Origin of Dravidian languages

[Lakshmi Srinivas]

I am afraid if you include the Tamil Brahmi inscriptions, the date
does get pushed further back.





---"Robert J. Zydenbos"  wrote:
>
> > When did each of Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Kannada first appear?
> > What is the earliest available literary work in these languages and
> > what period does it belong to?
>
> Tamil: earliest dated inscription 270 CE
> Kannada: earliest inscription ca. 450 CE
> Telugu: earliest inscription 633 CE
> Malayalam will be later.
>
> (See: K.V. Zvelebil, _Dravidian Linguistics: An Introduction_.
> Pondicherry: Pondicherry Institute of Linguistics and Culture, 1990.)
>
> The earliest literary work in Kannada is the Kaviraajamaarga, 9th
> century CE, which contains fragments of older works which are lost.
>
> RZ
>

==
Lakshmi Srinivas





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