Telugu
Americannoun
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Telugus,
plural
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Telugu
plural
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a Dravidian language spoken mainly in Andhra Pradesh state, SE India.
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a member of the people speaking this language.
adjective
noun
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a language of SE India, belonging to the Dravidian family of languages: the state language of Andhra Pradesh
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a member of the people who speak this language
adjective
Usage
What does Telugu mean? Telugu is a Dravidian language spoken mainly in the state of Andhra Pradesh in southeastern India. Telugu also refers to the speakers of this language. India is a large country located in southern Asia, and Andhra Pradesh is one of its 25 states. The Dravidian family of languages includes many of the languages spoken in Southern India and the country of Sri Lanka, including Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam. According to the 2011 Census of India, there were over 81 million speakers of Telugu. At that time, it was the fourth most popular language in India, with 6. 7 percent of the population speaking it. Telugu is the official language of the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Spoken Telugu has several different regional dialects, which depend on a person’s geographic area, class, and caste. Written Telugu is more uniform and, like other Dravidian languages, is based on the Brahmi script rather than ancient Sanskrit. Telugu is written from left to right, and its alphabet currently consists of 60 symbols, including 16 vowels and 41 consonants.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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When Potti Sriramulu began fasting in October 1952, he was asking for something then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru had repeatedly resisted: a separate state for Telugu speakers.
From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2026
Police sub-inspector J Parameshwar told BBC Telugu that nine people, including village council heads, have been arrested.
From BBC ● Jan. 23, 2026
Recent videos show fans of Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi dancing to a hit song from his 2002 hit Indra in cinemas.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2024
Though some of the members of the B.J.P.’s coalition this year share Mr. Modi’s hard-line vision, both the Telugu Desam Party and Janata Dal-United are moderate, secular parties that have a diverse support base.
From New York Times ● Jun. 5, 2024
Thus from the Telugu verb koṭṭa, “to strike,” are formed koṭṭ-ut-unna, “that strikes,” koṭṭ-i-na, “that struck,” koṭṭē, “that would strike,” “that usually strikes.”
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 7 "Drama" to "Dublin" by Various
The Boyis are Telugus, and are employed as bearers of palanqueens and other domestic service in Southern India.
From A Forgotten Empire (Vijayanagar): a contribution to the history of India by Robert Sewell
Koyudu.—A synonym of Gond in Chānda used by Telugus.
From The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India—Volume I (of IV) by R. V. (Robert Vane) Russell
Our own most successful work has been among the Burmans and Karens, where we have seventy thousand members, and among the Telugus, where we have as many more.
From A Tour of the Missions Observations and Conclusions by Augustus Hopkins Strong
Our American Congregationalists have done most for the Tamils; we Baptists have done most for the Telugus.
From A Tour of the Missions Observations and Conclusions by Augustus Hopkins Strong
Their success in building up Baptist churches in Burma and among the Telugus, keeps our missionaries faithful to the New Testament model of church polity.
From A Tour of the Missions Observations and Conclusions by Augustus Hopkins Strong
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