User:Gnanapiti/Sandbox/Kannada Grammar

Kannada Grammar broadly refers to the grammar of Kannada language from early stages of written tradition in that language to modern Kannada which is prevalent today. Features of Kannada language during earlier centuries can be deciphered through inscriptions in the forms of hero stones and on walls and pillars of the temples, detached stone-tablets and monumental stones, and on copper-plates. The language used in Halmidi inscription dated 450 CE which is the oldest known Kannada script inscription so far exhibits archaic features. The language and grammar was greatly influenced by Sanskrit as can be seen from the blending of Kannada and Sanskrit vocables, similes and so on. . Kavirajamarga dated 850 CE which is the earliest extant writing on literary criticism and poetics in the Kannada language helps greatly as a guide to Kannada grammar that existed in that period. The author Amoghavarsha mentions of an old Kannada and advises the poets to desist from using the archaic forms in their works. The earliest grammarian in Kannada language is Nagavarma, author of Karnataka bhasha bhushana who appears to belong to second half of 11th century. In 1260, Kesiraja wrote a comprehensive book on Kannada grammar called Sabdamanidarpana (mirror or word jewels). In Kesiraja's age most of the rules of the Kannada grammar were fixed. The rules here are set forth in kanda metre and followed by a prose commentary by the author and is considered a writing of high value. The ancient Kannada grammarians held the study of grammar in high esteem, as may be learned from the following words of the author of the Sabdamanidarpana Through grammar (correct) words originate, through the words of that grammar meaning (originates), through meaning the beholding of truth, through the beholding of truth the desirod final beatitude; this (final beatitude) is the fruit for the learned

Inscriptions found in 10th - 14th centuries show great variations in the language evidenced by change in usage of vowels, causative marker, accusative marker, locative marker and dropping of final -n.

Alphabets
The name of a pure, true  letter is akshara, akkara, or varna''. Each letter has it's own form and sound. Kannada is written from left to right. There are forty-nine characters in total in it's alphasyllabary. The characters are phonemic. The number of written symbols, however, is far more than the 49 characters in the alphasyllabary, because different characters can be combined to form compound characters or ottakshara. Each written symbol in the Kannada script corresponds with one syllable, as opposed to one phoneme in languages like English. The Kannada writing system is an abugida, with consonants appearing with an inherent vowel. The characters are classified into three categories: swaras (vowels), vyanjanas (consonants) and yogavaahas (part vowel, part consonants).