Languages — Set 4
Arts & Culture · भाषाएं · Questions 31–40 of 50
Which Indian language has the second-highest number of native speakers in India after Hindi?
Correct Answer: C. Bengali
Bengali is the second most spoken language in India by native speakers. It is the official language of West Bengal and Tripura. Globally, it is also the national language of Bangladesh.
The 'Kannada' language belongs to which language family?
Correct Answer: A. Dravidian
Kannada is one of the major Dravidian languages of South India. It has a literary history spanning over a thousand years. It is the official language of the state of Karnataka.
Which language script is written from top to bottom traditionally, though rarely used in India?
Correct Answer: B. Chinese
Traditional Chinese characters were written in vertical columns from top to bottom. While most modern Chinese is written horizontally, the vertical style is still used in specific cultural contexts. Most Indian scripts have always been horizontal from left to right.
Which state's official language is 'Malayalam'?
Correct Answer: B. Kerala
Malayalam is the official language of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (Mahé). It is known for its complex grammar and high number of letters. It achieved 'Classical Language' status in 2013.
What is the official language of the Indian state of Odisha?
Correct Answer: A. Odia
Odia is the official language of Odisha and is one of the Classical Languages of India. It has a unique rounded script that developed to avoid tearing palm leaves while writing. It is spoken by about 4.5% of India's population.
The 'Devanagari' script is written in which direction?
Correct Answer: B. Left to Right
Devanagari is written from left to right. A horizontal line known as the 'Shirorekha' is drawn on top of the characters. This script is used for Sanskrit, Hindi, Marathi, and Nepali.
Which language is primarily spoken in the Lakshadweep islands besides Malayalam?
Correct Answer: D. Mahl
Mahl is a dialect of Dhivehi (the language of Maldives) and is spoken on Minicoy Island. It is written in the Thaana script. It is the only language in India that is closely related to the languages of the Maldives.
The 'Assamese' language is written in a script very similar to which other language?
Correct Answer: B. Bengali
The Assamese script is nearly identical to the Bengali script, with only two characters being different. Both scripts evolved from the ancient Kamrupi script. Assamese is the easternmost Indo-Aryan language.
Which language serves as the second official language of Telangana?
Correct Answer: A. Urdu
Urdu was declared the second official language of Telangana shortly after the state's formation. This reflects the significant Urdu-speaking population in the state, especially in Hyderabad. Urdu has historically been a language of administration in the Deccan.
Which of the following is a Classical Language of India?
Correct Answer: A. Sanskrit
Sanskrit was the second language to be declared a Classical Language in 2005. The other classical languages include Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Odia. Marathi was recently recommended for this status but has not been finalized in all standard lists.