The first travelogue in any Indian language is the Malayalam Varthamanappusthakam, written by Paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar in 1785. The modern Malayalam grammar is based on the book Kerala Panineeyam written by A. It bears high similarity with the Tigalari script, a historical script that was used to write the Tulu language in South Canara, and Sanskrit in the adjacent Malabar region. The current Malayalam script is based on the Vatteluttu script, which was extended with Grantha script letters to adopt Indo-Aryan loanwords.

The earliest script used to write Malayalam was the Vatteluttu script. The oldest literary work in Malayalam, distinct from the Tamil tradition, is dated from between the 9th and 11th centuries. It is generally agreed that the Quilon Syrian copper plates of 849/850 CE is the oldest available inscription written in Old Malayalam.

A second view argues for the development of the two languages out of 'Proto-Dravidian' or 'Proto-Tamil-Malayalam' in the prehistoric era, although this is generally rejected by historical linguists. The mainstream view holds that Malayalam descends from early Middle Tamil and separated from it sometime after the c. The origin of Malayalam remains a matter of dispute among scholars. They are a significant population in each city in India including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi, Kolkata, Pune etc. It is also spoken by the Malayali Diaspora worldwide, especially in the Persian Gulf countries, due to the large populations of Malayali expatriates there. Malayalam is also spoken by linguistic minorities in the neighbouring states with a significant number of speakers in the Kodagu and Dakshina Kannada districts of Karnataka, and Kanyakumari, district of Tamil Nadu. Malayalam has official language status in Kerala and Puducherry ( Mahé), and is also the primary spoken language of Lakshadweep, and is spoken by 34 million people in India. Malayalam was designated a ' Classical Language of India' in 2013. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India.

Malayalam ( / ˌ m æ l ə ˈ j ɑː l ə m/ Malayalam: മലയാളം, Malayāḷam, ( listen)) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry ( Mahé district) by the Malayali people. A Malayalam speaker, recorded in South Africa

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