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{{Short description|Overview of ethnic groups resident in Karnataka}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
[[File:Cowbells from Karnataka being played at Janapada Loka.oga|thumb|[[Cowbell]]s collected from various regions of Karnataka being played at [[Janapada Loka]]]]
[[Karnataka]] is a [[States and territories of India|state]] in the southern part of India. It was [[Unification of Karnataka|created]] on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the [[States Reorganisation Act]]. Karnataka is bordered by the [[Arabian Sea]] to the west, [[Goa]] to the north-west, [[Maharashtra]] to the north, [[Telangana]] and [[Andhra Pradesh]] to the east, [[Tamil Nadu]] to the south-east, and [[Kerala]] to the south-west. The state covers an area of 74,122 sq mi (191,976 km<sup>2</sup>), or 5.83% of the total geographical area of India. It comprises 30 [[Districts of India|districts]]. [[Kannada language|Kannada]] is the official language of Karnataka and {{as of|2011|alt=as per the [[2011 Census of India|2011 census]]}} is the mother tongue of 66.5% of the population.<ref name="demographics">{{cite web|url=https://www.populationu.com/in/karnataka-population|title=Karnataka Population|publisher=populationU|access-date=2022-05-18}}</ref> The state has around 50 spoken languages of which 8 are endangered and two are critically endangered.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2013-08-10 |title=Out of 10 endangered languages in Karnataka, 8 are potentially endangered: Survey |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/out-of-10-endangered-languages-in-karnataka-8-are-potentially-endangered-survey/articleshow/21735561.cms |access-date=2025-10-25 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>

Various ethnic groups with origins in other parts of India have unique customs and use languages at home other than Kannada, adding to the cultural diversity of the state. Significant linguistic minorities in the state {{as of|2011|alt=in 2011}} included speakers of [[Urdu]] (10.8%), [[Telugu language|Telugu]] (5.8%), [[Tamil language|Tamil]] (3.5%), [[Marathi language|Marathi]] (3.4%), [[Hindi]] (3.2%), [[Tulu language|Tulu]] (2.6%), [[Konkani language|Konkani]] (1.3%) and [[Malayalam]] (1.3%).<ref name="demographics" />

==Kannadigas==
{{main|Kannadigas}}

Kannadigas form the dominant ethnic group in Karnataka, making up to 67% of the total population of the state.<ref name="demographics"/> They are the native speakers of the Kannada language. Kannada is one of the [[official languages of India]] and the official and administrative language of the state of Karnataka.<ref name="official">{{cite web|url=http://dpal.kar.nic.in/26%20of%201963%20(E).pdf|title=The Karnataka Official Language Act|work=Official website of Department of Parliamentary Affairs and Legislation|publisher=Government of Karnataka|access-date=2007-06-29}}</ref> Based on the recommendations of the Committee of Linguistic Experts, appointed by the Ministry of Culture, the [[Government of India]] officially recognised Kannada as a [[classical language]].<ref name="antiquity">{{cite web|url=http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=44340 |title=Declaration of Telugu and Kannada as classical languages |work=Press Information Bureau |publisher=Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Government of India |access-date=2008-10-31 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081216124306/http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=44340 |archive-date=16 December 2008 }}</ref><ref name="tag">{{cite web|url=http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/Nov12008/scroll2008110198257.asp |title=Kannada gets classical tag |work=DH News Service |publisher=Deccanhearld.com |access-date=2008-10-31 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081103123315/http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/Nov12008/scroll2008110198257.asp |archive-date= 3 November 2008 }}</ref>

==Tuluva people==
{{Main|Tuluva}}
[[File:Tulunadu.svg|thumb|alt=]]
Tuluvas are the native speakers of [[Tulu language]]. They form the dominant ethnic community in the district of [[Dakshina Kannada]] of Karnataka, which is often termed as a single region called as [[Tulu Nadu]]. [[Yakshagana]], [[Nagaradhane]], [[Buta Kola|Bootha Kola]] and [[Aati kalenja]] are the distinctive features of Tuluva culture. Tuluvas follow a matrilineal system of inheritance known as [[Aliyasantana]] which has given them a unique cultural status. {{As of|2011|alt=As per the 2011 census}}, Tuluvas formed 2.61% of the total population of the state.<ref name="demographics"/><ref>{{Cite web |title=Tulu, Kodava vanishing: Unesco |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/content/12657/tulu-kodava-vanishing-unesco.html |access-date=2025-10-25 |website=Deccan Herald |language=en}}</ref>

