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The
most popular explanation that is given to the word
telugu is that it comes from the word trilinga,
i.e. from the three temples at Srisailam, Drakasharamam,
and Kaleshwaram. However, not many scholars accept
this view. Let us examine some of them here.
Khandavalli Lakshmi Ranjanam
It probably comes from the word talaing. Since
tala refers to head, talaings refers to leaders.
Probably, talaings were civilized people and conquered
the tribals in the area of current Andhra pradesh.
Hence the name talaings. Later this must have given
rise to the words telungu and trilinga.
Godavarti
Ramadasu
Some say that the word telugu comes from the Sanskrit
forms trilinga or trikalinga: Actually,
the word kalinga itself is a Dravidian word. In Kui
language, rice is called Kulinga. Since Kuis were
mainly rice eaters, Aryans might have called them
kulingas or kalingas.
Marepalli
Ramachandra Shastri
In Gondi languahge, unga is form for plural.
telu means white. Hence, telunga probably
refers to people who are white in complexion.
Ganti
Jogi Somayaji
ten refers to south in Proto-Dravidian. Hence
tenungu refers to Southerners.
But
all of our south indian languages are derived from
a common language called "DRAVIDA", but
luckily telugu is the sweetest language out of them.
That way people say it "italian of the east"(
ref: sir C.P.Brown).Telugu literature was started
in 11th century by the great person named " NANNAYYA".
He was the first person who gave life to our telugu
literature first time. He put his efforts to write
"MAHABHARATHAM" in telugu. Before that there
is no single telugu literature. So we can say telugu
literature stated in 11th century.
Which
of the two words is older? telugu or tenugu
? Some say that tenugu is older than telugu because
Nannaya used the word tenugu and Ketana who is younger
than Nannaya used the word telugu in his Andhra Bhaashaa
Bhushanam. Malliya Raechana wrote a grammar book (Lakshana
Granthamu) called Kavi Janaashrayamu. But he didn't
use this word in the place of 'praasa' anywhere, so
we are not sure what he really used.
The
popular notion is that the first person to use the
word trilinga is Vidyanaatha in Kakatiya era. Actually,
the first person to use the word trilinga is Rajashekhara
in Vidhdhasaala Bhanjika. He is the first person to
use trilinga with a ra vattu . Markandeya and Vayu
Puranas mention only tilinga. One of the oldest works
in Tamil called Agattiyam says Konganam Kannadam Kollam
telungam . On the whole, it is more probable that
the word telugu is older than the word tenugu
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