Language and Literature MCQ Quiz - Objective Question with Answer for Language and Literature - Download Free PDF

The correct answer is: c) Sanskrit.

Key Points

• Sanskrit is considered the classical language of Uttar Pradesh and is used in ancient texts and scriptures.
• Hindi is the official language of Uttar Pradesh and widely spoken.
• Urdu is also widely spoken and is one of the official languages of the state.
• Bhojpuri is a regional language spoken mainly in the eastern parts of Uttar Pradesh.

The correct answer is: Brajbhasha.

Key Points

• Brajbhasha has developed from Shaurseni. Its area includes Mathura, Aligarh, Hathras, Kasganj, Etah, Agra, East Firozabad, Mainpuri, and Bareilly.
• Khadi Boli is primarily spoken in East Delhi, Meerut, and nearby areas.
• Bhojpuri is mainly spoken in the regions of Varanasi, Azamgarh, and Ballia.
• Awadhi is spoken in the regions of Faizabad, Gonda, and Lucknow.

The correct answer is Documenting and encouraging their use in cultural activities and daily life.

Key Points

• Efforts to preserve regional languages and dialects in Uttarakhand focus on documenting their linguistic and cultural heritage to prevent extinction.
• Promoting their use in festivals, folk songs, dances, and traditional storytelling has been a key strategy for cultural preservation.
• Language conservation initiatives include compiling dictionaries, oral histories, and literature to enhance accessibility and usage.
• Organizations and academic institutions are working to revive and sustain regional dialects through cultural events and community-driven programs.
• These efforts align with broader objectives to foster identity, diversity, and cultural pride among Uttarakhand's residents.

Additional Information

• Regional Languages in Uttarakhand:
  • Garhwali and Kumaoni are the two major regional languages spoken in Uttarakhand.
  • These languages belong to the Central Pahari group of Indo-Aryan languages.
• UNESCO's Role in Language Preservation:
  • UNESCO recognizes the importance of preserving endangered languages as part of cultural heritage.
  • It encourages governments to support documentation and promotion of such languages.
• Importance of Cultural Activities:
  • Festivals, rituals, and traditional art forms act as strong mediums to sustain and propagate regional languages.
  • These activities are essential for intergenerational transmission of knowledge and language.
• Language Documentation Techniques:
  • Includes compiling grammars, dictionaries, and recording oral traditions for academic and public use.
  • Digital platforms are increasingly being used for storing and sharing linguistic content.

The correct answer is Hari Dutt Bhatt 'Shailesh'.

Key Points

• Hari Dutt Bhatt 'Shailesh' was a renowned scholar and writer from Uttarakhand who significantly contributed to the study of the Garhwali language.
• He compiled the Garhwali Dictionary, which is considered a monumental work in documenting and preserving the Garhwali dialect and culture.
• The dictionary serves as an essential resource for understanding the linguistic and cultural heritage of the Garhwali-speaking community.
• Hari Dutt Bhatt 'Shailesh' played a pivotal role in promoting regional literature and was widely respected for his dedication to linguistic preservation.
• His work has been instrumental in ensuring that the Garhwali language receives recognition and scholarly attention.

Additional Information

• Garhwali Language:
  • Garhwali is an Indo-Aryan language spoken primarily in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand, India.
  • It is one of the many regional languages of India, enriched with a unique cultural and historical significance.
  • Garhwali is classified as a dialect of Pahari languages, which belong to the Central Pahari subgroup.
  • Efforts are being made by various organizations to preserve and promote Garhwali literature and culture.
• Importance of Linguistic Preservation:
  • Preserving regional languages helps maintain the cultural identity and heritage of communities.
  • Documentation of languages like Garhwali ensures that future generations can learn and connect with their roots.
  • Language preservation aids in academic research and fosters inclusivity in a multilingual country like India.
• Regional Literature and Dictionaries:
  • Regional dictionaries serve as critical tools for understanding and promoting lesser-known languages.
  • They help standardize linguistic elements and provide a repository of vocabulary.
  • Such works contribute to linguistic studies and can be used in educational curricula to teach regional languages.
• Uttarakhand's Cultural Heritage:
  • Uttarakhand is known for its rich cultural traditions, including folk music, dance, and literature.
  • The state has a diverse linguistic landscape, with languages like Garhwali, Kumaoni, and Jaunsari spoken by its people.
  • Prominent figures like Hari Dutt Bhatt 'Shailesh' have played key roles in documenting and promoting these traditions.

