The Story of the Telugu Language

 

The Story of the Telugu Language

“Language comes first. It is not that language grows out of consciousness, if you have not got language, you cannot be conscious,” writes British author Alan Moore.

Perhaps prior to Shri P.V. Narasimha Rao occupying the exalted position of Prime Minister, every one living south of the Vindhyas was a ‘Madrasi’.

I reckon even today, one would only sporadically be aware that Telugu is a vowel ending language, and is among the four Dravidian languages.

Very few know that Telugu literature has produced two Jnanpith awardees in Viswanatha Satyanarayana and Dr C. Narayana Reddy.

Telugu literature or sahityam is the body of works written in the Telugu language. It comprises of poems, novels, short stories, dramas, ghazals and puranas. The embellished and ornate corpus of Telugu literature has its roots going to the early 10^th century period.

As per myth the first Telugu author was Kannaiah, who lived at the court of Andhiraya. During the reign of that king, Sanskrit was said to have been introduced in the Telugu country and Kannaiah had apparently dealt with Telugu grammar after the methods of Sanskrit philologists. Alas his works are lost in the sands of time.