LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 16:1 January 2016
ISSN 1930-2940

Managing Editor: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
Editors: B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. A. Sharada, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         Lakhan Gusain, Ph.D.
         Jennifer Marie Bayer, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         L. Ramamoorthy, Ph.D.
         C. Subburaman, Ph.D. (Economics)
         N. Nadaraja Pillai, Ph.D.
         Renuga Devi, Ph.D.
         Soibam Rebika Devi, M.Sc., Ph.D.
Assistant Managing Editor: Swarna Thirumalai, M.A.

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Kurichiya Tribe of Kerala - A Phonological Study

Dr. Syam S.K., M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D.

Abstract

Kurichiyas are one of the most developed tribes in Wayanad district. They live in scattered homesteads with a self-contained unit with its own hills and fields. They were said to be the first to settle in the Wayanad hills as farmers. Later in the revolt against the British and Muslims they were defeated by the British. The society of the Kurichiya tribes is complex as they maintain caste hierarchy. The Kurichiyas of Wayanad have a great martial tradition. They constituted the army of Pazhassi Raja who engaged the British forces in several battles. The descendants of those warriors are still expert archers. The excellence of Kurichiya archery has been exhibited recently at various centers. The main concern of this work is concentrated on the Language / Dialect spoken by this tribal Community. Hence the phonological analysis of this language has been done with the data elicited from the selected informants of the Kurichiya settlement in the Mananthavady Taluk of Wayanad District, Kerala State, India.

Keywords: Kurichiya tribe, Kerala, kurichiya dialect phonology

Introduction

Kurichiya is one of the major tribal communities of Kerala State in India. They are the first agricultural tribe to have settled in Wayanad district of Kerala. They migrated to Wayanad between the first and third century AD. They observe untouchability with other tribal communities in Wayanad and they claim to be the best of all other tribal groups.

1.1 Population

According to the 1971 Census, there were 15700 members of the Kurichiya tribe, among them 7996 were males and 7704 were females. According to the 1981 Census, the Kurichiya population in Kerala was 22,215. According to 1991 Census, the Kurichiya population was 28287 and it became 32746 by 2001 Census. 2011 Census data of Kurichiya shows a total of 35171 persons, with 17643 males and 17528 females. Thus, there is a progressive increase in the number of the members of the Kurichiya tribe in Kerala.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

Dr. Syam S.K. M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D.
Linguistic Cell
Department of Developmental Studies
Directorate of Kirtads
Chevayur P.O.
Calicut
Kerala
India
syamsivan@yahoo.co.in
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