / ఝ jha / ɡɦ / ఘ gha Nasal / m / మ ma / n̪ / న na / ɳ / ణ ṇa Fricative * / f / / s̪ / స sa / ʂ / ష ṣa / ɕ / శ śa / x / హ ha Approximant central / ʋ / వ va / j / య ya lateral / l̪ / ల la / ɭ / ళ ḷa Flap / r̪ / ర ra * The aspirated and breathy - voiced consonants occur mostly in loan words, as do the fricatives apart from native / s̪ /. Grammar Main article : Telugu grammar The Telugu Grammar is called vyākaranam ( వ్యాకరణం ). The first treatise on Telugu grammar, the Āndhra Śabda Cinṭāmaṇi, was written in Sanskrit by Nannayya, considered the first Telugu poet and translator, in the 11th century AD. This grammar followed patterns described in grammatical treatises such as Aṣṭādhyāyī and Vālmīkivyākaranam, but unlike Pāṇini, Nannayya divided his work into five chapters, covering samjnā, sandhi, ajanta, halanta and kriya. Every Telugu grammatical rule is derived from Pāṇinian concepts. In the 19th century, Chinnaya Suri wrote a simplified work on Telugu grammar called Bāla Vyākaraṇam, borrowing concepts and ideas from Nannayya 's grammar. Sentence రాముడు బడికి వెళ్తాడు. Words రాముడు బడికి వెళ్తాడు. Transliteration rāmuḍu baḍiki veḷtāḍu Gloss Rama to school goes. Parts Subject Object Verb Translation Rama goes to school. This sentence can also be interpreted as ' Rama will go to school ', depending on the context, but it does not affect the SOV order. Inflection Telugu nouns are inflected for number ( singular, plural ), gender ( masculine, feminine, and neuter ) and case ( nominative, accusative, genitive, dative, vocative, instrumental, and locative ). Gender Telugu has three genders : masculine, feminine, and neuter. Pronouns Telugu pronouns include personal pronouns ( the persons speaking, the persons spoken to, or the persons or things spoken about ) ; indefinite pronouns ; relative pronouns ( connecting parts of sentences ) ; and reciprocal or reflexive pronouns ( in which the object of a verb is acted on by the verb 's subject ). Telugu uses the same forms for singular feminine and neuter gender -- the third person pronoun ( అది / ad̪ɪ / ) is used to refer to animals and objects. The nominative case ( karta ), the object of a verb ( karma ), and the verb are somewhat in a sequence in Telugu sentence construction. `` Vibhakti '' ( case of a noun ) and `` pratyāyamulu '' ( an affix to roots and words forming derivatives and inflections ) depict the ancient nature and progression of the language. The `` Vibhaktis '' of Telugu language `` డు ( ḍu ), ము ( mu ), వు ( vu ), లు ( lu ) '', etc., are different from those in Sanskrit and have been in use for a long time. Vocabulary Sanskrit influenced Telugu for about 1500 years ; however, there is evidence that suggests an older influence. During the period 1000 -- 1100 AD, Nannaya 's re-writing of the Mahābhārata in Telugu ( మహాభారతము ) re-established its use, and it dominated over the royal language, Sanskrit. Telugu absorbed tatsamas from Sanskrit. The vocabulary of Telugu, especially in Telangana, has a trove of Persian -- Arabic borrowings, which have been modified to fit Telugu phonology. This was due to centuries of Turkic rule in these regions, such as the erstwhile kingdoms of Golkonda and Hyderabad ( e.g., కబురు, / kaburu / for Urdu / xabar /, خبر ‬ or జవాబు, / dʒavaːbu / for Urdu / dʒawɑːb /, جواب ‬ ). Modern Telugu vocabulary can be said to constitute a diglossia because the formal, standardised version of the language is either lexically Sanskrit or heavily influenced by Sanskrit, is taught in schools, and is used by the government and Hindu religious institutions. However, everyday Telugu varies depending upon region and social status. Writing system The word Telugu written in the Telugu