9.2    Yerava and other Dravidian, languages

As already pointed out in 1.12.2 in literature Yerava is sometimes considered as an independent language and some times as a dialect of Malayalam. In this context, some of the linguistic features of both Malayalam and Yerava are compared at phonological morphological and syntactic levels.

Before doing so, since Yerava is spoken in this environment of Kannada and Kodagu language speaking area, tables indicating some of the linguistic features of all the three are given.

9.2.1.    Yerava, Kodagu and Kannada

Phonology

The central vowels present in Kodagu:/i/ and /e/ are absent in Yerava. The affricate // present in Yerava is not found in Kodagu and Kannada. The fricatives /s/, /s/, /s/ and h/ in both Kodagu and Kannada are absent in Yerava. The nasal [N] is phoemic in Kodagu but it is only an allphone in Yerava.

The Yerava shares the character of euophonic/u/ with Kannada.

Morphology

Cases Yerava Kodagu Kannada Nom -Ø/-e -Ø -Ø Acc. -e -a -annu Inst. -li -oi/-koi -inda Soci. -ku:a/-jote -o:e -jote/-ku:a Dat. -gu/-ku -ki -kke/-akke/-ge/-ige Abl. -indu -iji -inda Gen. -a -ra/-a -a Loc. -li -li/-alli -alli Purposive. -a:yi (cu) -a:yti -a:gi