Kurumba, Betta

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A language of India

ISO 639-3
xub
Alternate Names
Kadu Kurumba, Urali Kurumba
Population

32,000 (2003 NLCI), increasing.

Location

Tamil Nadu, Nilgiri district, Gudalur and Panthalur taluks; Karnataka, Kodagu district, Virarajendrapet and Somvarpet taluks; Mysore district, Heggadadevanakote and Piriyapatna taluks; Chamrajnagar district, Gundlupet taluk; Kerala, Wayanad district, S. Bathery, Mananthavady and Vythiri taluks.

Language Maps
Language Status

5 (Developing).

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

A nonstandard variety of Tamil [tam] or Kannada [kan]. May be same as Betta Kurumba dialect in Coorg District. Lexical similarity: 59%–77% among groups that are called Betta Kurumba.

Language Use

CIIL lists Betta Kurumba as endangered. It is being studied by Annamalai University. Home, work, religion. Positive attitudes.

Language Development
Literacy rate in L2: 10%–15% in Tamil Nadu, 15%–20% in Karnataka, 40%–45% in Kerala. Favorable attitude toward literacy. Grammar.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Kurumba, Betta
Writing
Kannada script. Malayalam script. Tamil script.
Other Comments

’Kadu Kurumba’, jungle shepherds. ‘Betta Kurumba’, hill shepherds. 3 subdivisions: Ane (elephant) Kurumba, Bevina (neem tree) Kurumba, and Kolli (fire-brand) Kurumba. A Scheduled Tribe. Hindu.