script Main articles : Telugu script and Telugu Braille The Telugu script is an abugida consisting of 60 symbols -- 16 vowels, 3 vowel modifiers, and 41 consonants. Telugu has a complete set of letters that follow a system to express sounds. The script is derived from the Brahmi Script like those of many other Indian languages. The Telugu script is written from left to right and consists of sequences of simple and / or complex characters. The script is syllabic in nature -- the basic units of writing are syllables. Since the number of possible syllables is very large, syllables are composed of more basic units such as vowels ( `` acchu '' or `` swaram '' ) and consonants ( `` hallu '' or `` vyanjanam '' ). Consonants in consonant clusters take shapes that are very different from the shapes they take elsewhere. Consonants are presumed pure consonants, that is, without any vowel sound in them. However, it is traditional to write and read consonants with an implied ' a ' vowel sound. When consonants combine with other vowel signs, the vowel part is indicated orthographically using signs known as vowel `` mātras ''. The shapes of vowel `` mātras '' are also very different from the shapes of the corresponding vowels. Historically, a sentence used to end with either a single bar । ( `` pūrna virāmam '' ) or a double bar ॥ ( `` dīrgha virāmam '' ) ; in handwriting, Telugu words were not separated by spaces. However, in modern times, English punctuation ( commas, semicolon, etc. ) has virtually replaced the old method of punctuation. Consonants -- hallulu ( హల్లులు ) Telugu has full - zero ( anusvāra ) ( ం ), half - zero ( arthanusvāra or candrabindu ) ( ఁ ) and visarga ( ః ) to convey various shades of nasal sounds. ( la ) and ( La ), ( ra ) and ( Ra ) are differentiated. Telugu has ĉ and ĵ, which are not represented in Sanskrit. Their pronunciation is similar to the ' s ' sound in the word treasure ( i.e., the postalveolar voiced fricative ) and ' z ' sound in zebra ( i.e., the alveolar voiced fricative ), respectively. Wall painting at a shop in India. It first shows the painted party symbols of all the major political parties in the region during the nationwide elections in India in 2014. It also has a Telugu inscription showing availability of political flags, banners, caps, badges and other election material. Telugu gunintālu ( తెలుగు గుణింతాలు ) These are some examples of combining a consonant with different vowels. క కా కి కీ కు కూ కృ కౄ కె కే కై కొ కో కౌ క్ కం కః ఖ ఖా ఖి ఖీ ఖు ఖూ ఖృ ఖౄ ఖె ఖే ఖై ఖొ ఖో ఖౌ ఖ్ ఖం ఖః Number system Telugu has ten digits employed with the Hindu -- Arabic numeral system. However, in modern usage, the Arabic numerals have replaced them. 0 5 6 7 8 9 ౦ ౧ ౨ ౩ ౪ ౫ ౬ ౭ ౮ ౯ sunna ( Telugu form of Sanskrit word śūnyam ) okaṭi renḍu mūḍu nālugu aidu āru ēḍu enimidi tommidi Telugu is assigned Unicode codepoints : 0C00 - 0C7F ( 3072 -- 3199 ). Literature This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( December 2017 ) Main articles : Telugu literature and Ashtadiggajas The Pre-Nannayya Period ( before 1020 AD ) : In the earliest period Telugu literature existed in the form of inscriptions, precisely from 575 AD on - wards. The Jain Literature Phase ( 850 - 1000 AD ) : Prabandha Ratnavali ( 1918 ) & Pre-Nannayya Chandassu ( Raja Raja Narendra Pattabhisekha Sanchika ) by Veturi Prabhakara Sastry talk about the existence of Jain Telugu literature during 850 - 1000AD. A verse from Telugu Jinendra Puranam by Padma Kavi ( Pampa ), a couple of verses from Telugu Adi Puranam by Sarvadeva and Kavijanasrayam ( a Telugu Chandassu poetic guide for poets ) affiliation to Jainism were discussed. Historically, Vemulawada was a Jain knowledge hub and played a significant role in patronizing Jain literature and poets. 