Editing Saurashtra language

{{Short description|Indo-Aryan language spoken in India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2018}}
{{Infobox language
| name = Saurashtra
| nativename = {{Script|Saur|ꢱꣃꢬꢵꢰ꣄ꢜ꣄ꢬ ꢩꢵꢰꢵ}}<br />சௌராட்டிர மொழி<br />సౌరాష్ట్ర భాష<br />सौराष्ट्र भाषा<br />ಸೌರಾಷ್ಟ್ರ ಭಾಷೆ
| pronunciation = 
| states = [[India]]
| region = [[Tamil Nadu]], [[Andhra Pradesh]], [[Karnataka]]
| ethnicity = [[Saurashtra people|Saurashtrians]]
| speakers = 247,702
| date = 2011 census
| ref =<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011Census/Language_MTs.html|title=Statement 1: Abstract of speakers' strength of languages and mother tongues – 2011|publisher=Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India|website=www.censusindia.gov.in|access-date=7 July 2018}}</ref>
| familycolor = Indo-European
| fam2 = [[Indo-Iranian languages|Indo-Iranian]]
| fam3 = [[Indo-Aryan languages|Indo-Aryan]]
| fam4 = [[Western Indo-Aryan languages|Western Indo-Aryan]]
| fam5 = [[Gujarati languages|Gujarati]]
| ancestor = [[Sauraseni Prakrit]]
| dia1 = Northern Saurashtra
| dia2 = Southern Saurashtra
| script = [[Saurashtra script]] ([[Brahmic scripts|Brahmic]]) <br /> [[Tamil script]] <br /> [[Telugu script]] <br /> [[Devanagari script]] <br /> [[Latin script]]
| iso3 = saz
| image = Saurashtra Script.svg
| imagescale =
| imagecaption = Word "Saurashtra" in [[Saurashtra alphabet|Saurashtra Script]]
| notice = Indic
| glotto = saur1248
| glottorefname = Saurashtra
}}
'''Saurashtra''' ([[Saurashtra script]]: {{Script|Saur|{{Lang|saz|ꢱꣃꢬꢵꢰ꣄ꢜ꣄ꢬ ꢩꢵꢰꢵ}}}}, [[Tamil script]]: சௌராட்டிர மொழி, [[Devanagari script]]: सौराष्ट्र भाषा) is an [[Indo-Aryan languages|Indo-Aryan language]] spoken primarily by the [[Saurashtra people|Saurashtrians]] of [[Southern India]] who migrated from the [[Lata (region)|Lata region]] of present-day [[Gujarat]] to south of [[Vindhyas]] in the [[Medieval India|Middle Ages]].

Saurashtra, an offshoot of [[Sauraseni Prakrit]],<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Gujarat-weavers-who-settled-in-Madurai-centuries-ago-brought-with-them-a-unique-language/articleshow/52927461.cms|title=Gujaratis who settled in Madurai centuries ago brought with them a unique language – Times of India|last=Paul John|first=Vijaysinh Parmar|date=2016|work=The Times of India|access-date=15 April 2018}}</ref> once spoken in the [[Saurashtra (region)|Saurashtra region]] of [[Gujarat]], is now chiefly spoken in various places of [[Tamil Nadu]] and are mostly concentrated in [[Madurai]], [[Thanjavur]] and [[Salem, Tamil Nadu|Salem]] [[Districts of India|Districts]].<ref name=":2" />

The language has its own script of the same name, but is also written in the [[Tamil script|Tamil]], [[Telugu script|Telugu]], and [[Devanagari]] scripts. The [[Saurashtra script]] is of [[Brahmi script|Brahmic]] origin, although its exact derivation is not known. Unlike most of the surrounding [[Dravidian languages]], Saurashtra is [[Indo-European languages|Indo-European]]. There is some debate amongst speakers of the Saurashtra language as to which script is best suited to the language.<ref name="ScriptSource">{{cite web|title=Script Description [Saurashtra]|url=http://scriptsource.org/cms/scripts/page.php?item_id=entry_detail&uid=ypnsb92h4z|publisher=ScriptSource|access-date=16 April 2018}} [[File:CC-BY-SA icon.svg|50px]] Material was copied from this source, which is available under a [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported] license.</ref> Census of India places the language under [[Gujarati languages|Gujarati]]. Official figures show the number of speakers as 247,702 (2011 census).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011Census/Language_MTs.html|title=Statement 1: Abstract of speakers' strength of languages and mother tongues – 2011|publisher=Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India|website=www.censusindia.gov.in|access-date=7 July 2018}}</ref>

