Kannada
is Unique in a few respects.
1]
The first encyclopedia was written in Kannada.
This was later translated to Sanskrit under name Shivatatvaratnakara.
2]
Kannada is the third oldest language of India.
(After Sanskrit & Tamil)
3]
Kannada is as old as 2000 years.
4]
Kannada is 99.99% perfect - logically and
scientifically.
5]
Kannada writers got 7 Gnana Peetha Awards
- highest among all languages .
6]
Shri VINOBA BHAVE has called Kannada script
as QUEEN OF WORLD SCRIPTS - " Vishwa lipigaLa RaaNi - kannada "
7]Kannada
is phonetic - you write as you speak
8]
When " kaviraja maarga was written . . ." kaaveriyimda , gOdaavarivaregirpa
... " by Amogha varsha nripathumga, English was in cradle & hindi was
not born at all.
9]
Kannada is the one of the first indian languages
for which a foreigner(Rev. Ferdinand Kittel) wrote a dictionary ( Shabda Kosha)
in the year 1894. 10]
Ragale Saahithya can be seen only in Kannada
which is of a rare and different kind of literature.
11] Kannada
Chandassu (shatpadis) out pared all other languages.
12]The
first record on Kannada language was traced
to Ashoka's Brahmagiri edict dated 230 BC.
13]Kannada
words were found in Greek comedies of first and second century AD.
14]The
first full- length Kannada edict at "Hanmidi"
(also known as Halmidi) dated AD 450. The first-ever available literary work is
"Kaviraja Maarga" (AD 850), a text of literary criticism during Rashtrakoota
dynasty when Amoghavarsha was the king. There are references to many poets and
writers such as Sri Vijaya, Kaveeshwara and Durvineeta in the text, which traces
the history of Kannada literature even then for over 1,200 years.
15]
The "vachana sahitya" tradition of the 12th century is purely native
and unique in world literature. It is the sum of contributions by all sections
of society.
16]
The 15th century saw the advent of Haridasa Saahitya, which made rich contributions
to Bhakti literature and Carnatic music.
17]
The 16th century composer Kanakadasa's "Ramadhanya Charite" is a rare
work on "class struggle" that marked the uninterrupted tradition of
the language and its literature.
*
Kannada has been developing both as a language
and a literature for over 2,000 years and eminently merits recognition as a classical
language.
Tracing
the antiquity of Kannada, a recently released
book titled " Kannada kisigannadi"
of Kannada Gelayara Balaga, Bangalore, claims that the term "Karnata"
figures in the Mahabharata. Sanskrit "Matachi" in Chandogya Upanishad
is the root form of "Midathe." The term "Isila" meaning a
town of forts is found in an inscription of Ashoka in Brahmagiri in Chitradurga
district. Kannada words are found in the Greek comedies of second AD and the Shatavahana
king Hala's "Gatha Sapta Shati."