1980s excavations around Vemulawada revealed and affirmed the existence of Telugu Jain literature. Malliya Rechana - First Telugu Author ( 940AD ) - P.V. Parabrahma Sastry, Nidadavolu Venkata Rao. P.V.P Sastry also points out that many Jain works could have been destroyed. Historical rivalry among Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism is well known. The Age of the Puranas ( 1020 - 1400AD ) : This is the period of Kavi Trayam or Trinity of Poets. Nannayya, Tikkana and Yerrapragada ( or Errana ) are known as the Kavi Trayam. Nannaya Bhattarakudu or Adi Kavi ( 1022 -- 1063 AD ) : Nannaya Bhattarakudu 's ( Telugu : నన్నయ ) Andhra mahabharatam, who lived around the 11th century, is commonly referred to as the first Telugu literary composition ( aadi kaavyam ). ( citation needed ) Although there is evidence of Telugu literature before Nannaya, he is given the epithet Aadi Kavi ( `` the first poet '' ). Nannaya was the first to establish a formal grammar of written Telugu. This grammar followed the patterns which existed in grammatical treatises like Aṣṭādhyāyī and Vālmīkivyākaranam but unlike Pāṇini, Nannayya divided his work into five chapters, covering samjnā, sandhi, ajanta, halanta and kriya. ( 14 ) Nannaya completed the first two chapters and a part of the third chapter of the Mahabharata epic, which is rendered in the Champu style. Tikkana Somayaji ( 1205 -- 1288 AD ) : Nannaya 's Andhra Mahabharatam was almost completed by Tikanna Somayaji ( Telugu : తిక్కన సోమయాజి ) ( 1205 -- 1288 ) who wrote chapters 4 to 18. Yerrapragada : ( Telugu : ఎర్రాప్రగడ ) who lived in the 14th century, finished the epic by completing the third chapter. He mimics Nannaya 's style in the beginning, slowly changes tempo and finishes the chapter in the writing style of Tikkana. These three writers -- Nannaya, Tikanna and Yerrapragada -- are known as the Kavitraya ( `` three great poets '' ) of Telugu. Other such translations like Marana 's Markandeya Puranam, Ketana 's Dasakumara Charita, Yerrapragada 's Harivamsam followed. Many scientific ( relevant ? ) works, like Ganitasarasangrahamu by Pavuluri Mallana and Prakirnaganitamu by Eluganti Peddana, were written in the 12th century. Baddena Bhupala ( 1220 - 1280AD ) : Sumati Shatakam, which is a neeti ( `` moral '' ), is one of the most famous Telugu Shatakams. ( citation needed ) Shatakam is composed of more than a 100 padyalu ( poems ). According to many literary critics ( who ? ) Sumati Shatakam was composed by Baddena Bhupaludu ( Telugu : బద్దెన భూపాల ) ( CE 1220 -- 1280 ). He was also known as Bhadra Bhupala. He was a Chola prince and a vassal under the Kakatiya empress Rani Rudrama Devi, and a pupil of Tikkana. ( citation needed ) If we assume that the Sumati Shatakam was indeed written by Baddena, it would rank as one of the earliest Shatakams in Telugu along with the Vrushadhipa Satakam of Palkuriki Somanatha and the Sarveswara Satakam of Yathavakkula Annamayya. ( original research ? ) The Sumatee Shatakam is also one of the earliest Telugu works to be translated into a European language, as C.P. Brown rendered it in English in the 1840s. Palkuriki Somanatha : Important among his Telugu language writings are the Basava Purana, Panditaradhya charitra, Malamadevipuranamu and Somanatha Stava -- in dwipada metre ( `` couplets '' ) ; Anubhavasara, Chennamallu Sisamalu, Vrishadhipa Shataka and Cheturvedasara -- in verses ; Basavodharana in verses and ragale metre ( rhymed couplets in blank verse ) ; and the Basavaragada. Gona Budda Reddy : His Ranganatha Ramayanam was a pioneering work in the Telugu language on the