==Classification==
{{Main|Indo-Aryan languages}}

Saurashtra belongs to the [[Western Indo-Aryan|western]] branch of the [[Indo-Aryan languages]], a dominant language family of the [[Indian subcontinent]]. It is part of the greater [[Indo-European languages|Indo-European]] [[language family]]. It is also classified as being part of a [[Gujarati languages|Gujaratic languages]] that, alongside Saurashtra includes the languages like [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]] (see [[SIL Ethnologue]]).

==Etymology==
According to the oral legends of the Saurashtra people, they migrated to South India from the [[Saurashtra region]] of modern-day [[Gujarat]]; however, scholars believe this account lacks historical basis, and that the Saurashtrans actually migrated from the area of [[Mandsaur]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5CYxDwAAQBAJ|title=Migrations in Medieval and Early Colonial India|last=Ramaswamy|first=Vijaya|date=5 July 2017|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781351558242|pages=176{{emdash}}177|language=en}}</ref>

The name "Saurashtra" itself is from [[Sanskrit]] {{lang|sa|सौराष्ट्र}} ({{IAST|saurāṣṭra}}, {{translation|from Saurashtra}}), the [[vṛddhi]] form of {{lang|sa|सुराष्ट्र}} ({{IAST|surāṣṭra}}, {{translation|Saurashtra}}), derived from {{lang|sa|सु}} ({{IAST|su}}, {{translation|good}}) + {{lang|sa|राष्ट्र}} ({{IAST|rāṣṭra}}, {{translation|country, realm}}). Thus the name literally means "(of/from) a good country."<ref>{{cite book
|authorlink=Ralph Lilley Turner
|last=Turner
|first=Ralph Lilley
|entry=súrāṣṭra
|entry-url=https://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/app/soas_query.py?qs=s%C3%BAr%C4%81%E1%B9%A3%E1%B9%ADra&matchtype=default
|title=A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages
|location=London
|publisher=Oxford University Press
|year=1969–1985
|page=779}}</ref>

==History==
{{See also|Sauraseni Prakrit}}

The oldest available inscriptions in Saurashtra are found in [[Mandsaur|Mandasaur]], which is a city in the [[Malwa]] region (present day [[Madhya Pradesh]]). The language is the modern living and active form of ancient [[Sauraseni Prakrit]]. However, it also shows some similarities with [[Maharashtri Prakrit]], the ancestor of [[Marathi language|Marathi]] and [[Konkani language|Konkani]].<ref name=":0" />

Saurashtra was once commonly spoken in the coastal areas of [[Mahi River|Mahi]] and [[Tapti River|Tapti]] rivers, which extends throughout the [[Malwa]] region of [[Madhya Pradesh]] and [[Saurashtra (region)|Saurashtra]] region of southern [[Gujarat]]. It was also spoken by the people living along [[Konkan]] region, which extends throughout the western coasts of [[Maharashtra]], Goa and [[Karnataka]].<ref name=":0" />

Saurashtra is a amalgamation of various present day [[Indo-Aryan languages]] like [[Marathi language|Marathi]], [[Konkani language|Konkani]], [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]] and the older dialects of [[Rajasthani language|Rajasthani]] and [[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]. However, the current spoken form of Saurashtra is mixed with the [[Dravidian languages]] like [[Kannada]], [[Telugu language|Telugu]] and [[Tamil language|Tamil]] and it might have originated in 16th or early 17th century.<ref name=":0" />

==Geographical distribution==
{{Main|Saurashtra people}}

Speakers of the Saurashtra language, known as [[Saurashtra people|Saurashtrians]], maintain a predominant presence in [[Madurai district|Madurai]], [[Thanjavur district|Thanjavur]], [[Salem, Tamil Nadu|Salem]], [[Dindigul district|Dindigul]], [[Tiruchirappalli district|Tiruchirappalli]], [[Tirunelveli district|Tirunelveli]], [[Kanchipuram district|Kanchipuram]], [[Ramanathapuram district|Ramanathapuram]], [[Kanyakumari district|Kanyakumari]], [[Chennai district|Chennai]], [[Tiruvannamalai district|Tiruvannamalai]] and [[Vellore district|Vellore]] [[Districts of India|Districts]] of [[Tamil Nadu]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|url=https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/saz/|title=Saurashtra|work=Ethnologue|access-date=8 June 2018|language=en}}</ref> They are also present in significant numbers in [[Tirupati]] of [[Andhra Pradesh]] and [[Karnataka]].<ref name=":2" />

==Dialects==

In the course of migration, Saurashtrians moved in groups and settled in different regions of [[South India]] and that caused a slight dialect variation between each group and is noticeable by a Saurashtrian speaker when interacting with another group. Saurashtra language has two dialects, which are broadly similar, with slight variations.

