Editing Telugu language (section)

== Lexicon ==
<!--This section should contain a discussion of any special features of the vocabulary (or lexicon) of the language, like if it contains a large number of borrowed words or a different sets of words for different politeness levels, taboo groups, etc.-->
Majority of the lexicon in Telugu is inherited from [[Proto-Dravidian language]], a reconstructed hypothetical language of third millennium BCE.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Sjoberg |first1=Andree F. |last2=Krishnamurti |first2=Bhadriraju |date=December 1966 |title=Telugu Verbal Bases: A Comparative and Descriptive Study |journal=Language |volume=42 |issue=4 |page=838 |doi=10.2307/411840 |jstor=411840 |issn=0097-8507}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Krishnamurti |first=Bhadriraju |title=The Dravidian Languages |date=16 January 2003 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |doi=10.1017/cbo9780511486876 |isbn=978-0-521-77111-5}}</ref> Telugu retained some of the most archaic words, markers and morphemes of the Dravidian origin.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Charles philip Brown |url=http://archive.org/details/ABrawnsdictionaryEnglishAndTelugu1853 |title=A Brawn'sdictionary English And Telugu ( 1853)}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Sjoberg |first=Andrée F. |date=1966 |title=Review of Telugu Verbal Bases: A Comparative and Descriptive Study |journal=Language |volume=42 |issue=4 |pages=838–846 |doi=10.2307/411840 |jstor=411840 |issn=0097-8507}}</ref> It shares its cognates with its closest South-Dravidian-II languages like [[Gondi language|Gondi]], [[Kuwi language|Kuwi]] and also with other Dravidian languages such as [[Tamil language|Tamil]] and [[Kannada]].

The lexicon of Classical Telugu works shows a pervasive influence of Sanskrit; there is also evidence suggesting an earlier influence even before Nannaya.<ref name=":3">{{cite book|last=Shulman|first=David|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rUvcDwAAQBAJ|title=Classical Telugu Poetry|date=12 May 2020|publisher=Univ of California Press|isbn=978-0-520-97665-8|page=4|language=en|access-date=25 May 2020|archive-date=13 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221013131441/https://books.google.com/books?id=rUvcDwAAQBAJ|url-status=live}}</ref> During the period 1000–1100 CE, Nannaya's re-writing of the ''Mahābhārata'' in Telugu (మహాభారతము) established the liberal borrowing of Sanskrit words.<ref>{{cite news |publisher=Telugu academy |first=G |last=Ramadasu |title=Telugu bhasha charitra |year=1980}}</ref>

Literature in ''Accatelugu'' (అచ్చతెలుగు), ''Mēlimitelugu'' (మేలిమితెలుగు), or ''Jānutelugu'' (జానుతెలుగు) by poets like [[Adibhatla Narayana Dasu]] and [[:te:పొన్నెగంటి తెలగన్న|Ponneganti Telaganna]] emphasised the importance of native lexicon of Dravidian origin, in contrast to the extensive borrowings from Sanskrit and Prakrit.<ref>{{Cite book |last=పొన్నిగంటి తెలుగన్న |url=http://archive.org/details/Yayati-Charitra |title=యయాతి చరిత్ర సుగమ వ్యాఖ్య}}</ref><ref name="auto2"/> Spoken Telugu preserved most of its Dravidian lexicon intact in various colloquial dialects.

The vocabulary of Telugu, especially in the city of Hyderabad, has borrowings from [[Persian language|Persian]] and [[Arabic]] (through [[Urdu]] and directly) languages. These words have been modified to fit Telugu phonology. This was due to [[Deccan sultanates|Turkic]] rule in these regions, such as the erstwhile kingdoms of [[Golkonda]] and [[Nizam of Hyderabad|Hyderabad]] (e.g., కబురు, {{IPA|/kaburu/}} for Urdu {{IPA|/xabar/}}, {{Nastaliq|خبر}} or జవాబు, {{IPA|/dʒavaːbu/}} for Urdu {{IPA|/dʒawɑːb/}}, {{Nastaliq|جواب}}).

Many words were borrowed from [[English language]] in the modern era and a few from [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] during the colonial era. Modern Telugu vocabulary can be said to constitute a [[diglossia]] because the formal, standardised version of the language is either [[Lexicon|lexically]] Sanskrit or heavily influenced by Sanskrit, as taught in schools, and used by the government and Hindu religious institutions. However, colloquial Telugu is less influenced by Sanskrit and varies depending upon region.

