MALAYALAM: a language of India

The following is the entry for this language as it appeared in the 14th edition (2000).
It was superseded by the corresponding entry in the 15th edition (2005). See also the corresponding entry in the current edition of Ethnologue.

SIL code: MJS

ISO 639-1: ml

ISO 639-2: mal

Population	35,351,000 in India (1997 IMA). Population total all countries 35,706,000 or more.
Region	Kerala, Laccadive Islands, and neighboring states. Also spoken in Bahrain, Fiji, Israel, Malaysia, Qatar, Singapore, UAE, United Kingdom.
Alternate names	ALEALUM, MALAYALANI, MALAYALI, MALEAN, MALIYAD, MALLEALLE, MOPLA
Dialects	MALABAR, NAGARI-MALAYALAM, MALAYALAM, SOUTH KERALA, CENTRAL KERALA, NORTH KERALA, KAYAVAR, NAMBOODIRI, MOPLAH, PULAYA, NASRANI, NAYAR.
Classification	Dravidian, Southern, Tamil-Kannada, Tamil-Kodagu, Tamil-Malayalam, Malayalam.
Comments	Caste and communal dialects: Namboodiri, Nayar, Moplah, Pulaya, Nasrani. State language of Kerala. The Cochin Jews in Kerala speak Malayalam. National language. Malayalam script. Saivite Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Jewish. Bible 1841-1998.

Also spoken in:

Singapore

Language name	MALAYALAM
Population	10,000 speakers in Singapore, .4% of the population, out of 14,000 in the ethnic group (1993).
Alternate names	ALEALUM, MALAYALANI, MALAYAL, MALEAN, MALIYAD, MALLEALLE, MOPLA
Comments	Malayalam script. Christian. Bible 1841-1998. See main entry under India.