Abstract

Kolami is spoken by 80,000 people who live near Wardha and Kinwat in Maharashtra and in the Adilabad district of Andhra Pradesh (1981 Census). The language comprises three dialects: Adilabad (A), Naik?i (N) and Wardha (W). The speakers call themselves k?lavar (W)/kolavar (A) ‘Kolam’ and their language k?lav p?na (W)/kolava go??i (A) ‘Kolami’. Most Kolams also speak Marathi, a fact that has naturally influenced the structure of Kolami. While Grierson (1906: 561–5) first recognised Kolami as a distinct Dravidian language, others had noted its distinctiveness earlier. As a Central Dravidian language, Kolami is most closely related to Gadaba, Naiki of Chanda and Parji.