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Kukna language

Kukna
कुक्णा
Pronunciation kukɳa
Native to India
Region Karnataka, and in some parts of Kerala
Native speakers
110,000 (2001 census)
100,000 L2 users (1998)
Devanagari, Gujarati
Official status
Recognised minority
language in
Language codes
ISO 639-3
Glottolog kukn1238
KonLinguasphere.png
Distribution of native Kukna speakers in India

Kukna is a minority language spoken by the Saraswat Konkani people of Karnataka and in some parts of Kerala.

The Karnataka Saraswat dialects are referred to as Canara Konkani. The Kerala dialects are referred to as Travancore Konkani or Kerala Konkani. Certain dialects like the Canara Saraswat dialects of the Gaud Saraswats and Bhanaps are called आमचीगॆलॆं āmcigelẽ (lit. ours) and the dialect of the Cochin Gaud Saraswats is called कॊच्चिमांय koccimā̃y (lit. mother Cochin) by the members of those communities.

The word Canara is a Portuguese corruption of the word Kannada. The early Portuguese conquistadors referred to Konkani as lingoa Canarim as a reference to Canara.

Kukna is distinguished from the dialect spoken by the Catholics of Mangalore which has a separate language glotto code(mang1376).

Kukna is mainly spoken as a minority language in the Indian States of Karnataka, and in some parts of Kerala and Maharashtra. The speakers are concentrated in the districts of Uttara Kannada district, Udupi and Dakshina Kannada in Karnataka.

Influx of Konkani speakers into Canara happened in three time-lines :

According to the 1991 census of India, 40.1% Konkani speakers hail from the state of Karnataka. In Karnataka over 80% of them are from the coastal districts of North and South Canara, including Udupi. 3.6% of the Konkani speakers are from Kerala, and nearly half of them are from Ernakulam district.

Based on local language influence, Konkani speaking people are classified into three main regions:

This is the region north of the Gangolli river, starts from the Kali river of Karwar. North Canarites are called baḍgikār (Northerners) or simply baḍgi in Konkani. North Canara Konkani has more of Goan Konkani influence than Kannada influence compared to South Canara Konkani. The major Konkani speaking communities include:


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