Jenu Kurumba language

Jenu Kurumba
ஜென்னு குரும்பா
Native toIndia
RegionKarnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala
Native speakers
100,000 (2011 census)
Dravidian
Tamil script
Language codes
ISO 639-3xuj
Glottologjenn1240  Jennu

Jenu Kurumba, also known as Jen Kurumba or Jennu Kurumba, is a Southern Dravidian language of the Tamil–Kannada subgroup spoken by the Jenu Kuruba/Kattunayakan tribe. It is often considered to constitute a dialect of Kannada; however, Ethnologue classifies it as a separate language. Jenu Kurumba speakers are situated on the Nilgiri Hills cross-border area between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, Mysore and Kodagu districts of Karnataka, and Wayanad district of Kerala. The speakers of the language call it "nama basha" (transl.our language).