The two dialects are:

#'''Northern Saurashtra'''<ref name=":2" />
#'''Southern Saurashtra'''<ref name=":2" />

However, there are numerous variations and dialects of the Saurashtra language. The different dialects can be based on the location within northern and southern parts of [[Tamil Nadu]]. Those are [[Madurai]], [[Thanjavur]], [[Salem, Tamil Nadu|Salem]], [[Tirunelveli]] and [[Kanchipuram]] dialects and [[Tirupati]] dialect of [[Andhra Pradesh]].

== Phonology ==
The [[phoneme]] inventory of Saurashtra is similar to that of many other [[Indo-Aryan languages]], especially that of the [[Konkani language]]. An [[help:IPA|IPA]] chart of all contrastive sounds in Saurashtra is provided below.<ref>Colin Masica, 1993, ''The Indo-Aryan Languages''</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="2" |&nbsp;
![[Labial consonant|Labial]]
![[Dental consonant|Dental]]
![[Alveolar consonant|Alveolar]]
![[Retroflex consonant|Retroflex]]
![[Alveopalatal consonant|(Alveolo-)<br>palatal]]
![[Velar consonant|Velar]]
![[Glottal consonant|Glottal]]
|- style="text-align:center"
! rowspan="2" |[[Nasal consonant|Nasal]]
!<small>plain</small>
|{{IPAlink|m}}
|{{IPAlink|n̪}}
|
|{{IPAlink|ɳ}}
|
|
|
|- style="text-align:center"
!<small>murmured</small>
|{{IPA link|mʱ}}
|{{IPA link|n̪ʱ}}
|
|
|
|
|
|- style="text-align:center"
! rowspan="4" |[[Stop consonant|Stop]]/<br>[[Affricate consonant|Affricate]]
!<small>voiceless</small>
|{{IPAlink|p}}
|{{IPAlink|t̪}}
|{{IPAlink|t͡s}}
|{{IPAlink|ʈ}}
|{{IPAlink|t͡ʃ}}
|{{IPAlink|k}}
|
|- style="text-align:center"
!<small>[[Aspiration (phonetics)|aspirated]]</small>
|{{IPA link|pʰ}}
|{{IPA link|t̪ʰ}}
|({{IPA link|tsʰ}})
|{{IPA link|ʈʰ}}
|{{IPA link|t͡ʃʰ}}
|{{IPA link|kʰ}}
|
|- style="text-align:center"
!<small>voiced</small>
|{{IPAlink|b}}
|{{IPAlink|d̪}}
|{{IPAlink|d͡z}}
|{{IPAlink|ɖ}}
|{{IPAlink|d͡ʒ}}
|{{IPAlink|ɡ}}
|
|- style="text-align:center"
!<small>murmured</small>
|{{IPA link|bʱ}}
|{{IPA link|d̪ʱ}}
|{{IPA link|d͡zʱ}}
|{{IPA link|ɖʱ}}
|{{IPA link|d͡ʒʱ}}
|{{IPA link|ɡʱ}}
|
|- style="text-align:center"
! colspan="2" |[[Fricative consonant|Fricative]]
|
|
|{{IPAlink|s̪|s}}
|
|{{IPA link|ʃ}}
|
|{{IPAlink|h}}
|- style="text-align:center"
! rowspan="2" |[[Approximant consonant|Approximant]]
!<small>plain</small>
|{{IPAlink|ʋ}}
|
|{{IPAlink|l}}
|{{IPA link|ɭ}}
|{{IPAlink|j}}
|
|
|- style="text-align:center"
!<small>murmured</small>
|{{IPAlink|ʋʱ}}
|
|{{IPAlink|lʱ}}
|
|
|
|
|- style="text-align:center"
! rowspan="2" |[[Flap consonant|Flap]]/[[Trill consonant|Trill]]
!<small>plain</small>
|
|
|{{IPAlink|r}}
|
|
|
|
|- style="text-align:center"
!<small>murmured</small>
|
|
|{{IPA link|rʱ}}
|
|
|
|
|}
{|class="wikitable"
|+'''Vowels'''
!&nbsp;||Front||Central||Back
|-style="text-align:center"
!High
|{{IPA link|i}}||&nbsp;||{{IPA link|u}}
|-style="text-align:center"
!Mid
|{{IPA link|e}}||{{IPA link|ə}}||{{IPA link|o}}
|-style="text-align:center"
!Low
|&nbsp;||{{IPA link|a}}||&nbsp;
|}

