Dravidian languages constitute a family of approximately 70 languages primarily spoken by over 250 million people in South India, Sri Lanka, and parts of Pakistan (Brahui), Afghanistan, and Central and Eastern India. Unlike Indo-Aryan languages, they are not derived from Sanskrit. They are characterized by their agglutinative nature (words formed by adding suffixes), a lack of gender distinction in nouns, and specific phonological features.

The four major literary and most widely spoken Dravidian languages are:

1. Tamil: One of the world's oldest living languages, primarily spoken in Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka.
2. Telugu: Spoken in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
3. Kannada: Spoken in Karnataka.
4. Malayalam: Spoken in Kerala.

Other significant Dravidian languages include Tulu, Gondi, Kurukh, and Brahui. Linguists typically classify Dravidian languages into four main subgroups:

• South Dravidian: Includes Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Tulu, Kodava, and Toda.
• South-Central Dravidian: Includes Telugu, Gondi, Konda, and Kui.
• Central Dravidian: Includes Kolami, Parji, Gadaba, and Naiki.
• North Dravidian: Includes Brahui, Kurukh, and Malto.

This linguistic family represents a rich cultural heritage and a distinct linguistic tradition in the Indian subcontinent.