Konkani is a term used to refer both to a language and to an Indian ethnic group. The word derives from "kum", meaning 'Mother Earth' and "Kana", meaning 'dust' or 'atom'. The Konkani have been principally a farming community through most of their history, though now moving increasingly towards tourism.

Konkani is an Indo-Aryan language.

The Konkani people trace their history as far back as 4000 BC; their current centre is in Goa and are thought to have settled there around the 11th century AD. The Konkani were a coastal people, also settling in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala. Konkani brahmins are well known for the fact that they eat fish, a food that is generally forbidden for this caste (who are generally vegetarian). There are also populations of Konkani Catholics, converted by the Portuguese starting from the 16th century, and Muslims.

The Konkani language is spoken widely in the Konkan region consisting of Goa, South coastal Maharashtra and coastal Karnataka, each region having a unique dialect and pronunciation style. It is said that the language was spread to these areas by the Goans who fled the Portuguese inquisition of Goa during the early years of Portuguese rule. The text is written both in traditional Devnagri and Roman script, which originated during the Portuguese rule.

The first known book in Konkani was writted in 1651 by Friar Thomas Steven, titled Doctrina Christi (the Doctrines of Christ). It is presumed that the Portuguese destroyed all prior Konkani texts in the 16th century.

The Konkani language had been in danger of dying out — the progressive Westernisation of the Indian subcontinent (including the strong Portuguese influence in Goa from the 16th century) has resulted in English being widely spoken among Catholics, while Hindu nationalism has led to Marathi being widely adopted by Konkani Hindus. This trend was arrested in 1985 by a strong Konkani movement in Goa that had broad support from both religious groups. Konkani is now widely spoken in Goa, and is the official state language. It has since been given official language status in the Indian Constitution.

External links

• Ethnologue report for Konkani
• Learn Konkani online
• The Origins of the Konkani Language
• Vauraddeancho Ixtt - The Konkani Weekly