Page Type: languagePaliyan | Ethnologue

PCF ISO 639-3

Paliyan

A language of India

ISO 639
pcf
Alternate Names
Makkal, Malai Paliyar, Palani, Palaya, Palayan, Paliyar, Palleyan, Palliyar, Poliyar, Seramar, Tamil
Population
9,520 (2001 census).
Location:
Karnataka state; Kerala state: Idukki district, Pirmed sub-district, Chakkupallam, Kumily, and Vandanmedu areas; Ernakulam and Kottayam districts; Tamil Nadu state: Coimbatore, Dindigul, Madurai, Pudukkottai, Ramanathapuram, Thanjavur, and Tirunelveli districts.
Language Status
6b* (Threatened).
Classification
Dravidian, Southern, Tamil-Kannada, Tamil-Kodagu, Tamil-Malayalam, Malayalam
Dialects
Mala Pulayan (Hill Pulaya, Karavazhi). Lexical similarity: 71%–75% with Tamil [tam], 62%–65% with Malayalam [mal], 79%–85% with Mala Pulayan [pcf].
Language Use
Also use English [eng]. Also use Malayalam [mal]. Also use Tamil [tam], with high proficiency.
Language Development
Literacy rate in L2: 44%–62% in Kerala, 50% for Hill Pulaya (2001 census).
Other Comments
Paliya and Mala Pulaya refer to L1 as Tamil [tam], though it differs from standard Tamil. Traditional religion, Christian, Hindu.

Also Spoken in

Map

Location: Karnataka state; Kerala state: Idukki district, Pirmed sub-district, Chakkupallam, Kumily, and Vandanmedu areas; Ernakulam and Kottayam districts; Tamil Nadu state: Coimbatore, Dindigul, Madurai, Pudukkottai, Ramanathapuram, Thanjavur, and Tirunelveli districts.