Highlighting the need to work for the growth of Konkani language, Kannada writer Kum. Veerabhadrappa, on Saturday, said a Kannada-Konkani-Kannada dictionary was an immediate requirement.
Inaugurating a day-long Konkani literary meet here, he said Konkani language had braved many onslaughts from the Dutch and Portuguese and emerged stronger. Describing it as a language that “evoked a sense of pride and brought joy to its speaker,” he said Kannada had borrowed thousands of words from it and had grown richer.
Kannada being a language that easily embraced other languages, the two have cherished history dating back to Chola and Pallava dynasties and beyond.
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President of the Konkani Sahitya Academy Ronald Castalino said the Legislative Council had "insulted" the language by not encouraging a Mangaluru-based MLC to speak in Konkani though it is an official language of the country. He said he had written letters seeking that this should be set right.