Kurumba, Betta
A language of India
| Population | 32,000 (2003), increasing. |
| Region | Tamil Nadu, Nilgiri District, Gudalur, Panthalur taluks; Karnataka, Kodagu District, Virarajendrapet, Somvarpet taluks; Mysore District, Heggadadevanakote, Piriyapatna taluks; Chamrajnagar District, Gundlupet taluk; Kerala, Wayanad District, S. Bathery, Mananthavady, Vythiri taluks. |
| Alternate names | Kadu Kurumba, Urali Kurumba |
| Dialects | A nonstandard variety of Tamil [tam] or Kannada [kan]. May be same as Betta Kurumba dialect in Coorg District. Lexical similarity: 59%–77% among groups that are called ‘Betta Kurumba’. |
| Classification | Dravidian, Southern, Tamil-Kannada, Tamil-Kodagu, Tamil-Malayalam, Tamil |
| Language use | The Central Institute of Indian Languages lists Betta Kurumba as endangered. It is being studied by Annamalai University. Home, work, religion. Positive attitude. |
| Language development | Literacy rate in L2: 10%–15% in Tamil Nadu, 15%–20% in Karnataka, 40%–45% in Kerala. Favorable attitude toward literacy. Grammar. |
| Writing system | Kannada script. Malayalam script. Tamil script. |
| Comments | ‘Kadu Kurumba’ means ‘Jungle Shepherds’. ‘Betta Kurumba’ means ‘Hill Shepherds’. 3 subdivisions: Ane (elephant) Kurumba, Bevina (neem tree) Kurumba, and Kolli (fire-brand) Kurumba. A Scheduled Tribe. Swidden agriculturalists; basket makers; laborers. Hindu. |
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