Urali

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A language of India

ISO 639-3
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Alternate Names
Oorazhi, Uraly, Urli
Population

No known L1 speakers. Ethnic population: 6,440 (2001 census).

Location

Kerala, Idukki district, Upputhara, Kanchiyar, Vannappuram, Velliyamattom, and Ayyappankovil panchayats.

Language Status

9 (Dormant).

Classification
Dravidian, Southern, Tamil-Kannada, Kannada
Dialects

Shares features with Tamil [tam], Irula [iru], and Kannada [kan] (Lal 1991). Lexical similarity: 60%–71% with Malayalam [mal], 54%–58% with Tamil [tam].

Language Use

Mainly older adults. Still exists to some extent in two interior settlements, Memari and Vanchivayal. Being replaced by Malayalam [mal].

Language Development
Literacy rate in L2: 73% (2001 census).
Other Comments

A Scheduled Tribe. Irali Urali is a dialect of Irula [iru] in Tamil Nadu. Urali Kurumba is an alternate name for Betta Kurumba [xub] in Wayanad District, Kerala. Traditional religion.