==Konkani people==
{{Main|Konkani people}}

The speakers of [[Konkani language|Konkani]] language are widely settled in the districts of [[Uttara Kannada]], [[Udupi district|Udupi]] and [[Dakshina Kannada]] (Udupi and Dakshina Kannada were the erstwhile South Canara district).<ref name="konkani">{{cite news|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1YILeUD_oZUC&q=Konkani+population+in+Karnataka&pg=PA7|author= Manohararāya Saradesāya|title=A history of Konkani literature: from 1500 to 1992
|year= 2000|publisher= Sahitya Akademi|isbn= 9788172016647}}</ref> In [[Karwar]] Taluk (Uttara Kannada district) alone, Konkani language is spoken by about 78% of the population.<ref name="konkani" /> Significant population of Konkani people has also settled in [[Belgaum]], [[Sirsi, Karnataka|Sirsi]] and [[Bangalore]].<ref name="konkani" /> {{As of|2011|alt=As per the 2011 census}}, speakers of Konkani form 1.29% of the total population of the state.<ref name="demographics" />

The [[Gaud Saraswat Brahmin|Gaud Saraswat Brahmins]] who migrated from [[Portuguese India]], [[Konkani Muslims]] and [[Mangalorean Catholics]] are the major groups within Konkani speakers in the state. They are a major constituent of Karnataka based expatriates who live outside India and state.Different Konkani-speaking communities (like Saraswats, Catholics, etc.) have their own dialects. Even within the same town, speech can vary.

==Kodava people==
{{Main|Kodava people}}
[[File:Coorgi Dress Doll.jpg|upright|thumb|Dolls in Kodava attire]]
Kodava people are the native speakers of [[Kodava Takk|Kodava language]] and are of a martial race mainly settled in the district of [[Kodagu district|Kodagu]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/2003/01/17/stories/2003011701610300.htm|work=The Hindu|title=Kodava-speaking people seek one identity|access-date=5 December 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050111002911/http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/2003/01/17/stories/2003011701610300.htm|archive-date=11 January 2005|url-status=usurped}}</ref> {{As of|2011|alt=As per the 2011 census}}, the speakers of Kodava Takk make up up to 0.18% of the total population of the state.<ref name="demographics" /> According to Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy, apart from Kodavas, 18 other ethnic groups speak Kodava Takk in and outside the district including Heggade, Iri, Koyava, Banna, kudiya, Kembatti, and Meda.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/2002/08/29/stories/2002082906010300.htm|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130103165116/http://www.hinduonnet.com/2002/08/29/stories/2002082906010300.htm|url-status=usurped|archive-date=2013-01-03|work=The Hindu|title=Will Kodava find a place in Eighth Schedule?}}</ref>

First script for Kodava Thakk was found at Bhagamandala inscription dating back to 1370 AD. Later in the year 1887 Dr. Koravanda Appaiah invented a script for Kodava Thakk, Followed by Dr [[I. M. Muthanna|I.M.Muthanna]] in 1970, Kiran Subbaiah in 1980, Ponjanda Appaiah in 2003, Dr. Cox in 2005, Charles Henry in 2008.

A meeting which was held on 21 February 2022 by Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy at Madikeri officially accepted Dr. [[I. M. Muthanna|IM Muthanna]]'s script as the official script of [[Kodava language|Kodava Thakk]]. Thus, ending the debate for the need of a script for [[Kodava language|Kodava Thakk]]. Muthanna's script is widely used among masses in Kodagu. Kodava Script is used by a number of individuals in Kodagu.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=2006031206840300.htm&date=2006/03/12/&prd=th&|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071203133724/http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=2006031206840300.htm&date=2006/03/12/&prd=th&|url-status=usurped|archive-date=3 December 2007|work=The Hindu|title=Debate on Kodava script continues }} German multi-linguist devises a script with 34 alphabets</ref>

==Lambani language==
The [[Lambadi|Lambani language]] is a [[Rajasthani languages|Rajasthani language]] spoken by the [[Banjara]] community. Lambanis are associated with the salt trade. They are a major minority in Uttar Karnataka District, in Bidar, Kalburgi, Vijayapura, Gadag, Haveri, Koppal, Vijayanagara, Raichur and Yadgiri. They also form a major minority in South Karnataka, in Davangere, Shimoga, Chitradurga, Chikkamagaluru, Hassan and Tumkur.

