Telugu is native to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It belongs to the Dravidian language family. Its history, structure, and vocabulary share intriguing similarities with several other languages in Southern India. According to the eLinguistics.net analysis using specific software modules to assess linguistic relationships, the five languages most similar to Telugu are Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil, Tulu, and Gondi.
- Malayalam (69.9)
Malayalam is primarily spoken in Kerala and, like Telugu, evolved from the same ancient roots in the Dravidian family. In fact, they share a number of similar sounds and word structures. Over the centuries, both languages have absorbed significant influences from Sanskrit as well, which is evident in their rich literary traditions. - Kannada (66.4)
Spoken in Karnataka, Kannada is another prominent Dravidian language with a history that intertwines closely with Telugu. The geographical closeness has led to centuries of cultural and linguistic exchange. The two languages share common vocabulary, often resulting from mutual borrowings. - Tamil (61.9)
Tamil is primarily spoken in Tamil Nadu and parts of Sri Lanka. Its historical literature and inscriptions have had a profound impact on its neighboring languages, including Telugu. Both languages retain a core Dravidian vocabulary and grammatical features, making them mutually intelligible to some extent. - Tulu (55.7)
Tulu is spoken mainly in the coastal districts of Karnataka and parts of Kerala. Although its speaker base is smaller compared to Telugu, Tulu maintains a robust cultural identity within the Dravidian family. Tulu’s sound system shares several commonalities with Telugu, which reflects in similar consonant and vowel usage. - Gondi (49.0)
Gondi is spoken by the Gond tribes primarily in central India. Although it might seem geographically distant from the Telugu-speaking regions, Gondi is part of the broader Dravidian language family and exhibits notable structural similarities. However, they have distinct vocabulary and regional variations.
(to be considered for the list, the language must be spoken by at least one million people)