Dravidiankieliperhe

Dravidiankieliperhe is an umbrella term used to describe a cultural and linguistic family that encompasses the Dravidian-speaking peoples of southern India and northern Sri Lanka. The majority of the Dravidian-speaking population reserve for the Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, and Telangana, as well as the union territory of Puducherry.

The division of the Dravidian-speaking peoples into distinct families is primarily based on historical, cultural, and linguistic criteria. The four main branches of the Dravidian-speaking peoples are: South Dravidian, South-Central Dravidian, North Dravidian, and Central Dravidian. Each of these branches has its own distinct cultural and linguistic identity.

Historians and linguists attribute the origins of the Dravidian-speaking peoples to the ancient Dravidian civilization, which flourished in the Indian subcontinent around 2000 BCE. The Dravidian-speaking peoples have a rich cultural heritage and have made significant contributions to the arts, literature, and architecture of southern India.

Notable achievements of the Dravidian-speaking peoples include the development of the Tamil script, which is one of the oldest surviving writing systems in the world. They have also produced some of the most celebrated works of literature in Indian classical music, dance, and poetry. The Dravidian-speaking peoples have maintained a distinct identity over the centuries, with a strong emphasis on preserving their cultural traditions.

Despite being in the minority compared with the Indo-Aryan-speaking populations, the Dravidian language family remains an important part of the cultural and linguistic tapestry of southern India.