The correct answer is Garhwali and Kumaoni.

Key Points

• Garhwali and Kumaoni are prominent dialects classified under the Central Pahari language group, which is part of the Indo-Aryan language family.
• The Central Pahari languages are primarily spoken in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, specifically in the Garhwal and Kumaon regions.
• Garhwali is the native language of the Garhwal division, while Kumaoni is spoken in the Kumaon division.
• These languages share linguistic similarities but have distinct phonetic and grammatical characteristics.
• The Central Pahari language group is considered significant for its cultural and historical importance in the Himalayan region.

Additional Information

• Central Pahari languages:
  • They are a subset of the Pahari language group, which is classified into three regions: Eastern, Central, and Western Pahari languages.
  • This group is spoken by communities residing in the central Himalayan region.
• Indo-Aryan language family:
  • Garhwali and Kumaoni are part of the Indo-Aryan branch, which is the largest language family in India.
  • Indo-Aryan languages include Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Gujarati, and many others.
• Jaunsari and Bhotia:
  • Jaunsari is a dialect spoken by the Jaunsari tribal community in Uttarakhand but is not classified under Central Pahari languages.
  • Bhotia languages are part of the Tibeto-Burman language family, spoken by the Bhotia tribal communities in Uttarakhand.
• Preservation of Central Pahari languages:
  • Efforts are being made to preserve Garhwali and Kumaoni through literature, music, and education.
  • These languages are recognized for their contribution to regional identity and cultural heritage.

The correct answer is Tamil.

Key Points

• The Ministry of Culture is the nodal ministry providing guidelines for classical languages.
• Currently six languages i.e, Tamil, Sanskrit, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, and Odia enjoy the classical language status.
• The Government of India declared Tamil was the first language conferred with the status of Classical Language in India in 2004.

Additional Information

• A Centre of excellence for studies in classical languages is also there in India.
• All the classical languages are also listed in the 8th schedule of the Indian Constitution.
• Sanskrit was given the status as a Classical Language of India in 2005.
• In 2008 Kannada and Telugu were given the status as Classical Languages of India.
• Malayalam was declared as a classical language in 2013.
• In 2014, Odia was also given the status of the Classical language.

Important Points

•  The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved to confer the status of Classical Language to Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese and Bengali languages.

Lepcha is one of the official languages of Sikkim.

Key Points

• It is the Himalayan language spoken by the people of Lepcha in Sikkim, India, and parts of West Bengal, Nepal and Bhutan.
• It is a non-tonal Sino-Tibetan language, although it has phonemic stress or pitch that can be indicated in the Lepcha script.
• The official languages of the state are: English, Nepali, Sikkimese (Bhutia) and Lepcha.
• The majority of Sikkim residents are of Nepalese ethnic origin.

The correct answer is Nath literature.

Key Points

• The story of Maynamati and Gopichandra is a part of Nath literature.
• Maynamati-Gopichandrer Gan is the story of Queen Maynamati and her husband, Manik Chandra, that propagates yoga guidelines.

Important Points

• Nath Literature
  • It is a branch of medieval Bangla literature.
  • It is based on the Nath cult or yoga-sadhana.
  • The main god of the Naths is shiva, who is also called Adinath.
  • The five Nath siddhas (or enlightened)- Minanath, Goraksanath, Hadipa, Kanupa and Chauranginath, are described as having been born from different parts of the body of Adinath.
  • Nath literature was of two types, didactic and narrative.
  • Didactic literature was in the form of doha, prahelika or chara, where secrecy was observed with the abundant use of code words and sentences.
  • Narrative Nath literature was based on legends and stories about the siddhas. The aim of the stories was to attract people to the cult.

The correct answer is Kumarasambhava.

Key Points

• Kumarasambhava:
  • Kumarasambhava poem is one of the greatest epic poems written by the famous poet Kalidasa.
  • It is one of the gems of Sanskrit literature
  • The poem is often called Kumarasambhavam Kalidasa.
  • Given here is a short summary of the Kumarasambhava, which basically talks about the birth of Kumara, the first son of Lord Shiva and Parvati.
  • The poem has been divided into seventeen chapters and basically talks about the courtship of Lord Shiva and Parvati.
  • It is said that a powerful demon named Tarakasur was blessed that none except the child of Lord Shiva could kill him.
  • However, Shiva had curtailed the desire for love through intense meditation.
  • Due to the great efforts of Parvati and through much penance, she won the love of Lord Shiva.
  • After some time, Shiva and Parvati were blessed with a son whom they named Karthikeya.
  • He grew up and killed the demon and restored peace and the glory of Lord Indra and the divine world.
  • Thus ends the beautiful Kumarasambhava written by Kalidasa.
  • It is regarded as one of the greatest literary works of all time.