===Prākr̥ti and vikr̥ti===
Telugu has many [[tatsama]] words, called {{Transliteration|te|ISO|prākr̥ti}}. These are direct borrowings from Sanskrit. The equivalent forms of prākr̥ti words, known as {{Transliteration|te|ISO|vikr̥ti}} words (or [[tadbhava]] words), originate from the same Sanskrit root word, but have evolved through phonological changes in Sanskrit's descendant Prakrit languages, from which they were borrowed into Telugu. The word ''vikr̥ti'' means 'distorted' in Sanskrit. In addition to phonological changes, some vikr̥ti words have also undergone semantic shifts, altering their meanings over time. However, prākr̥ti words are generally used in formal settings such as educational institutions and offices. Below is a table of prākr̥ti words and their corresponding vikr̥ti words, with semantic shifts noted: 
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! {{Transliteration|te|ISO|Prākr̥ti}}
! {{Transliteration|te|ISO|Vikr̥ti}}
|-
| {{lang|te|అగ్ని}} {{Transliteration|te|ISO|agni}} 'fire' 
| {{lang|te|అగ్గి}} {{Transliteration|te|ISO|aggi}}
|-
| {{lang|te|భోజనం}} {{Transliteration|te|ISO|bhōjanaṁ}} 'food; meal' 
| {{lang|te|బోనం}} {{Transliteration|te|ISO|bōnaṁ}} 
|-
| {{lang|te|విద్య}} {{Transliteration|te|ISO|vidya}} 'education'  
| {{lang|te|విద్దె}} {{Transliteration|te|ISO|vidde}}, {{lang|te|విద్దియ}} {{Transliteration|te|ISO|viddiya}}
|-
| {{lang|te|రాక్షసి}} {{Transliteration|te|ISO|rākṣasi}} 'demoness' 
| {{lang|te|రక్కసి}} {{Transliteration|te|ISO|rakkasi}}
|- 
| {{lang|te|శూన్యం}} {{Transliteration|te|ISO|śūnyaṁ}} 'emptiness, void' 
| {{lang|te|సున్న}} {{Transliteration|te|ISO|sunna}} 'zero'
|-
| {{lang|te|దృష్టి}} {{Transliteration|te|ISO|dr̥ṣṭi}} 'sight'  
| {{lang|te|దిష్టి}} {{Transliteration|te|ISO|diṣṭi}} 'evil eye'
|-
| {{lang|te|కనిష్టం}} {{Transliteration|te|ISO|kaniśṭaṁ}} 'minimum'  
| {{lang|te|కనీసం}} {{Transliteration|te|ISO|kanīsaṁ}} 'at least, smallest'
|-
| {{lang|te|అగరవర్తి}} a{{Transliteration|te|ISO|garavarti}} 'incense'  
| {{lang|te|అగరవత్తి}} {{Transliteration|te|ISO|agaravatti}}
|-
| {{lang|te|విభూతి}} {{Transliteration|te|ISO|vibhūti}} 'ash'  
| {{lang|te|విభూధి}} {{Transliteration|te|ISO|vibhūdhi}}
|-
| {{lang|te|చనక}} {{Transliteration|te|ISO|canaka}} 'chickpea'  
| {{lang|te|శనగ}} {{Transliteration|te|ISO|śanaga}}
|-
| {{lang|te|కవచ}} {{Transliteration|te|ISO|kavaca}} 'protective shell'  
| {{lang|te|గవచ}} {{Transliteration|te|ISO|gavaca}}, {{lang|te|గవ్వ}} {{Transliteration|te|ISO|gavva}}
|-
| {{lang|te|భిక్షం}} {{Transliteration|te|ISO|bhikṣaṁ}} 'alms' 
| {{lang|te|బిచ్చం}} {{Transliteration|te|ISO|biccaṁ}}
|- 
| {{lang|te|ద్వితీయ}} {{Transliteration|te|ISO|dvitīya}} 'second'  
| {{lang|te|విదియ}} {{Transliteration|te|ISO|vidiya}}
|-
| {{lang|te|తృతీయ}} {{Transliteration|te|ISO|tr̥tīya}} 'third'  
| {{lang|te|తదియ}} {{Transliteration|te|ISO|tadiya}}
|-
| {{lang|te|జాగ్రత}} {{Transliteration|te|ISO|jāgrata}} 'alert, careful'  
| {{lang|te|జాగ్రత్త}} {{Transliteration|te|ISO|jāgratta}} 'beware, careful'
|-
| {{lang|te|వామతి}} {{Transliteration|te|ISO|vāmati}} 'vomit'   
| {{lang|te|వాంతి}} {{Transliteration|te|ISO|vānti}}
|-
| {{lang|te|స్వంత}} {{Transliteration|te|ISO|svanta}} 'own' 
| {{lang|te|సొంత}} {{Transliteration|te|ISO|sonta}}
|-
| {{lang|te|అటవి}} {{Transliteration|te|ISO|aṭavi}} 'forest'  
| {{lang|te|అడవి}} {{Transliteration|te|ISO|aḍavi}}
|-
| {{lang|te|త్వర}} {{Transliteration|te|ISO|tvara}} 'fast'  
| {{lang|te|తొర}} {{Transliteration|te|ISO|tora}}
|-
| {{lang|te|రక్తం}} {{Transliteration|te|ISO|raktaṁ}} 'blood'
| {{lang|te|రగతం}} {{Transliteration|te|ISO|ragataṁ}}, {{lang|te|రత్తం}} {{Transliteration|te|ISO|rattaṁ}}
|}