Koya language
| Koya | |
|---|---|
| Native to | India |
Native speakers | 407,423 (2011)[1] |
Dravidian
| |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | kff |
| Glottolog | koya1251 |
Koya is a South-Central Dravidian language of the Gondi–Kui group spoken by the Koya people. It is sometimes described as a dialect of Gondi, but it is mutually unintelligible with Gondi dialects.[2]
Koya is the language spoken by the tribal community in Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA), Bhadrachalam in Khammam district; ITDA, Rampachodavaram, East Godavari district; ITDA, Kotaramachandrapuram, West Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh. The Koyas also live in the southernmost part of Sukma in Chhattisgarh.
Koya is variously written in the Oriya, Telugu, Devanagari or Latin script. Sathupati Prasanna Sree has also developed a unique script for use with the Koya language. With 270,994 registered native speakers, it figures at rank 37 in the 1991 Indian census.[citation needed] There are textbooks developed in Koya language under Mother Tongue based Multilingual Education Programme by Government of Andhra Pradesh and implemented in 50 primary schools in Koya habitations.
References
- ^ "Statement 1: Abstract of speakers' strength of languages and mother tongues - 2011". www.censusindia.gov.in. Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 2018-07-07.
- ^ Bhadriraju Krishnamurti (2003). The Dravidian languages. Oxford University Press. pp. 25.