Additional Information

• Kalidasa:
  • Kalidasa (active late 4th-early 5th century) was classical India's master poet and dramatist.
  • He demonstrated the expressive and suggestive heights of which the Sanskrit language is capable and revealed the very essence of an entire civilization.
• Literary work of Kalidasa:

​The correct answer is Pali.

Key Points

• India is the birthplace of Buddhism and most of the texts were initially written in Pali. 
• It is an Indo-Aryan language that was used to preserve the Buddhist canon of the Theravada Buddhist tradition, which is regarded as the oldest complete collection of Buddhist texts surviving in an Indian language.

Additional Information

The correct answer is Jammu & Kashmir.

Key Points

• Dogri language is spoken in the UT of Jammu & Kashmir.
• Dogri is also spoken in some regions of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab.
• Dogri is the language of the Dogras, living mainly in the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir. 
• Dogri language is a member of the Indo-Aryan i.e. language of Vedas and Laukik Sanskrit group within the Indo-European languages of India.
• The official script of the Dogri language during the reign of Ranbir Singh is Dogra Akkhar or Akkhar.
• ​The eighth schedule of the Indian constitution deals with official languages recognized by the Indian Constitution.

Additional Information

• Currently, 22 languages have been recognized by the Indian constitution.
• They are:

Hint 

• How to remember all the schedules
• Code for 12 schedules - TEARS OF OLD PM
  • 1st Schedule: T- Territory,
  • 2nd Schedule: E- Emoluments/salary,
  • 3rd Schedule: A- Affirmation/Oath,
  • 4th Schedule: R- Rajya Sabha,
  • 5th Schedule: S- Scheduled Tribes,
  • 6th Schedule: O- Other Tribes,
  • 7th Schedule: F- Federal (Division Of Powers),
  • 8th Schedule: O- Official Regional Languages,
  • 9th Schedule: L- Land Reform,
  • 10th Schedule: D- Defection (Anti-Defection Law),
  • 11th Schedule: P- Panchayati Raj,
  • 12th Schedule: M- Municipal Corporation

The correct answer is Dzongkha.

Key Points

• The official Language of Bhutan is Dzongkha.
• The capital of Bhutan is Thimphu.
• The national animal is Takin (cattle chamois or gnu goat)
• The national bird is Common Raven
• The national flower is Blue poppy.
• The national sport is Archery.
• The national tree is Bhutan Cypress.

Additional Information

The correct answer is Turkish.

Key Points

• Tuzuk-i-Baburi is the autobiography of Babur, the founder of the Mughal empire in India.
• Babur wrote it in the Turkish language.
• On the instruction of Akbar, Tuzuk-i-Baburi was translated into Persian named, ‘Baburnamah’ in 1589 by one of his nobles, Mirza Abdur-Rahim.
• The Tuzuk-i-Baburi is a faithful description of the world the author had lived in, and of the people, he had come into contact with.

The correct answer is languages.

Key Points

• Hakki, Pikki, and Siddi are languages from Karnataka.
• As per studies, there are at least 72 languages that are spoken in the Karnataka state.
• Siddi and Hakki-Pikki are classified as 'critically endangered languages'.
• Siddi and Hakki-Pikki is a mix of Konkani, Kannada and Hindi.
• Kannada is the official language of Karnataka.
  • It is the mother tongue for the majority of the people in Karnataka.

Additional Information

• ​Major dance forms in Karnataka are:
  • Puja Kunitha.
  • Pata Kunitha.
  • Bhootha Aradhane.
  • Dollu Kunitha.
• Yakshagana is a traditional theatre form developed in Karnataka.

The correct answer is Option 3, i.e Sanskrit.

• The language used in the Upanishads is Sanskrit.
• The Upanishads are ancient Sanskrit texts of spiritual teaching and ideas of Hinduism.
• The Sanskrit term Upaniṣhad translates to "sitting down near", referring to the student sitting down near the teacher while receiving spiritual knowledge.
• The Upanishads are commonly referred to as Vedanta.
• Around 108 Upanishads are known.
• The words 'Satyameva Jayate' inscribed below the base plate of the emblem of India are taken from Mundak Upanishad.
• "Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya" is taken from Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.