==Deccani people==
{{main|Deccani People|Deccani Urdu}}
In Karnataka, Urdu is spoken in the form of [[Dakhini|Dakhni]], as in the other states of [[Deccan Plateau|Deccan]].
People speaking Urdu as their mother tongue form the second largest ethnic group in Karnataka (10.83% of the total population {{As of|2011|alt=as per the 2011 census}}),<ref name="demographics"/> the majority of whom are [[Muslim]]s (constituting 85.6% of the Muslim population in Karnataka {{As of|1991|alt=in the 1991 census}}<ref name="language">{{cite web|url=http://www.languageinindia.com/dec2002/urduinkarnataka.html|author=A. R. Fatihi|work=Language in India, Volume 2: 2002-12-09|publisher=M. S. Thirumalai, Managing Editor, Language in India|title=Urdu in Karnataka|access-date=2022-05-18}}</ref>).
Places in Karnataka like [[Gulbarga]] and [[Bijapur]] during the [[Deccan Sultanates|Sultanate]] period served as the centres of Dakhni literature from 14th - 17th century. These literary activities led to the development of Urdu during the late Mughal period after the conquest of Bijapur in 1686 CE. The concentration of speakers of Urdu shows an uneven distribution over different districts in Karnataka. The difference in the numerical strength of Urdu speakers varies from a few hundred to thousands.<ref name="language"/> Almost 57.5% of the total Urdu population in Karnataka are bilingual. Kannada is the most preferred language among the Urdu speakers of Karnataka. About 43.5% of the total Urdu population has bilingualism in Kannada.<ref name="language"/>

==Marathi people==
{{Main|Marathi people}}

Marathi people are the native speakers of the [[Marathi language]], which serves as the official language of the adjoining state of [[Maharashtra]]. Marathi speakers are mostly found in the districts of [[Belgaum district|Belgaum]] and [[Bidar district|Bidar]] and {{As of|2011|alt=as per the 2011 census}} form 3.38% of the total population of the state.<ref name="demographics"/> The migration of Marathi speakers to Karnataka dates from the 17th century when the [[Maratha Empire]] was established.<ref name="demographics"/> Belgaum city was incorporated into the newly formed [[Mysore state]] (now Karnataka) with the passage of the ''[[States Reorganisation Act]]'' (1956), which reorganised India's states along [[natural language|linguistic]] lines, despite having a significant Marathi-speaking population;<ref name="belgaummajority1">{{cite news|author=Girish Kuber |title=District's always been bone of contention |url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-1309841,curpg-2.cms |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160913163621/http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-1309841%2Ccurpg-2.cms |url-status=dead |archive-date=13 September 2016 |work=The Economic Times|date=28 November 2005 |access-date=2006-11-01 }}</ref> two-thirds of the total population.<ref name="belgaummajority2e">{{cite news|author = Jaishankar Jayaramaiah|title = Karnataka caught in 'language' web|url = http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=109230|publisher = The Financial express|date = 21 November 2005|access-date = 2006-11-01|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070310192251/http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=109230|archive-date = 10 March 2007}}</ref> There are also considerable number of Marathi-speakers in Bangalore city.<ref name="Bangalore"/>

==Telugu people==
{{main|Telugu people}}

Telugu people are the third largest ethnic group in [[Bengaluru]] after Kannadigas and [[Tamils]], constituting 13.89% of the total population.<ref>{{cite news|title=The many tongues of Bengaluru|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/the-many-tongues-of-bengaluru/article7568755.ece|work=The Hindu|date=22 August 2015 |access-date=29 March 2016}}</ref> The Telugu community is a prominent stakeholder in [[Real estate investing|Real estate]] in Bengaluru especially the eastern IT areas of the city.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Telangana crisis: Bangalore's realty sector sees huge fund flow from AP |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/india/karnataka/telangana-crisis-bangalores-realty-sector-2288425 |access-date=2025-10-25 |website=Deccan Herald |language=en}}</ref>

==Tamil people==
{{See also|Tigala|Bangalore Karaga|Bangalore Tamil dialects|Hebbar Iyengar|Tamil inscriptions of Bangalore|1991 anti-Tamil violence in Karnataka}}
[[File:Bharatanatyam_1.jpg|thumb|[[Bharatanatyam]] is a classical dance form of [[India]] which has its origin in south India, and it is immensely popular in Karnataka as well.]]

