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Dravidian

   Also found in: Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.01 sec.
Dra·vid·i·an  (dr-vd-n)
n.
1. A large family of languages spoken especially in southern India and northern Sri Lanka that includes Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada.
2. A member of any of the peoples that speak one of the Dravidian languages, especially a member of one of the pre-Indo-European peoples of southern India.

[From Sanskrit drvia, a Dravidian.]

Dra·vidi·an, Dra·vidic (-vdk) adj.

Dravidian [drəˈvɪdɪən]
n
1. (Linguistics / Languages) a family of languages spoken in S and central India and Sri Lanka, including Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, and Gondi
2. (Social Science / Peoples) a member of one of the aboriginal races of India, pushed south by the Indo-Europeans and now mixed with them
adj
(Social Science / Peoples) (Linguistics / Languages) denoting, belonging to, or relating to this family of languages or these peoples
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.DravidianDravidian - a member of one of the aboriginal races of India (pushed south by Caucasians and now mixed with them)
Indian - a native or inhabitant of India
Badaga - a member of an agricultural people of southern India
Gadaba - a member of an agricultural people in southeastern India
Gond - a member of a formerly tribal people in south central India
Canarese, Kanarese - a member of a Kannada-speaking group of people living chiefly in Kanara in southern India
Kolam - a member of a formerly tribal people now living in south central India
Kota, Kotar - a member of the Dravidian people living in the Nilgiri Hills in southern India
Kui - a member of the Dravidian people living in southeastern India
Malto - a member of the Dravidian people living in northern Bengal in eastern India
Savara - a member of the Dravidian people living in southern India
Tamil - a member of the mixed Dravidian and Caucasian people of southern India and Sri Lanka
Telugu - a member of the people in southeastern India (Andhra Pradesh) who speak the Telugu language
Toda - a member of a pastoral people living in the Nilgiri Hills of southern India
Tulu - a member of a Dravidian people living on the southwestern coast of India
2.Dravidian - a large family of languages spoken in south and central India and Sri Lanka
natural language, tongue - a human written or spoken language used by a community; opposed to e.g. a computer language
South Dravidian - a Dravidian language spoken primarily in southern India
South-Central Dravidian - a Dravidian language spoken primarily in south central India
Central Dravidian - a Dravidian language spoken primarily in central India
North Dravidian - a Dravidian language spoken primarily in eastern India


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There Craig helped prove that many of the deceased Branch Dravidians had shot themselves or had been shot to death by fellow cult members before the FBI rushed the compound, leading to the fire that consumed the cult's complex of buildings.
The two largest groups are the Indo-Aryans, who live mostly in the north, and the Dravidians, who have darker skin and live in the south.
Indian Ayurveda arose in a long process that involved Indo-European cultural encounter with a Dravidian population on the Indian subcontinent.
 
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