Tulu
has been classified as a Southern Dravidian language, like Tamil, Kannada and
Malayalam, all of which are considered to have been originated from a
Proto-South Dravidian base. Linguists consider that from a branch of Proto-South
Dravidian Tulu and Koraga languages evolved or developed.
Pre-Dravidian Languages
However,
available data and studies suggest that Koraga (and other similar tribal) languages
and cultures prevailed in the Karavali and in parts of southern India well before
the advent of Dravidian languages proper, such as Tulu, Tamil and Kannada, even
though they (the former) were subsequently modified and evolved after absorbing
some of the features of Dravidian languages in the due course. Thus it is
possible that Koraga and other similar tribal languages in their original form
represent an earlier generation of languages that prevailed in this land. However
in the race of evolution many of the tribal languages have receded in their
prominence or have been weakened and erased ultimately.
South Dravidian Languages
The
inter-relationship among the South Dravidian languages is interesting. All the
three South Dravidian languages could have evolved simultaneously and
contemporaneously, mainly through oral literature, even though Tamil has been
regarded generally as the oldest because of the presence of ample ancient
literatures dating back to the Sangam period. Tulu also had its own
contemporaneous Sangam period as evidenced by the presence of oral literature
like the legends of Siri, preserved by the oral form of pāDdana genre. Early Kannada also probably had similar
oral forms which unfortunately may not have been preserved or documented after
the introduction of written formats.
Tulu
and Kannada have an intimate
relationship evidently since the early centuries of Common Era. Tulu chieftains
and soldiers migrated and found occupation with Kannada
Kings in hey days. Thus old Kannada and medieval Kannada shared cultural
aspects with common words, grammar and script.
Tamil and Tulu apparently had limited
lingual interactions after the passage of Early Sangam period, after fourth or
fifth century CE. However, they were closer to each other culturally in the
early centuries of CE and period before that. Tamil Sangam literatures have documented
appreciation of the merits of contemporaneous Tulu Kings and soldiers. Tulu has
retained some of the old Dravidian words it shared with Tamils without alteration
even after its hegemony with Kannada. Let us take for example the Tulu word kanDani.
Kandani =husband
Tulu
(kanDani) shares the key word for
husband with the Tamil (kanDan) which
differs from the Kannada (ganDa) equivalent.
[ D pronounced as in Dog].
Check the equivalent versions in some of the southern Indian languages:
Tulu = kanDani, kanDane
Tamil
=kanDan.
Kannada
= ganDa.
Kota
= ganDa.
Telugu
= ganDa
**
Koraga =( kor),
koraga
It
can be seen that Tamil and Tulu shared the common word ‘kanDan’ during the history. The original kanDan in Tulu modified into ’kanDani’,
‘kanDāni’
or ‘kanDane’ etc. The equivalent
Kannada, Kodagu, Telugu, (also Kota, Havyaka) version is ‘ganDa’ [or ‘ganDu’=male.]
which is a case of transition of consonants ka.>ga. This ka.>ga. replacement could have been a general regional variation in
the pronunciation of the words or an evolutionary feature. In case this was a
regional variant then it may suggest the pattern of movement and migration routes
of the early Dravidian tribes (Fig 304).
The -an suffix for masculine indicative
tag prevalent in Tamil was also common in early Tulu as well as in Kannada. In
Tulu it has been retained as a vestige in lineage names like Anchan, Kanchan,
Maindan, Salian, etc. In some cases, the early –an became –anna
as in Bangeranna, Kuberanna, Taburanna, Sundaranna etc. The lineage tag in Tulu
–annāya
( for example, Saliannaya, Bangerannaya, etc) and –āya (for example, Pejattāya,
Kukkillāya
etc) was also evolved from the early –an suffix.
Tulu-Koraga: Dravida relations
Historical
reconstructions and indirect evidences from the study of ethnonyms suggest that
Koraga and other tribes had inhabited the Karavali well before the arrival of
Tulu immigrants. In other words, the Koraga and other tribal languages predated
the Tulu language proper. In such a situation effect of transition of
predominantly prevailing language in the region to the newly introduced (and
eventually dominated) language has to be visualized and understood. Thus Tulu
language appears to have evolved and grown by adopting some of the words and
features of the tribal languages that existed previously in the terrain. Similarly
the original content and structure of the pre-existing languages, such as
Koraga were apparently modified eventually as a consequence of invasion of the
new Tulu language in the area. This event could have happened somewhere around ca.700-500 BC or later.( This kind of give
and take of amalgamation and transition of languages appears to have happened all
over southern India especially in the case of Tamil Kannada, Telugu etc..)
It
is interesting that Koraga do not have equivalent of the word kanDan or kanDani .In Koraga
language the term ‘Koraga’ itself represents a man or husband.(This is the general
case with many of the tribal languages wherein the name of the tribe means either
man or human being or husband.). The Koraga tribes now are prevalent only in
parts of the Karavali, but earlier these tribes or their equivalents pervaded
all over southern India. Note that another word for husband in Tamil is ‘koruntan’. Wherein the prefix ‘kor’ clearly appears to have been borrowed during
the early Tamil phase from the precursor language of Kor, Koraga or its
equivalent.
Tulu-Tamil sharing
Tulu
shares many words with Early Tamil like, for example, ill (=house), bākil (=door), unakal (=dried), oode (=place),
okkel (=farming), kaTTa (=difficulty), tārage(=star),
tingol=(moon), tirey (=wave), parel (=piece),
pugar (=praise), puncha(=group), poli (=light)
etc.