In Karnataka, Tamil speakers form 3.45% of the total population of the state.<ref name="demographics"/> There has been a recorded presence of Tamil-speaking people in Southern Karnataka since the 10th century.<ref name="landscapesp100">{{cite book|title=Landscapes of Urban Memory|pages=100–102|chapter=The Settlement of Tamil speaking Groups in Karnataka|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-JXDD0gcHgoC&pg=PA100|author=Smriti Srinivas|publisher=[[Orient Blackswan]]|year=2004|isbn=8125022546}}</ref> During the eleventh century AD, the areas in and around Bangalore were a bone of contention between the Tamil-speaking [[Chola dynasty|Cholas]] and the Kannada-speaking [[Western Chalukyas]].<ref name="landscapesp100" /> The Vaishnavite Brahmins of Southern Karnataka use the Tamil surname "Iyengar" and are believed to have migrated during the time of the 12th century Vaishnavite saint [[Ramanujacharya]]. Most Iyengars in Karnataka use sub-dialects of [[Iyengar Tamil]].

After the fall of [[Tipu Sultan]], a large [[British Army]] presence in the Cantonment area (Bangalore) attracted speakers of Tamil, who either were attached to the military or were military suppliers. The area was administered directly by the Madras Presidency, and was handed over to the Mysore State only in 1949.<ref name="Bangalore">{{cite news|url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/2007/10/31/stories/2007103160320300.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080130054248/http://www.hinduonnet.com/2007/10/31/stories/2007103160320300.htm|url-status=usurped|archive-date=30 January 2008|author=Sharath S. Srivatsa|work=The Hindu|title=Bangalore calling: it all goes way back… |access-date=2009-12-03}}</ref> Today, the erstwhile Cantonment area of Bangalore comprising [[Ulsoor]], [[Shivajinagar, Bangalore|Shivajinagar]], Benson Town, Richard's Town, Frazer Town, Austin Town, Richmond Town, Cox Town, [[Murphy Town, Bangalore|Murphy Town]] and others still boast a large Tamil populace.<ref name="Bangalore"/> The boom in the textile industry in the early part of 20th Century also witnessed migration from the Madras Presidency. Some of the very well known mills of the time employed Tamil-speaking people in large numbers, who settled down in areas in and around Bangalore<ref name="Bangalore"/>

In 2011, Tamils constituted the third largest ethnolinguistic minority in Bangalore city making up 13.90% of the total population.<ref name="modernisationp16">{{cite book|title=Modernisation and ethnicity: locating the Telugu community in Bangalore|author=D. V. Kumar|publisher=Mittal Publications|year=2006|pages=16|isbn=8183241077}}</ref> Today, Tamil speakers form an estimated 13.99% of the population of Bangalore city.<ref name="reuters_20070205">{{cite news|title=Riots police guard Bangalore over India water dispute|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSDEL133372|work=[[Reuters]]|date=5 February 2007}}</ref><ref name="bbc_20041126">{{cite news|title=Bollywood ban in language fight|work=[[British Broadcasting Corporation|BBC]]|first=Habib|last=Beary|date=26 November 2004|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4046275.stm}}</ref> As of 1971, Tamil formed the second-largest mother tongue in [[Bangalore]] and [[Bhadravathi, Karnataka|Bhadravathi]], third in [[Mysore]] and [[Shimoga]], fourth in [[Davanagere]] and fifth in [[Mangalore]].<ref name="indiacensus1971p669">{{cite book|title=Census of India, 1971|pages=668–669|author=P. Padmanabha|publisher=Manager of Publications}}</ref>

