Kannada

American  

[kah-nuh-duh, kan-uh-] / ˈkɑ nə də, ˈkæn ə- /

noun

1. a Dravidian language spoken mainly in the state of Karnataka, in southwest India.

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Kannada British  

/ ˈkæn-, ˈkɑːnədə /

noun

1. Also called: Kanarese.  a language of S India belonging to the Dravidian family of languages: the state language of Karnataka, also spoken in Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra

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Usage

What does Kannada mean? Kannada is the name of a language mainly spoken in the Indian state of Karnataka. The Republic of India is a south Asian country made up of 25 states and 7 territories, with the state of Karnataka located in the southwest. Kannada is one of the languages that make up the Dravidian family of languages native to southern India and Sri Lanka. Kannada is also known as Kanarese. Kannada is the state language of Karnataka and is among the most popular languages in India. Worldwide, over 40 million people speak Kannada.

Example Sentences

Mushtaq made history earlier this year when she became the first author writing in the Kannada language to win an International Booker.

From BBC • Aug. 29, 2025

Mushtaq worked hard to become fluent in Kannada, but this alien tongue would become the language she chose for her literary expression.

From BBC • May 20, 2025

It is the first book written in the Kannada language, which is spoken in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, to win the prestigious prize.

From BBC • May 20, 2025

The newfound capability presented an advantage for national politicians versed primarily in India’s official language, Hindi, to transmit communications to voters in southern states in other languages and dialects, like Kannada and Malayalam.

From Slate • Jun. 6, 2024

Here in Chennai we speak Tamil, but my parents grew up in a nearby state where they spoke Kannada.

From "Born Behind Bars" by Padma Venkatraman