Malasar

Print

A language of India

ISO 639-3
ymr
Alternate Names
Malayar
Population

7,760 (2001 census).

Location

Tamil Nadu, Coimbatore district, Pollachi taluk; Kerala, Palakkad district, Chittoor and Palakkad taluks.

Language Maps
Language Status

6a (Vigorous).

Classification
Dravidian, Southern, Unclassified
Dialects

Lexical similarity: 68%–74% with Tamil [tam], 79%–83% with Walayar Irula [iru], 77%–86% with Eravallan [era], 57%–61% with Malayalam [mal], 68%–75% with Mala Malasar [ima] (2004 survey); 52%–56% with Malaryan [mjq], 77%–82% between Malasar and Kollimalakkar, Kollimalakkar 80% with Malapulaya (2006 survey).

Language Use

Home, village, religion. all ages. Positive attitudes. Bilingual in Malayalam [mal] (in Kerala) increases with education but few have higher education. Bilingualism in Tamil [tam] reportedly widespread.

Language Development
Literacy rate in L2: 36% in Kerala, 22% in Tamil Nadu (2001 census).
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Malasar
Other Comments

A Scheduled Tribe. Kollimalakkar call themselves Malasar but are different culturally, belonging to the Malayali tribe of Tamil Nadu. They migrated to Nelliyampathy area in Kerala for work many years ago. Traditional religion, Hindu, Christian.