There are also Tamil families from [[Sri Lankan Tamils in India|Sri Lanka]] who were originally of South Indian Tamil descent, settled in [[Sulya]] and [[Puttur, Karnataka|Puttur]] taluks of [[Dakshina Kannada district]] and are currently working in rubber plantations in the district.<ref name="dk2">{{cite news | url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Mangalore/sri-lankan-tamil-repatriates-to-finally-get-caste-certificates/article6208874.ece | title=Sri Lankan Tamil repatriates to finally get caste certificates | work=The Hindu| date=14 July 2014 | access-date=20 August 2014}}</ref><ref name="cc">{{cite web | url=http://www.countercurrents.org/shaji230607.htm | title=Rubber Boom Raises Hope of Repatriates | publisher=Counter Currents | access-date=20 August 2014}}</ref><ref name="dk1">{{cite web | url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/131215/sunday-times-2/unsettled-still-76508.html | title=Unsettled still | publisher=Sunday Times.Lk | access-date=20 August 2014}}</ref>

==Malayali people==
{{Main|Malayali}}

Malayalis are the native speakers of the [[Malayalam language]], which has official status in the state of [[Kerala]], and the union territories of [[Lakshadweep]] and [[Puducherry (union territory)|Puducherry]].<ref name="Mallu">{{cite web|url=http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=mal|title=Malayalam|work=Ethnologue|access-date=2007-05-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://india.gov.in/knowindia/ut_pondicherry.php|title=Principal languages of Pondicherry|access-date=2009-12-03}}</ref>

{{As of|2011|alt=As per the 2011 census}}, Malayalis form 1.27% of the total population of the state<ref name="demographics"/> Native Malayalam-speaking people are found in large numbers in the districts of [[Dakshina Kannada]], [[Mysore district|Mysore]], [[Udupi district|Udupi]] and [[Kodagu]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.karnatakavision.com/dakshin-kannada.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060504143354/http://karnatakavision.com/dakshin-kannada.php|url-status=usurped|archive-date=4 May 2006|title=karnatakavision.com}}</ref><ref name="Malayalikodagu">{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/2008/11/26/stories/2008112656840300.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105143606/http://www.hindu.com/2008/11/26/stories/2008112656840300.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 November 2012|title=Kodagu-Kerala association is ancient | location=Chennai, India|work=[[The Hindu]]|date=26 November 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/2008/12/09/stories/2008120951660300.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105143619/http://www.hindu.com/2008/12/09/stories/2008120951660300.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 November 2012|title=Virajpet Kannada Sahitya Sammelan on 19 January | location=Chennai, India|work=[[The Hindu]]|date=9 December 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/2001/12/31/stories/2001123103390300.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020130180423/http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/2001/12/31/stories/2001123103390300.htm|url-status=usurped|archive-date=30 January 2002|work=The Hindu|title=Govt. to start cultural centres }}</ref> In the early part of the 20th century, a large number of traders from the [[Malabar District|Malabar]] region settled in [[Bangalore]] for business reasons. It is also evident that Kodagu-Malabar association is ancient by the fact that people of Kodagu worshipped gods and goddesses common to the Malabari Malayali people.<ref name="Malayalikodagu"/> The [[Billava]] community of [[Kanara]] has close links with [[Thiyya|Thiyyas]] of [[Malabar Coast]] and they both revere [[Narayana Guru]]. In addition to Malayalam/Beary speaking Billava, there is also a similar community called Belchada who speaks a dialect of Malayalam called Malame.

==Others==
[[File:Golden temple at Khushalnagar in Karnataka.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Entrance to golden temple, Bylakuppe]]
Other ethnic groups settled in Karnataka include [[Gujarati people|Gujaratis]] (0.19%), [[Bengali people|Bengalis]] (0.14%), [[Odia people|Odias]] (0.10%), [[Tibetan people|Tibetans]] (0.06%), [[Punjabi people|Punjabis]] (0.04%), [[People of Nepal|Nepalis]] (0.03%) and [[Sindhi people|Sindhis]] (0.03%).<ref name="demographics"/>

