Chenchu language

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Chenchu language (IPA: [t͡ʃent͡ʃu]) is a Dravidian language which belongs to the Telugu branch of its South-Central family. This language is spoken mostly in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana states in India by about 280,764 people (1981 census) of the Chenchu Aboriginal forests hunter-gatherer tribe. It is also called Chenchukulam, Chenchwar, Chenswar or Choncharu.

References

Sources

• Krishnamurti, Bhadriraju (2003). The Dravidian Languages. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-139-43533-8.

• "Chenchu language". Ethnologue: Languages of the World. Retrieved 1 June 2025. Chenchu is a vulnerable Dravidian language spoken in forested regions of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana by the Chenchu tribe, classified as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group.
• Zvelebil, Kamil (1990). Dravidian Linguistics: An Introduction. Pondicherry Institute of Linguistics and Culture. ISBN 978-81-8545-201-2.

Further reading

• Government of India, Ministry of Tribal Affairs (2020). Report on Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) (PDF) (Report). Retrieved 1 June 2025. The Chenchu tribe is one of the 75 PVTGs, with a distinct language and culture in forested areas of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

• Reddy, V. S. S. (2019). "Language Endangerment and Preservation: The Case of Chenchu" (PDF). International Journal of Dravidian Linguistics. 48 (1): 45–56. Retrieved 1 June 2025. The use of Telugu language has increased among Chenchu children, contributing to endangerment of the Chenchu language.

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