tel ISO 639
తెలుగు (Telugu) Autonyms
Telugu
Visualizations
A language of India
- ISO 639
- tel
- Alternate Names
- Andhra, Tailangi, Telangire, Telegu, Telgi, Telinga, Teloogoo, Telungu, Tengu, Tenungu, Terangi, Tolangan, Trilinga, “Gentoo” (pej.)
- Autonym
- తెలుగు (Telugu)
- Population
- 93,900,000 in India, all users. L1 users: 80,900,000 in India (2011 census). L2 users: 13,000,000 (2011 census). Total users in all countries: 95,701,490 (as L1: 82,701,490; as L2: 13,000,000).
- Location
- Mainly Andhra Pradesh and Telangana states; Chhattisgarh state: Bijapur; Karnataka state: Bangalore Rural, Bellary, east Bidar, Chikkaballapura, Chitradurga, Gulbarga, all of Kolar, Raichur, Tumkur, and Yadgir; Maharashtra state: Gadchiroli district, eastern enclaves; Puducherry union territory; Odisha state: Gajapati, Koraput, Malkangiri, and Rayagada; Tamil Nadu state: Chennai city, Thirvallur and Vellore.
- Language Maps
- India: Index map
- Language Status
- 2 (Provincial). Statutory provincial language in Andhra Pradesh State; Telangana State: Puducherry Union Territory, Andaman and Nicobar islands (1950, Constitution, Schedule VIII).
- Classification
- Dravidian, South-Central, Telugu
- Dialects
- Berad, Dasari, Dommara, Golari, Kamathi, Komtao, Konda-Reddi, Salewari, Telangana, Telugu, Vadaga, Srikakula, Vishakhapatnam, East Godaveri, Rayalseema, Nellore, Guntur, Vadari, Yanadi (Yenadi).
- Typology
- SOV; postpositions; noun head final; gender; no articles; case-marking (7 cases); verb affixes mark person, number gender of subject; passives; tense; causatives; 21 consonant and 11 vowel phonemes; non-tonal; stress on first syllable; inclusive/exclusive pronouns.
- Language Use
- Used as L2 by Bodo Gadaba [gbj], Chenchu [cde], Koya [kff], Kupia [key], Lambadi [lmn], Manna-Dora [mju], Mudhili Gadaba [gau], Northwestern Kolami [kfb], Pottangi Ollar Gadaba [gdb], Vaagri Booli [vaa], Waddar [wbq], Yerukula [yeu].
- Language Development
- Taught in primary and secondary schools through grade 5 and as subject thereafter in Andhra Pradesh state, Telangana state, and Puducherry Union Territory. Fully developed. Bible: 1854–2002.
- Writing
- Braille script [Brai]. Telugu script [Telu], primary usage.
- Language Resources
- OLAC resources in and about Telugu
Also Spoken in
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of United Arab Emirates
Language Name
Telugu
User Population
485,000 in United Arab Emirates (2020).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Australia
Language Name
Telugu
User Population
34,400 in Australia (2016 census).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Bahrain
Language Name
Telugu
User Population
18,700 in Bahrain (2019).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Canada
Language Name
Telugu
User Population
15,700 in Canada (2016 census).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Finland
Language Name
Telugu
User Population
1,240 in Finland (2021 census).
- Language Status
- 8a (Moribund)
- Language Use
- Older adults only. Shifted to Fiji Hindi [hif].
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Fiji
Language Name
Telugu
User Population
Few in Fiji. Ethnic population: 33,000 (2019).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of United Kingdom
Language Name
Telugu
User Population
14,700 in United Kingdom (2011 census).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Sri Lanka
Language Name
Telugu
User Population
230,000 in Sri Lanka (2019).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Myanmar
Language Name
Telugu
User Population
140,000 in Myanmar (Leclerc 2017d).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Mauritius
Language Name
Telugu
User Population
19,000 in Mauritius (Leclerc 2018c).
- Location
- Peninsular.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Malaysia
Language Name
Telugu
User Population
119,000 in Malaysia (2021 Joshua Project), based on ethnicity.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of New Zealand
Language Name
Telugu
User Population
5,750 in New Zealand (2018 census).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Oman
Language Name
Telugu
User Population
13,300 in Oman (2020).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Saudi Arabia
Language Name
Telugu
User Population
451,000 in Saudi Arabia (2019).
- Location
- Scattered.
- Language Status
- 5 (Dispersed)
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Singapore
Language Name
Telugu
User Population
800 in Singapore (2018 J. Leclerc).
- Location
- Scattered.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Language Use
- Most also use English [eng].
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of United States
Language Name
Telugu
User Population
248,000 in United States (2015 census).
- Language Status
- 5 (Dispersed)
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of South Africa
Language Name
Telugu
User Population
4,900 in South Africa (2020 Joshua Project), based on ethnicity.
