CAPF AC 2020 Q45: Art & Culture – Literature & Languages
Dardic group of language belongs to which language family?
- (a) Indo European
- (b) Austric
- (c) Sino-Tibetan
- (d) Dravidian
Answer: (a) Indo European
Explanation
Dardic languages
How to think: Dardic languages are spoken in Kashmir and the far north-west.
The best known is Kashmiri, which is an Indo-Aryan language.
Indo-Aryan is a branch of the Indo-European family.
| Language family in India | Other name | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Indo-European | Arya | Hindi, Bengali, Punjabi, Kashmiri |
| Dravidian | Dravida | Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam |
| Austric | Nishada | Santhali, Mundari, Khasi |
| Sino-Tibetan | Kirata | Bodo, Manipuri, Ladakhi |
The Dardic group:
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Family | Indo-European (Indo-Aryan branch) |
| Languages | Kashmiri, Shina, Khowar, Kohistani |
| Region | Kashmir valley, Gilgit, Chitral, upper Indus valley |
Answer: (a) Indo European.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) CORRECT. The Dardic group, including Kashmiri, belongs to the Indo-European family.
- (b) Incorrect. Austric covers tribal languages such as Santhali, Mundari and Khasi.
- (c) Incorrect. Sino-Tibetan covers languages of the Himalayas and the North-East.
- (d) Incorrect. Dravidian languages are spoken mainly in South India.
Key point
Dardic group (Kashmiri, Shina, Khowar, Kohistani) = Indo-European family (Indo-Aryan branch). Four families in India: Indo-European, Dravidian, Austric, Sino-Tibetan.
Remember
Dardic (Kashmiri) = Indo-European family.
Common mistakes
- Choosing Sino-Tibetan because the Dardic region lies in the Himalayas.
- Not linking Kashmiri with the Dardic group.
- Mixing up Ladakhi (Sino-Tibetan) with Kashmiri (Indo-European).
Exam tip
Anchor on one language: Dardic means Kashmiri, and Kashmiri is Indo-Aryan.
Sources
- NCERT Class XII Geography — India: People and Economy (Population: linguistic composition)
- Census of India — Language families of India