== Writing system ==

===Saurashtra script===
{{Main|Saurashtra script}}
[[File:Saurashtra Script.svg|thumb|The word "Saurashtra" written in the Saurashtra script.]]

Saurashtra for most of the part had been an oral language lacking any script of its own. Around the 17th to 18th centuries some attempted to write it in [[Telugu script]]. Around 19th century a script was invented. There were attempts to revitalize the script in the latter half of the 19th century, ignoring most of the complex conjunct characters.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/br/2003/04/29/stories/2003042900120300.htm|title=The Hindu : Saurashtra dictionary|last=R. V|first=SOWLEE|date=2003|website=www.thehindu.com|access-date=11 June 2018}}</ref>

The Saurashtra script is an [[abugida]], that is, each letter represents a consonant+vowel syllable. There are thirty-four such letters. An unmarked letter represents a syllable with the inherent vowel [a]; letters can be marked with one of eleven vowel diacritics to represent a syllable with a different vowel. Vowel diacritics are attached to the top right corner of a base letter or written alongside it. There are also twelve letters for writing independent vowels (i.e. word-initial vowels). The four vocalic liquid letters r, ru, l and lu behave in the same way as vowels, so are often included in the vowel class.<ref name="ScriptSource"/>

Early Saurashtra texts use a number of complex conjunct forms for writing consonant clusters. However, when the script was restructured in the 1880s these were abandoned in favour of a virama diacritic, which silences the inherent vowel of the first consonant in a cluster.<ref name="ScriptSource"/>

The script uses a letter called upakshara, a dependent consonant sign which attaches nasals and liquids to aspirate them. That is, the letter m with upakshara attached represents [mha]. An aspirated nasal or liquid which is followed by a vowel other than [a] is written with the vowel diacritic attached to the upakshara, not to the base letter. Some analyses of the script classify aspirated nasal and liquids as a separate set of single discrete letters divided into two parts.<ref name="ScriptSource"/>

There is a script-specific set of numbers 0–9, some of which closely resemble [[Devanagari]] digits. The widely attested Indic punctuation marks danda and double danda are used to mark the end of a sentence or clause. [[Latin]] comma, full stop and question mark symbols are also used.<ref name="ScriptSource"/>

The letter order of Saurashtra script is similar to other [[Brahmic scripts]]. The letters are [[vowel]]s, [[consonant]]s, and the compound letters which are formed essentially by adding a vowel sound to a consonant.

===Devanagari script===

Recently, the [[Saurashtra people|Saurashtrian]] community has largely switched to the use of the [[Devanagari]] script.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.livemint.com/Sundayapp/LMYI4kleFWlpfp9QmeL7FP/Of-littleknown-Indian-languages-and-scripts.html|title=Of little-known Indian languages and scripts|last=Venkatesh|first=Karthik|date=10 June 2017|work=Livemint|access-date=27 September 2018}}</ref> The alphabet chart containing [[vowel]]s, [[consonant]]s and the compound letters in Devanagari script are as follows:
[[File:Sourashtra-Devnagari-alphabet-chart.jpg|thumb|Saurashtra Devanagari alphabet chart released with guidance of CIIL|right]]

