Kuvi is an indigenous Dravidian language primarily spoken by the Konda Dora tribe in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. It belongs to the South Central Dravidian language group. With around 40,000 speakers, Kuvi is classified as an endangered language by UNESCO.
The Kuvi language exhibits a rich and unique linguistic structure, encompassing various regional dialects. It has its own distinct script, known as the Kuvi script, which is a variation of the Telugu script. Kuvi vocabulary draws influences from other Dravidian languages as well as neighboring Indo-Aryan languages like Odia and Telugu.
Morphologically, Kuvi is an agglutinative language, characterized by the use of affixes to denote various grammatical features, including tense, mood, and case. The language follows a subject-object-verb (SOV) word order, and it also makes extensive use of postpositions instead of prepositions.
The Kuvi language plays a significant role in the cultural identity and oral traditions of the Konda Dora community. It serves as a medium for storytelling, folk songs, and religious rituals. However, due to increasing globalization, migration, and the dominance of major regional languages, the usage and preservation of Kuvi have been declining steadily over the years.
Efforts are being made by linguists and researchers to document and revitalize the Kuvi language through various initiatives, including literacy programs, language education, and the development of language learning resources. These endeavors aim to safeguard and celebrate the linguistic and cultural diversity of the Konda Dora tribe.
