Kannada is the language of Karnataka. It has sprung from a common origin (Dravida) and the modern version has had liberal inputs from Sanskrit.

Kannada has three chief dialects - classical, medieval and modern. Ancient Kannada (Hale Kannada) shows an extraordinary amount of polish and refinement. It has several works written by Jaina scholars and appears to have been in use for literary purposes from at least the 10th to the middle of the 13th century.

Medieval Kannada began to appear as contained in the poetry of Saiva and Lingayat authors. From about the 16th century, medieval Kannada gradually got its present day modern character.

Here we present a user-friendly visitor's guide to help you converse in Kannada. It helps to roll your tongue a bit... Have fun with the local lingo!