theme of the Ramayana epic. Most scholars believe he wrote it between 1300 and 1310 A.D., possibly with help from his family. The work has become part of cultural life in Andhra Pradesh and is used in puppet shows. In the Telugu literature Tikkana was given agraasana ( top position ) by many famous critics. Paravastu Chinnayya Soori ( 1807 -- 1861 ) is a well - known Telugu writer who dedicated his entire life to the progress and promotion of Telugu language and literature. Sri Chinnayasoori wrote the Bala Vyakaranam in a new style after doing extensive research on Telugu grammar. Other well - known writings by Chinnayasoori are Neethichandrika, Sootandhra Vyaakaranamu, Andhra Dhatumoola, and Neeti Sangrahamu. Kandukuri Veeresalingam ( 1848 -- 1919 ) is generally considered the father of modern Telugu literature. His novel Rajasekhara Charitamu was inspired by the Vicar of Wakefield. His work marked the beginning of a dynamic of socially conscious Telugu literature and its transition to the modern period, which is also part of the wider literary renaissance that took place in Indian culture during this period. Other prominent literary figures from this period are Gurajada Appa Rao, Viswanatha Satyanarayana, Gurram Jashuva, Rayaprolu Subba Rao, Devulapalli Krishnasastri and Srirangam Srinivasa Rao, popularly known as Mahakavi Sri Sri. Sri Sri was instrumental in popularising free verse in spoken Telugu ( vaaduka bhasha ), as opposed to the pure form of written Telugu used by several poets in his time. Devulapalli Krishnasastri is often referred to as the Shelley of Telugu literature because of his pioneering works in Telugu Romantic poetry. Viswanatha Satyanarayana won India 's national literary honour, the Jnanpith Award for his magnum opus Ramayana Kalpavrukshamu. C. Narayana Reddy won the Jnanpith Award in 1988 for his poetic work, Viswambara. Ravuri Bharadhwaja won the 3rd Jnanpith Award for Telugu literature in 2013 for Paakudu Raallu, a graphic account of life behind the screen in film industry. Kanyasulkam, the first social play in Telugu by Gurajada Appa Rao, was followed by the progressive movement, the free verse movement and the Digambara style of Telugu verse. Other modern Telugu novelists include Unnava Lakshminarayana ( Maalapalli ), Bulusu Venkateswarulu ( Bharatiya Tatva Sastram ), Kodavatiganti Kutumba Rao and Buchi Babu. Telugu support on digital devices Telugu input, display, and support were initially provided on the Microsoft Windows platform. Subsequently, various browsers, office applications, operating systems, and user interfaces were localized for Windows and Linux platforms by vendors and free and open - source software volunteers. Telugu - capable smart phones were also introduced by vendors in 2013. On 15 February 2018, Apple devices were experiencing crashes of apps and device shutdowns when two particular characters from the Telugu language is rendered on the display. Reports show that this has affected iOS, macOS, tvOS and watchOS. Apple is currently working on bug fixes for the rendering issue for the OS listed above. 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A progressive grammar of the Telugu language. Society for promoting Christian knowledge. p. 57. Retrieved 2014 - 08 - 03. Jump up ^ Charles Philip Brown ( 1857 ). A grammar of the Telugu language ( 2 ed. ). Christian Knowledge Society 's Press. p. 39. Retrieved 2014 - 08 - 03. Jump up ^ Ramadasu, G ( 1980 ). `` Telugu bhasha charitra ''. Telugu academy Jump up ^ te : దస్త్రం : Telugulipi evolution. jpg ^ Jump up to : Brown, Charles Philip ( 1857 ). A Grammar of the Telugu Language. London : W.H. Allen & Co. p. 5. ISBN 81 - 206 - 0041 - X. Jump up ^ United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names ; United Nations Statistical Division ( 2007 ). Technical Reference Manual for the Standardization of Geographical Names. United Nations Publications. p. 110. ISBN 92 - 1 - 161500 - 3. Jump up ^ Sarma, Challa Radhakrishna ( 1975 ). Landmarks in Telugu Literature. Lakshminarayana Granthamala. p. 30. Jump up ^ Datta, Amaresh ; Lal, Mohan ( 1991 ). Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature. Sahitya Akademi. p. 3294. Jump up ^ George, K.M. ( 1992 ). Modern Indian Literature, an Anthology. Sahitya Akademi. p. 1121. ISBN 81 - 7201 - 324 - 8. Jump up ^ `` Samsung phones to support 9 Indian languages ''. thehindubusinessline.com. Jump up ^ `` People are trolling iPhone users with the ' killer symbol ' that crashes their apps ''. techcrunch.com. Bibliography Albert Henry Arden, A Progressive Grammar of the Telugu Language ( 1873 ). Charles Philip Brown, English -- Telugu dictionary ( 1852 ; revised ed. 1903 ; The Linguistic Legacy of Indo - Guyanese http://www.stabroeknews.com/2014/features/in-the-diaspora/04/21/linguistic-legacy-indian-guyanese/ Languages of Mauritius https://mauritiusattractions.com/mauritius-languages-i-85.html Charles Philip Brown, A Grammar of the Telugu Language ( 1857 ) P. Percival, Telugu -- English dictionary : with the Telugu words printed in the Roman as well as in the Telugu Character ( 1862, google books edition ) Gwynn, J.P.L. ( John Peter Lucius ). A Telugu -- English Dictionary Delhi ; New York : Oxford University Press ( 1991 ; online edition ). Uwe Gustafsson, An Adiwasi Oriya -- Telugu -- English dictionary, Central Institute of Indian Languages Dictionary Series, 6. Mysore : Central Institute of Indian Language ( 1989 ). Rao, Velcheru Narayana ; Shulman, David ( 2002 ), Classical Telugu Poetry : An Anthology, University of California Press Callā Rādhākr̥ṣṇaśarma, Landmarks in Telugu Literature : A Short Survey of Telugu Literature ( 1975 ). Wilkinson, Robert W. ( 1974 ). `` Tense / lax vowel harmony in Telugu : The influence of derived contrast on rule application ''. Linguistic Inquiry. 5 ( 2 ) : 251 -- 270 External links Telugu edition of Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Find more aboutTelugu languageat Wikipedia 's sister projects Definitions from Wiktionary Media from Wikimedia Commons Textbooks from Wikibooks Travel guide from Wikivoyage Hints and resources for learning Telugu English to Telugu online dictionary ' Telugu to English ' and ' English to Telugu ' Dictionary Dictionary of mixed Telugu By Charles Philip Brown Origins of Telugu Script Online English -- Telugu dictionary portal that includes many popular dictionaries Telugu literature online English -- Telugu Dictionary Dravidian languages Southern Tamil -- Kannada Kannada - Badaga Badaga Holiya Kannada Urali Kodagu Kodava Kurumba Malayalam languages Aranadan Beary Jeseri Kadar Malapandaram Malaryan Malavedan Malayalam Mullu Kurumba Paliyan Paniya Ravula Tamil languages Betta Kurumba Eravallan Irula Kaikadi Kanikkaran Muthuvan Tamil Yerukala Toda - Kota Kota Toda Sholaga Macro-Tulu Bellari Koraga Tulu unclassified Kalanadi Kumbaran Kunduvadi Kurichiya Kurumba, Attapady Mala Malasar Malasar Muduga Pathiya Thachanadan Ullatan Wayanad Chetti South - Central Gondi ( Madiya Nagarchal ) Kui Kuvi Konda Koya Manda Pengo Telugu Central Kolami Naiki Duruwa Ollari Kondekor North Brahui Kurukh Sauria Paharia Kumarbhag Paharia Unclassified Allar Bazigar Bharia Malankuravan Vishavan Italics indicate extinct languages ( no surviving native speakers and no spoken descendant ) Languages of India Official languages Union - level Hindi English 8th schedule to the Constitution