Kanikkaran

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A language of India

ISO 639-3
kev
Alternate Names
Kanikkar, Kannikan, Kannikaran, Kannikharan, Malampashi
Population

19,000 (2007). Ethnic population: 19,000.

Location

Kerala, Kozhikode, Ernakulam, Koliam, and Trivandrum districts, Neyyattinkara and Nedumangadu taluks; Tamil Nadu, Kanniyakumari and Tirunelveli districts.

Language Maps
Language Status

6a (Vigorous).

Classification
Dravidian, Southern, Tamil-Kannada, Tamil-Kodagu, Tamil-Malayalam, Tamil
Dialects

Lexical similarity: 71%–80% between Kanikkaran varieties in Kerala, 67%–71% between Kanikkaran in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, 66%–75% with Malayalam [mal], 59%–65% with Tamil [tam].

Language Use

Almost all in Kerala are shifting to Malayalam [mal], but those in Tamil Nadu use L1. Most also use Malayalam [mal] or Tamil [tam]; older people more proficient in Malayalam, youth in Tamil, the medium of education.

Language Development
Literacy rate in L2: 71%–80% in Kerala, 59%–68% in Tamil Nadu (2001 census).
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Kanikkaran
Other Comments

A Scheduled Tribe. Traditional religion, Hindu.