Dravidian

Dravidian [druh-vid-ee-uh n] ExamplesWord Origin noun

1. a family of languages, wholly distinct from Indo-European, spoken mostly in southern India and Sri Lanka and including Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and, in Pakistan, Brahui.
2. a member of the aboriginal population occupying much of southern India and parts of Sri Lanka.

adjective

3. Also Dra·vid·ic. of or relating to this people or their language.

Origin of Dravidian 1855–60; Sanskrit Draviḍ(a) ethnonym + -ian Related formspre-Dra·vid·i·an, adjectivepre-Dra·vid·ic, adjective Examples from the Web for dravidian Historical Examples of dravidian

Tanjore and Madura are the seats of the Dravidian temples which we visited.

A Tour of the Missions

Augustus Hopkins Strong

In many ways like this, the Aryan and the Dravidian united to form the Hindu.

A Tour of the Missions

Augustus Hopkins Strong

It has been usual to set these down as earlier than Dravidian.

Castes and Tribes of Southern India

Edgar Thurston

They are undoubtedly a mixed Dravidian race, with much Aryan blood.

Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 15, Slice 7

Various

It proceeded from a hideous worship of monstrous Dravidian divinities.

Needlework As Art

Marian Alford

British Dictionary definitions for dravidian Dravidian noun

1. a family of languages spoken in S and central India and Sri Lanka, including Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, and Gondi
2. a member of one of the aboriginal races of India, pushed south by the Indo-Europeans and now mixed with them

adjective

3. denoting, belonging to, or relating to this family of languages or these peoples

Word Origin and History for dravidian Dravidian adj.

1856, “pertaining to the race in southern India or the languages spoken by them,” from Sanskrit Dravidah, name of a region in southern India, + -ian.