Question map
'Dhivehi' is a principal language of which one of the following Union Territories?
Explanation
Dhivehi (also spelled Divehi) is the principal language of the Union Territory of Lakshadweep, specifically spoken on Minicoy Island. While Malayalam is the most widely spoken language across the Lakshadweep archipelago [2], the inhabitants of Minicoy speak a dialect of Dhivehi known locally as 'Mahl' [4]. Dhivehi is an Indo-Aryan language and serves as the national language of the Maldives. It is written in the Thaana script, which is unique for being written from right to left [4]. In contrast, the other Union Territories mentioned have different linguistic profiles: Puducherry primarily uses Tamil [2], while Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh utilize languages such as Urdu, Kashmiri, Dogri, and Ladakhi [1]. Therefore, Dhivehi is uniquely associated with the Lakshadweep administration in the Indian context.
Sources
- [2] Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 13: Cultural Setting > Language as a Determinant of Cultural Region > p. 49
- [4] Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 13: Cultural Setting > Language as a Determinant of Cultural Region > p. 47
- [1] Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 13: Cultural Setting > Language as a Determinant of Cultural Region > p. 48