Koya language

Koya is a South-Central Dravidian language of the Gondi–Kui group spoken in central and southern India. It is the native language of the Koya people. It is sometimes described as a dialect of Gondi, but it is mutually unintelligible with Gondi dialects.[2]

Not to be confused with Kele language (Gabon) or Kwasio language.
Koya
కోయా, କୋୟା, कोया
Native toIndia
EthnicityKoya
Native speakers
407,423 (2011)[1]
Dravidian
  • South-Central
    • Gondi–Kui
      • Kuvi–Kui
        • Koya
Telugu, Odia, Devanagari
Language codes
ISO 639-3kff
Glottologkoya1251

Koya is the language spoken by the tribal community in Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA), Bhadrachalam in Khammam district; ITDA, Rampachodavaram, East Godavari district; ITDA, Kotaramachandrapuram, West Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh. The Koyas also live in the southernmost part of Sukma in Chhattisgarh and Malkangiri, the southwesternmost district of Odisha.

Koya is variously written in the Oriya, Telugu, Devanagari or Latin script. Sathupati Prasanna Sree has also developed a unique script for use with the Koya language. With 270,994 registered native speakers, it figures at rank 37 in the 1991 Indian census. There are textbooks developed in Koya language under Mother Tongue based Multilingual Education Programme by Government of Andhra Pradesh and implemented in 50 primary schools in Koya habitations.

References
  1. "Statement 1: Abstract of speakers' strength of languages and mother tongues - 2011". www.censusindia.gov.in. Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 2018-07-07.
  2. Bhadriraju Krishnamurti (2003). The Dravidian languages. Oxford University Press. pp. 25.
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