4 Geographic distribution and population.

The first travelogue in any Indian language is the Malayalam Varthamanappusthakam, written by Paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar in 1785. The modern Malayalam grammar is based on the book Kerala Panineeyam written by A. It bears high similarity with the Tigalari script, a historical script that was used to write the Tulu language in South Canara, and Sanskrit in the adjacent Malabar region. The current Malayalam script is based on the Vatteluttu script, which was extended with Grantha script letters to adopt Indo-Aryan loanwords. The earliest script used to write Malayalam was the Vatteluttu script. The oldest literary work in Malayalam, distinct from the Tamil tradition, is dated from between the 9th and 11th centuries.

It is generally agreed that the Quilon Syrian copper plates of 849/850 CE is the available oldest inscription written in Old Malayalam.

A second view argues for the development of the two languages out of 'Proto-Dravidian' or 'Proto-Tamil-Malayalam' in the prehistoric era, although this is generally rejected by historical linguists. The mainstream view holds that Malayalam descends from early Middle Tamil and separated from it sometime after the c. Malayalam was designated a ' Classical Language of India' in 2013. Due to Malayali expatriates in the Persian Gulf, Malayalam is also widely spoken in the Gulf countries.

Malayalam is also spoken by linguistic minorities in the neighbouring states with significant number of speakers in the Kodagu and Dakshina Kannada districts of Karnataka, and Nilgiris and Kanyakumari, districts of Tamil Nadu. Malayalam has official language status in Kerala, Lakshadweep and Puducherry ( MahГ©), and is spoken by 34 million people worldwide. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India and is spoken by 2.88% of Indians. Malayalam ( / ЛЊ m Г¦ l Й™ Л€ j Й‘Лђ l Й™ m/ Malayalam: аґ®аґІаґЇаґѕаґіаґ‚, MalayДЃбё·am ?, ( listen)) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry ( MahГ© district) by the Malayali people. A Malayalam speaker, recorded in South Africa

Malayalam calendar