The Badaga language (Badaga: படக பாஷை ,Tamil: படுகு மொழி, Kannada: ಬಡಗ ಭಾಷೆ) is a southern Dravidian language (Tamil–Kannada branch) spoken by approximately 400,000 people (the Badagas) in the Nilgiri Hills in Southern India.[1] It is known for its retroflex vowels. The word Badaga refers to the Badaga language as well as the Badaga community/tribe. The Badagas were the Kannada speaking people from Mysore in Karnataka state, India[citation needed].
[edit] Sounds
Badaga has five vowels /i e a o u/, all of which can be contrastively half and fully retroflexed. Only the most conservative dialects have the complete set of contrasts (that is contrasts of pharyngealized and retroflexed vowels).[2]
Example words[3]
| IPA |
Gloss |
| /noː/ |
disease |
| /pọː/ |
scar |
| /mo˞e˞/ |
sprout |
| /a˞e˞/ |
tiger's den |
| /ha˞ːsu/ |
to spread out |
| /kạːʃu/ |
to remove |
| /i˞ːụ/ |
seven |
| /hụːj/ |
tamarind |
| /be˞ː/ |
bangle |
| /bẹː/ |
banana |
| /huj/ |
to strike |
| /hu˞j/ |
tamarind |
| /ụj/ |
chisel |
Note on transcriptions: rhoticity (e.g. [i˞], [e˞]) indicates half-retroflexion or pharyngealization; an underdot (e.g. [ị], [ẹ]) indicates full retroflexion.
[edit] Badaga Script
Several attempts at constructing an orthography based on Tamil, English and Kannada. Tamil, because many Badagas are literate in Tamil; English, this is a popular second language taught in schools; and Kannada, as Badaga is very closely related to Kannada.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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Italics indicate extinct languages (no surviving native speakers and no spoken descendant)
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