== Loanwords ==

The language itself is more similar to modern day [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]] and [[Marathi language|Marathi]] as both originated from [[Prakrit]]. However, in the course of migration to [[South India]], the language was influenced by [[Dravidian Languages]] such as [[Telugu language|Telugu]] and [[Kannada]] and accumulated words from those language in its vocabulary as [[loanwords]]. 
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! scope="col" width=200 | English
! scope="col" width=200 | Saurashtra loanword
! scope="col" width=200 | Donor-language word 
|-
|  "[[Rasam (dish)|Rasam]]" (Tamarind extract)  ||  Pilchār || Charu ([[Telugu language|Telugu]])
|-
| [[Read (process)|Read]]/Study  ||  Chouthi    || Chaduvu ([[Telugu language|Telugu]]) 
|-
| [[Mirror]]  ||  Addam    ||    Adhham ([[Telugu language|Telugu]]) 
|-
| [[Flattened rice]]  ||  Aḍkul    ||    Atukulu ([[Telugu language|Telugu]])
|-
| [[Retail#Types of retail outlets|Shop]]  ||  Aṅgiḍi  ||    Aṅgaḍi ([[Kannada language|Kannada]])
|-
| [[Rangoli]] ||  Muggu   ||    Muggulu ([[Telugu language|Telugu]])
|-
| [[Clothing|Cloth]]  ||  Boṭṭal    ||    Batte/Battalu ([[Kannada]]/ [[Telugu language|Telugu]]) 
|-
| [[Swallowing]]/Ants  ||  Miṅgi    ||    Miṅgaḍamu ([[Telugu language|Telugu]])
|-
| [[Jumping|Jump]] ||  Dhuṅki/Dhumki    ||    Dumuku ([[Kannada]]/ [[Telugu language|Telugu]])
|-
| Vehicle||  Boṇḍi    ||    Bandi ([[Kannada]]/ [[Telugu language|Telugu]])
|-
| Children ||  Pillan   ||    Pillalu ([[Telugu language|Telugu]])
|-
| Way ||  Vāṭ    ||   Vaat (Gujarati / [[Marathi language|Marathi]] )
|-
| Punch (blow with the fist) || Gudthi || Guddhu ([[Kannada]]/ [[Telugu language|Telugu]])
|-
|Sprinkles||  Chiṅkul || Chinukulu ([[Telugu language|Telugu]])
|-
| Drop ||  Boṭṭu || Bottu ([[Kannada]] /[[Telugu language|Telugu]])
|-
| Work || Kām || Kaam (Gujarati/ [[Marathi language|Marathi]]/ [[Hindi]])
|-
| Monkey || Kōdi || Kothi ([[Telugu language|Telugu]]/ [[Kannada]])
|-
|Milk 
|Dūdh
|Dūdha ([[Gujarati language|Gujarati]])
|-
|Water 
|Pani
|Pāṇī ([[Gujarati language|Gujarati]])
|-
|[[Cattle|Cow]]
|Gaaye/Goru
|Gaay (Gujarati), Gaaye ([[Hindi]]/ [[Marathi language|Marathi]])
|-
|[[Who (pronoun)|Who]]
|Kōn
|Kōṇ ([[Marathi language|Marathi]]/ [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]])
|-
|[[:wikt:out|Out]]
|Bharāḍ 
|Bahāra ([[Gujarati language|Gujarati]])
|-
|[[:wikt:come|Come]]
|Āv
|Āvō ([[Gujarati language|Gujarati]])
|-
|[[:wikt:do|Do]]
|Kēr
|Karā ([[Marathi language|Marathi]]), Kar (Gujarati)
|-
|[[:wikt:Go|Go]]
|Jā
|Jā'ō ([[Gujarati language|Gujarati]])
|-
|Home
|Ghēr
|Ghar ([[Gujarati language|Gujarati]])
|-
|Rice
|Bhath
|Bhāt (Gujarati, [[Marathi language|Marathi]])
|-
|No
|Nokko
|Noko ([[Marathi language|Marathi]])
|-
|Sour
|Ambaṭ 
|Amlo([[Sanskrit language|Sanskrit]]) / Ambot (Konkani)
|-
|Spicy
|Thikke
|tīkhaṭ ([[Marathi language|Marathi]]), Tīkhu (Gujarati)
|-
|Curry
|Amti
|Amti ([[Marathi language|Marathi]])
|-
|Fog/Snow
|Monchu
|Man̄cu ([[Tamil language|Tamil]]), ([[Telugu language|Telugu]])
|-
|That
|Thele
|Athu (Tamil) Ani (Telugu)
|-
|Watch/Look
|sātha
|Pār (Tamil) Cūḍu (Telugu)
|-
|What
|kāye
|Yenna (Tamil)
|-
|So
|avenu
|Ataṉāl (Tamil) 
|}

