TEL ISO 639-3
Telugu
తెలుగు (Telugu) Autonym
A language of India
- ISO 639
- tel
- Alternate Names
- Andhra, Tailangi, Telangire, Telegu, Telgi, Telinga, Teloogoo, Telungu, Tengu, Tenungu, Terangi, Tolangan, Trilinga, “Gentoo” (pej.)
- Autonym
- తెలుగు (Telugu)
- Population
- 93,900,000 in India, all users. L1 users: 80,900,000 in India (2011 census). L2 users: 13,000,000 (2011 census). Total users in all countries: 95,611,000 (as L1: 82,611,000; as L2: 13,000,000).
- Location:
- Mainly Andhra Pradesh and Telangana states; Chhattisgarh state: Bijapur; Karnataka state: Bangalore Rural, Bellary, east Bidar, Chikkaballapura, Chitradurga, Gulbarga, all of Kolar, Raichur, Tumkur, and Yadgir; Maharashtra state: Gadchiroli district, eastern enclaves; Puducherry union territory; Odisha state: Gajapati, Koraput, Malkangiri, and Rayagada; Tamil Nadu state: Chennai city, Thirvallur and Vellore.
- Language Status
- 2 (Provincial). Statutory provincial language in Andhra Pradesh State; Telangana State: Puducherry Union Territory, Andaman and Nicobar islands (1950, Constitution, Schedule VIII).
- Classification
- Dravidian, South-Central, Telugu
- Dialects
- Berad, Dasari, Dommara, Golari, Kamathi, Komtao, Konda-Reddi, Salewari, Telangana, Telugu, Vadaga, Srikakula, Vishakhapatnam, East Godaveri, Rayalseema, Nellore, Guntur, Vadari, Yanadi (Yenadi).
- Typology
- SOV; postpositions; noun head final; gender; no articles; case-marking (7 cases); verb affixes mark person, number gender of subject; passives; tense; causatives; 21 consonant and 11 vowel phonemes; non-tonal; stress on first syllable; inclusive/exclusive pronouns.
- Language Use
- Used as L2 by Bodo Gadaba [gbj], Chenchu [cde], Koya [kff], Kupia [key], Lambadi [lmn], Manna-Dora [mju], Mudhili Gadaba [gau], Northwestern Kolami [kfb], Pottangi Ollar Gadaba [gdb], Vaagri Booli [vaa], Waddar [wbq], Yerukula [yeu].
- Language Development
- Taught in primary and secondary schools. Fully developed. Bible: 1854–2002.
- Language Resources
- OLAC resources in and about Telugu
- Writing
- Braille script [Brai]. Telugu script [Telu], primary usage.
Also Spoken in
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of United Arab Emirates
Language Name
Telugu
User Population
485,000 in United Arab Emirates (2020).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Australia
Language Name
Telugu
User Population
34,400 in Australia (2016 census).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Bahrain
Language Name
Telugu
User Population
14,100 in Bahrain (2019).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Canada
Language Name
Telugu
User Population
15,700 in Canada (2016 census).
- Language Status
- 5 (Dispersed)
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Fiji
Language Name
Telugu
User Population
33,000 in Fiji (2019).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of United Kingdom
Language Name
Telugu
User Population
14,700 in United Kingdom (2011 census).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Sri Lanka
Language Name
Telugu
User Population
230,000 in Sri Lanka (2019).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Myanmar
Language Name
Telugu
User Population
140,000 in Myanmar (Leclerc 2017d).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Mauritius
Language Name
Telugu
User Population
19,000 in Mauritius (Leclerc 2018c).
- Location
- Peninsular.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Malaysia
Language Name
Telugu
User Population
119,000 in Malaysia (2021 Joshua Project). , based on ethnicity.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of New Zealand
Language Name
Telugu
User Population
3,400 in New Zealand (2013 census).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Saudi Arabia
Language Name
Telugu
User Population
349,000 in Saudi Arabia (2018). , based on ethnicity.
- Location
- Scattered.
- Language Status
- 5 (Dispersed)
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Singapore
Language Name
Telugu
User Population
800 in Singapore (2018 J. Leclerc).
- Location
- Scattered.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of United States
Language Name
Telugu
User Population
248,000 in United States (2015 census).
- Language Status
- 5 (Dispersed)
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of South Africa
Language Name
Telugu
User Population
4,900 in South Africa (2020 Joshua Project). , based on ethnicity.
Map
Location: Mainly Andhra Pradesh and Telangana states; Chhattisgarh state: Bijapur; Karnataka state: Bangalore Rural, Bellary, east Bidar, Chikkaballapura, Chitradurga, Gulbarga, all of Kolar, Raichur, Tumkur, and Yadgir; Maharashtra state: Gadchiroli district, eastern enclaves; Puducherry union territory; Odisha state: Gajapati, Koraput, Malkangiri, and Rayagada; Tamil Nadu state: Chennai city, Thirvallur and Vellore.
Size and Vitality
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