SANKETHI – DIALECTS & VILLAGE DISTRIBUTION
State: Karnataka
Sankethi is a Tamil-rooted Brahmin community language that evolved within Kannada-speaking regions of Karnataka. It developed into two primary historical streams:
1. Bettadapura Sankethi
2. Kaushika (Kushalnagar) Sankethi
3. Malnad belt
1️⃣ DIALECT COMPARISON
A. Bettadapura Sankethi
📍 Core Area: Bettadapura – Mysuru district
Characteristics
* Considered the older / conservative form
* Stronger retention of Old Tamil grammar
* Minimal Kannada influence
* Softer phonetics
Linguistic Traits
* Tamil-style verb endings
* Dravidian sentence structure preserved
* Limited lexical borrowing from Kannada
B. Kaushika (Kushalnagar) Sankethi
📍 Core Area: Kushalnagar – Kodagu district
Characteristics
* Developed after migration into Kodagu
* Strong Kannada contact influence
* Transitional form between Tamil base and Kannada environment
Linguistic Traits
* Kannada vocabulary integration
* Retroflex-heavy pronunciation
* Mixed Tamil–Kannada syntax
-C. Malnad Variant (Kaushika-Influenced)
📍 Core Areas:
* Lingadahalli – Chikkamagaluru district
* Mattur
* Hosahalli – Shivamogga district
Characteristics
* Kaushika-rooted
* Heavy Kannada influence
* Sanskrit exposure (especially in Mattur)
Linguistic Traits
* High Kannada lexical presence
* Sanskrit vocabulary in ritual & scholarship
* Some reduction of older Tamil morphology
2️⃣ SANKETHI-SPEAKING VILLAGES (DISTRICT-WISE)
⚠ Note: Sankethi speakers typically formed agrahara clusters, not the entire village population.
🟢 Mysuru District
* Bettadapura
* Hale Bettadapura
* Hosahalli (near Bettadapura)
* Select hamlets in Periyapatna taluk
🟢 Kodagu District
* Kushalnagar
* Basavanahalli
* Mullusoge
* Hebbale
* Kudige
* Select villages in Somwarpet taluk
🟢 Hassan District
* Arkalgud region villages
* Alur taluk settlements
* Parts of Holenarasipura region
🟢 Chikkamagaluru District
* Lingadahalli (Tarikere taluk)
🟢 Shivamogga District
* Mattur
* Hosahalli (near Mattur)
3️⃣ STRUCTURAL SUMMARY TABLE
| Feature | Bettadapura | Kaushika | Malnad Variant |
| ------------------- | ----------- | -------- | ------------------ |
| Tamil Base Strength | Strong | Moderate | Moderate |
| Kannada Influence | Low | High | Very High |
| Sanskrit Presence | Ritual | Ritual | Ritual + Scholarly |
| Grammar Retention | High | Medium | Medium–Low |
| Geographic Core | Mysuru | Kodagu | Malnad belt |