== Literature ==

The literature of Saurashtra is not as large as the literature of other literary languages such as [[Tamil language|Tamil]], [[Sanskrit]], [[Kannada language|Kannada]], and [[Telugu language|Telugu]]. The earliest available Saurashtra literature that survives to this date is the Saurashtra translation of the great [[Sanskrit]] epic of [[Ramayana]]. It was written by ''Venkatasoori Swamigal'' (1800 AD), a Sanskrit scholar and disciple of [[Venkataramana Bhagavathar]] who lived in [[Ayyampettai, Thanjavur|Ayyampettai]] of [[Thanjavur]] district.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/akademi-award-for-tn-writers-who-revived-sourashtra-literature/article16936860.ece1|title=Akademi award for TN writers who revived Sourashtra literature|last=Kolappan|first=B.|date=24 December 2016|work=The Hindu|access-date=16 April 2018|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

Other important literary works in Saurashtra are:

* [[Bhagavad Gita]] (''Bhagavat Giito'') 1953 AD – written by T.R.Padman abhaiyer
* [[Tirukkuṛaḷ|Thirukkural]] (''Saurashtra Thirukural Payiram—Pitika Pragaranam'') 1980 AD – translated by [[Sankhu Ram]]<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/set-up-thirukkural-research-centre/article18522481.ece|title=Set up Thirukkural research centre|author=Staff Reporter|date=22 May 2017|work=The Hindu|access-date=27 May 2018|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>
* [[Mahabharata]] (''Paandavun Khetho'') 2013 AD – written by Kasin Anantham<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/mahabharatha-in-sourashtra-language/article4652672.ece|title=Mahabharatha in Saurashtra language|date=25 April 2013|work=The Hindu|access-date=16 April 2018|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>
*[[Silappatikaram]] 2018 AD – translated by S.D.Gnaneswaran<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/a-tamil-classic-translated-into-sourashtra/article23919603.ece|title=A Tamil classic translated into Sourashtra|last=Kolappan|first=B.|date=18 May 2018|work=The Hindu|access-date=25 November 2018|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

Besides Thirukkural, [[Sankhu Ram]] has done many literary works in Saurashtra like ''Gnanamritha Geetham'', ''Shiddhashrama Prabhaavam'' and so on. The first Saurashtra dictionary was brought out by T.M. Rama Rai, the author of ''Vachana Ramayana,'' in 1908. It was printed in Saurashtra script and was in the form of slokas. Apart from these he is also credited for ''Niti Sambu'' and Natanagopala Nayaki Swami's Kirthanas.<ref name=":4" />

The [[Sahitya Akademi Award]] is given to authors writing in the Saurashtra language since 2007. A former [[Sanskrit]] Professor of [[Sourashtra College, Madurai|Sourashtra College]] in [[Madurai]], T.R. Damodaran won the award for his book ''Jiva Sabda Kosam'', a compilation of 1,333 Saurashtra words with English and [[Tamil language|Tamil]] meanings. However, Saroja Sundararajan, was also awarded for ''Yogendran Monnum Singaru Latun'' (in Tamil, 'Yogendra Thalaivarkalin Manathiley Ezhuntha Azhagiya Alaigal'), a rendition of works of [[Adi Shankara|Adi Sankara's]] [[Soundarya Lahari|Soundaryalahiri]], [[Kanakadhāra Stotraṃ|Kanagadhara]] stotra and Mahishasuramarthini stotra, Natana Gopala Nayagi Swami's 'Mooschi Deshad,' 'Subramanian Mahatmiyam' and songs of [[Sai Baba of Shirdi|Sai Baba]].<ref name=":3" />

==See also==
* [[Saraostus]]
* [[Saurashtra Kingdom]]
* [[Saurashtra (region)]]
* [[Saurashtra (state)]]
* [[Saurashtra people]]
* [[Saurashtra script]]
* [[Saurashtra (Unicode block)]]
* [[Gujarati languages]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
*[https://www.sourashtraworld.in/ Sourashtra World]

{{Incubator|code= saz}}

{{Western Indo-Aryan languages}}
{{Languages of Tamil Nadu}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Saurashtra language| ]]
[[Category:Indo-Aryan languages]]
[[Category:Western Indo-Aryan languages]]
[[Category:Languages of Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Languages of Gujarat]]
[[Category:Saurashtra (region)]]
[[Category:Languages written in Devanagari]]