Another minor ethnic group are the [[Beary]]s, who follow [[Islam]] and are mainly settled in the coastal districts of [[Dakshina Kannada]] and [[Udupi]].<ref>{{cite news|work=The Hindu|title=World Beary meet next year |date=2009-10-09}}</ref> They are the native speakers of [[Beary bashe]], a language made of Malayalam idioms with Tulu phonology and grammar.<ref name="studies-ix">{{citation | last=Upadhyaya | first=U. Padmanabha | title=Coastal Karnataka: Studies in Folkloristic and Linguistic Traditions of Dakshina Kannada Region of the Western Coast of India | journal=First All India Conference of Dravidian Linguistics, Thiruvananthapuram, 1973| publisher=Udupi: Rashtrakavi Govind Pai Samshodhana Kendra | year=1996 | isbn=81-86668-06-3 }}</ref> This dialect was traditionally known as Mappila Malayalam because of Bearys' close contact with Mappilas.<ref name="studies-ix" /> Due to vast influence of Tulu for centuries, it is today considered as a language, close to both Malayalam and Tulu.<ref name="studies-ix" /> The word ''Beary'' is said to be derived from the [[Tulu language|Tulu]] word ''byara'' which means trade or business, as this community were primarily traders. Since the major portion of this community people were involved in business activities, the local [[Tulu language|Tulu]]-speaking majority called them ''Beary'' or ''Byari''.<ref>Ahmed Noori, Maikala p.17 (1960)</ref>

There is a small Tibetan settlement in [[Bylakuppe]], in [[Mysore district]]. This was the first and largest of the intentional [[Tibet Autonomous Region|Tibetan]] settlements in India, and was created in response to accommodate fleeing Tibetans due to the [[China|Chinese]] occupation of their homeland. The camp is home to some 14,000 Tibetans.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.vagabondjourney.com/90-in-002-tibetan-refugees-in-india.shtml|title=Tibetan Refugees in India}} Seekers of Refuge in a Land of No Return: Conversations with Tibetan Refugees in Bylakuppe</ref>

The [[Nawayath]] Muslims in [[Bhatkal]] is another linguistic group in state. They are a sub group within [[Konkani Muslims]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Huralimath |first=Arunkumar |date=2017-09-24 |title=Bhatkal’s heritage houses a treat for the eye |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/karnataka/2017/Sep/24/bhatkals-heritage-houses-a-treat-for-the-eye-1661883.html |access-date=2025-10-25 |website=The New Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>

The [[Sankethi language]] spoken by [[Sankethi Brahmin|Sankethi Brahmins]] migrated from [[Sengottai]] to Southern Karnataka are another prominent group.<ref>{{Cite web |last=K |first=Rehna |date=2019-06-10 |title=How a small South Indian community with a rich history is on a mission to revive Sankethi cuisine |url=https://www.indulgexpress.com/food/food-chennai/chennai-south-indian/2019/Jun/10/how-a-small-south-indian-community-with-a-rich-history-is-on-a-mission-to-revive-sankethi-cuisine-15625.html |access-date=2025-10-25 |website=Indulgexpress |language=en}}</ref>

The [[Siddis of Karnataka|Siddis]] are found in the [[Western Ghats|ghat]] area of [[Uttara Kannada]] district, [[Dharwad district]] and [[Belgaum district]]. These people have [[Africa]]n ancestry, as a majority of these people were said to have come from [[Goa]], where they were imported from [[East Africa]] (mainly [[Mozambique]]) by the [[Portugal|Portuguese]] as slaves.<ref name="Siddi">{{cite news|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-3CPc22nMqIC&q=Siddis+of+Karnataka&pg=PA223|author=Shanti Sadiq Ali|title=The African dispersal in the Deccan: from medieval to modern times|year=1996|publisher=Orient Blackswan |isbn=9788125004851}}</ref> They speak Are Marathi, a mixture of Marathi with the Konkani and Kannada languages.<ref name="Siddi"/>

The state has numerous tribal and endangered ethno linguistic groups such as [[Ravula|Yerava]], [[Hakkipikki]], [[Irula people|Irula]], [[Koraga language|Koraga]], [[Sholaga language|Soliga]], [[Jenu Kuruba]] etc.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2013-08-02 |title=10 languages in Karnataka endangered |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/10-languages-in-karnataka-endangered/article4978614.ece |access-date=2025-10-25 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Karnataka topics}}

[[Category:Society of Karnataka]]

Ethnic groups in Karnataka - Revision history

RhysFrisina87 at 11:56, 4 May 2026