Karnataka > Tamil Language in Karnataka
Kannada and Tamil originated from the same proto-Dravidian language and Kannada is next only to Tamil in antiquity in this group, Kannada and Tamil have influenced each other immensely. The Pallava and Chola dynasties ruled over large parts of the present Karnataka. The Gangas, Chalukyas, Hoysalas and the Vijayanagara emperors ruled over parts of Tamilnadu. The word Karnataka itself appears to have been a contribution of the Tamils as it is used as 'Karunat' in Tamil works like 'Shilappadikaram'. The two languages are so close to each other that some of the expressions of early Kannada are also found in Tamil. Numerous Tamil inscriptions are found in present day Karnataka and numerous Kannada inscriptions are found in present-day Tamilnadu. Many Tamil words are found in Kannada with slight variations.
It is presumed that the earliest Kannda poet Pampa must have known Tamil also. Karna defeating Duryodhana's wife in a game of dice and snatching her necklace as stake which is narrated by Pampa in Vikramarjuna Vyaya, has a Tamil source. Harihara's Ragales with their Ragale metre might have been an adaptation of 'avagal' of Tamil metre. In the days of Ramanuja who took shelter in Kannada speaking regions, the Srivaishnava religion he propagated had its impact on Kamataka. Many Tamil Brahmanas settled in the 'Agraharas' in places like Tondnur and Melkote. This religion and its literature in Tamil made an impact on Kannada literature. Sripadaraya who initiated Haridasa Sahitya was influenced by Tamil devotional songs. The love of the Tamil poets for their language, their enthusiasm for pure Tamil expression and their deliberate attempt not to borrow from Sanskrit and to retain a good number of Tamil idioms influenced Kannada poets and writers. This attitude is reflected in the writings of Srivaishnava Kannada poets, like Chikkupadhyaya, Singararya, Tirumalaraya and Sanchiya Honnamma. They have made use of chaste Kannada even though they were well versed in Sanskrit.
This attitude is also clearly reflected in the writings of B.M.Srikantaiah. His slogans like 'Sirigannadam Gelge' 'Sirigannadam Balge' 'El Kannada Tay' etc., clearly indicate his enthusiasm for chaste Kannada and in this respect he was influenced by Tamil literature.
Impact of Kannada on Tamil also is not small. Many religious movement in Karnataka like Jainism and the Ganapathi cult appear to have moved from Karnataka to Tamilnadu. Tamil inscriptions speak of Jain ascetics from Shravanabelagola having been active in Tamilnadu. Vatapi Ganapathi, whose praise is sung by Muttuswami Deekshitar, indicates the advent of Ganapathi cult into Tamilnadu via Karnataka. Chamarasa's 'Prabhulinga leele', Sarvajna's Vachanas, Vachanas of Basaveshwara and Akkamahadevl have been translated into Tamil. Tamil classics like 'Tirukkural', and 'Perriyapuranam' have been rendered into Kannada.
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