Dravidic
- adjective
- /drəˈvɪdɪk/
- Linguists study the Dravidic language family to understand its ancient origins.
Examples
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Tamil is a major Dravidic language spoken by millions in southern India.
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The Dravidic peoples have a rich cultural heritage distinct from northern Indian groups.
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The Dravidic languages include Tamil and Telugu.
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She is studying Dravidic culture at the university.
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Many languages belonging to the Dravidic family are primarily spoken in southern India, such as Tamil and Telugu.
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The Dravidic culture has a rich history that influences the art and traditions of South India.
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Scholarship on Dravidic languages reveals their unique structure and vocabulary compared to Indo-European languages.
Surface Forms
Morphology
Dravidic = Dravidian (transparent) = Dravid + ic
The adjective is formed by the relational suffix '-ic' on the recognizable base 'Dravidian', so the relation is transparent.
Etymology
Dravidic comes from the old Sanskrit name Dravida, which meant 'people of the south'. As an adjective, it describes something related to those languages or to the people who speak them.