of India Assamese Bengali Bodo Dogri Gujarati Hindi Kannada Kashmiri Konkani Maithili Malayalam Meitei ( Manipuri ) Marathi Nepali Odia Punjabi Sanskrit Sindhi Santali Tamil Telugu Urdu State - level only Garo Gurung Khasi Kokborok Lepcha Limbu Mangar Mizo Newari Rai Sherpa Sikkimese Sunwar Tamang Major unofficial languages Over 1 million speakers Angika Awadhi Bagheli Bagri Bajjika Bhili Bhojpuri Bundeli Chhattisgarhi Dhundhari Garhwali Gondi Harauti Haryanvi Ho Kangri Khandeshi Khortha Kumaoni Kurukh Lambadi Magahi Malvi Marwari Mewari Mundari Nimadi Rajasthani Sadri Surjapuri Tulu Wagdi Varhadi 100,000 -- 1 million speakers Adi Angami Ao Dimasa Halbi Karbi Kharia Kodava Kolami Konyak Korku Koya Kui Kuvi Ladakhi Lotha Malto Mishing Nishi Phom Rabha Sema Sora Tangkhul Thadou State of Telangana Capital : Hyderabad Topics Cuisine Culture Economy Education Geography Government History Language Politics People Tourism Dynasties Assaka Satavahanas Ikshvaku Salankayanas Vishnukundinas Chalukyas Rastrakutas Western Chalukyas Kakatiyas Musunuri Nayaks Bahmanis Qutb Shahi Hyderabad Nizams Districts Adilabad Asifabad Bhadradri Hyderabad Jagtial Jangaon Jayashankar Jogulamba Kamareddy Karimnagar Khammam Mahabubabad Mahbubnagar Mancherial Medak Medchal -- Malkajgiri Nagarkurnool Nalgonda Nirmal Nizamabad Peddapalli Rajanna Sircilla Ranga Reddy Sangareddy Siddipet Suryapet Vikarabad Wanaparthy Warangal ( rural ) Warangal ( urban ) Yadadri Commissionerates Hyderabad Karimnagar Khammam Nizamabad Ramagundam Siddipet Warangal Major cities Hyderabad Warangal Nizamabad Khammam Karimnagar Ramagundam Mahabubnagar Nalgonda Adilabad Suryapet Tourism Churches Dams Forts Hindu Temples Lakes National Parks Sanctuaries Waterfalls Municipal corporations Hyderabad Karimnagar Khammam Nizamabad Ramagundam Warangal Related lists List of cities in Telangana by area List of cities in Telangana by population List of districts in Telangana List of urban local bodies in Telangana Portal : Telangana State of Andhra Pradesh Capital : Amaravati ( de facto ), Hyderabad ( de jure ) Topics Cinema Cuisine Culture Demographics Economy Education Elections Geography Government Highest point History Language Politics Sports People Transport Tourism Regions Coastal Andhra Rayalaseema Districts Anantapur Chittoor East Godavari Guntur Kadapa Kurnool Krishna Prakasam Nellore Srikakulam Visakhapatnam Vizianagaram West Godavari Million - plus cities Visakhapatnam Vijayawada Cities ( population over 1 lakh ) Adoni Anantapur Bhimavaram Chilakaluripet Chittoor Dharmavaram Eluru Gudivada Guntakal Guntur Hindupur Kadapa Kakinada Kurnool Machilipatnam Madanapalle Nandyal Narasaraopet Nellore Ongole Proddatur Rajahmundry Srikakulam Tadepalligudem Tadpatri Tenali Tirupati Vijayawada Visakhapatnam Vizianagaram Tourism Dams Forts Lakes National Parks Hindu Temples Churches Wildlife Sanctuaries Waterfalls Related lists List of cities in Andhra Pradesh List of mandals in Andhra Pradesh List of urban local bodies in Andhra Pradesh List of revenue divisions in Andhra Pradesh List of urban agglomerations in Andhra Pradesh Portal : Andhra Pradesh GND : 4120355 - 0 NDL : 00572905 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Telugu_language&oldid=834134034 '' Categories : Telugu language Classical Language in India Dravidian languages Languages of Andhra Pradesh Languages of Telangana Languages of Puducherry Languages of Tamil Nadu Official languages of India Languages attested from the 6th century Agglutinative languages Subject -- object -- verb languages Vowel - 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Question: which of the indian language is known as italian of the east
Answer: Telugu