1998 General Studies, all questions

UPSC Prelims 1998 · General Studies

Question 21: History and Culture

Which one of the following languages belongs to the Austric group?

aMarathi
bLadakhi
cKhasi
dTamil

AnswerThe answer is (c).

Khasi, spoken in Meghalaya, belongs to the Austric family, in its Mon-Khmer branch of the Austro-Asiatic group; the Munda languages of central and eastern India, such as Santhali and Mundari, are the other Austro-Asiatic branch in India. Marathi is Indo-Aryan, Ladakhi is Tibeto-Burman and Tamil is Dravidian. Remember the Austric examples: Khasi, Santhali, Mundari.

Why each option is right or wrong
  • (a) Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language.
  • (b) Ladakhi is Tibeto-Burman.
  • (c) Right: Khasi is Mon-Khmer, in the Austric family.
  • (d) Tamil is Dravidian.

Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.

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Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 1998, General Studies. UPSC's own paper isn't online; the words are from a published compilation. The paper on upsc.gov.in.