31/05/2025
Which is Older – Tamil or Kannada?
When comparing ancient South Indian languages, Tamil is widely recognized as older than Kannada based on historical evidence. The earliest Tamil inscriptions, like the Tamil-Brahmi script, date back to around 500 BCE, while the oldest known Kannada inscription, the Halmidi inscription, is from around 450 CE. This epigraphic evidence makes Tamil one of the world's oldest living languages with a continuous literary tradition. Both languages are culturally rich, but Tamil’s earlier written records give it the edge in terms of age.
