Page Type: languageIrula | Ethnologue

IRU ISO 639-3

Irula

இருளா‎ (Irula) Autonym

A language of India

ISO 639
iru
Alternate Names
Erukala, Irava, Irulan, Irular, Irular Mozhi, Irulavan, Iruliga, Iruligar, Kad Chensu, Korava
Autonym
இருளா‎ (Irula)
Population
11,900 (2011 census). Ethnic population: 200,000 (2003 E. Udayakumar).
Location:
Kerala state: Palakkad district, Attapady and Walayar sub-districts; Tamil Nadu state: Coimbatore, Nilgiri, Periyar districts; Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka states.
Language Status
7 (Shifting).
Classification
Dravidian, Southern, Tamil-Kannada, Tamil-Kodagu, Tamil-Malayalam, Tamil
Dialects
Mele Nadu Irula (Malanadu, Southern Irula), Northern Irula (Kasaba, Kasava, Kasuba), Vette Kada Irula (Irula Pallar, Vettakada), Irula Urali, Attapady Irula, Walayar Irula (Urali Irula). Dialects: Vette Kada 73% intelligibility of Mele Nadu; Northern Irula 83% of Mele Nadu; no intelligibility of Tamil [tam] (1993 Irula survey); Vette Kada 94% of Attapady; Walayar 84% of Attapady. (2004 Palakkad survey). Lexical similarity: 78%–86% between Mele Nadu dialect varieties, 67%–70% with Northern Irula, 64%–66% with Vette Kada, 47%–50% with Tamil [tam]. Attapady has 73%–75% with Mele Nadu and 85%–89% with Vette Kada. Walayar has 74%–79% with Attapady, 76% with Vette Kada, and 69% with Mele Nadu.
Typology
SOV; postpositions; nontonal.
Language Use
All domains. Positive attitudes. Many shifting to Kannada [kan]. Many shifting to Tamil [tam]. Also use Badaga [bfq]. Also use English [eng]. Also use Malayalam [mal]. Used as L2 by Attapady Kurumba [pkr].
Language Development
Literacy rate in L2: 20% among adults, 50% among younger generation. Dictionary. Grammar. Texts. Bible portions: 2001–2013.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Irula
Writing
Malayalam script [Mlym], used in Kerala. Tamil script [Taml], used in Tamil Nadu.
Other Comments
Some people called Irula speak Tamil [tam] as mother tongue. Urali Irula (Periyar) is separate from both Betta Kurumba Urali [xub] and Urali [url] in Idukki District, Kerala. Two Urali Irula dialects in Periyar and Palakkad. Traditional religion, Christian.

Also Spoken in

Map

Location: Kerala state: Palakkad district, Attapady and Walayar sub-districts; Tamil Nadu state: Coimbatore, Nilgiri, Periyar districts; Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka states.