Definition

1. Noun:
   • A Dravidian language: Refers to the specific dialect of the Kannada language spoken by the Badaga people in the Nilgiri district of Tamil Nadu, India.
   • An ethnic group: Refers to a member of an agricultural community indigenous to the Nilgiri Hills in southern India.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Language):

  • The linguist recorded stories in Badaga to study its unique features.
  • Badaga has its own distinct vocabulary and pronunciation compared to standard Kannada.

• Noun (People):

  • A Badaga explained the traditional farming techniques used on the hills.
  • The Badaga have lived in the Nilgiris for centuries.

Advanced Usage

• Ethnolinguistic identifier: The term is used in academic contexts to specify both the language and its speakers as a distinct cultural and linguistic group within the Dravidian family.
  • The study focused on Badaga kinship terms and their cultural significance.

Variants and Related Words

• Badagas (noun, plural): The people collectively.
  • The Badagas are known for their terrace farming.

Synonyms

• (For the people): Badaga people, Badaga community.
• (For the language): Badaga dialect, Badaga speech.

Notes

• The term is inherently a proper noun referring to a specific ethnolinguistic entity. It is typically used without articles (e.g., "She speaks Badaga," not "She speaks the Badaga").

Noun

1. the dialect of Kannada that is spoken by the Badaga
2. a member of an agricultural people of southern India