The Grammar of Living Dialects
A reassessment of Telugu grammatical history challenges the claim that spoken Telugu lacks formal grammar, highlighting Dr. Vadlamudi Gopala Krishnayya’s seminal Vyāvahārika Bhāṣā Vyākaraṇam and warning against recurring intellectual distortions in contemporary linguistic discourse.
Bilhan Kumar
A close reading of canonical grammatical treatises and classical commentaries reveals an uncomfortable truth: even the most celebrated scholars of the past were not free from confusion, misconception, or internal contradiction. Whether due to human error or the intellectual limitations of their times, distortions and contentious assertions found their way into their works. This historical reality prompts a disturbing question for our own time—are some contemporary essayists and commentators repeating the same mistakes, driven by prejudice or convenience, and thereby doing injustice to genuine grammarians? Have we truly learned from history?
The times have changed. Technology has advanced. Yet the persistence of narrow-mindedness and entrenched bias, coupled with a reluctance to adopt a broader perspective, remains deeply disappointing.
The tradition of grammatical writing in classical Telugu is often said to begin with Andhra Śabda Chintāmaṇi and end with Dr. Vadlamudi Gopala Krishnayya (popularly known as V. Go. Kṛ.). Many assume he was the last grammarian of the classical (grāntika) language. However, a careful reading of the critically edited volumes of the Śrīmadāndhra Ṛgveda Saṃhitā (Ti. Ti. De.) prepared by Dr. Krishnayya reveals translated verses in entirely new metrical forms. Does this not suggest that he, too, contributed—directly or indirectly—to the evolution of grammatical thought in classical Telugu? To dismiss him as a terminal point is, at best, an oversimplification.
The journey of the colloquial (vyāvahārika) language into mainstream legitimacy was neither smooth nor accidental. Nearly two and a half centuries ago, two eminent scholars spearheaded a movement, solemnly vowing to write a grammar for the spoken language. Fate intervened; they passed away before fulfilling that pledge. It was Dr. Vadlamudi Gopala Krishnayya who finally realized this long-deferred ambition. At the age of just 29, he authored an extraordinary grammar of spoken dialects, comprising 1,474 succinct rules, under the title Vyāvahārika Bhāṣā Vyākaraṇam. First published in 1958, the work won acclaim from leading poets, scholars, and academics of the time, and soon became a benchmark of grammatical authority.
Yet, after 1990, the book gradually disappeared from the market. With the growing dominance of cinema and mass media, its reach diminished. The consequences are evident today. We find ourselves repeatedly forced to argue that grammar in the form of systematic rules is not only valid but foundational. More troublingly, some writers have begun to claim—quite brazenly—that no formal grammar of the colloquial language ever existed.
Such intellectual blackmail is not new to Telugu literary history, though it remains no less shocking. Andhra Śabda Chintāmaṇi itself lay in obscurity for nearly six centuries. The Adharvaṇa Kārikalu remained unknown for about three hundred years. These facts surface, knowingly or otherwise, in the verses of a scholar known as Ahobiludu—whose real name was Gāli Obulayya. Finding his name insufficiently dignified, he reportedly Sanskritized it as “Prabhanjana–Ahobilapati” in his works.
Ironically, this very Ahobiludu launched sharp critiques against Kētana Mahākavi’s Āndhra Bhāṣā Bhūṣaṇam, suspecting—wrongly—that Kētana had ignored the existence of Chintāmaṇi and attempted to fashion an entirely new grammar. History records that several of Kētana’s contemporaries joined in these attacks. That such undesirable tendencies are resurfacing today, particularly in debates around grammar, is deeply distressing.
Against this backdrop, the decision of senior journalist Vadlamudi Rajaphani to bring out a second edition—albeit with minor revisions—of his father’s seminal Vyāvahārika Bhāṣā Vyākaraṇam (first published in 1958) is a matter of pride for both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. It represents not merely a reprint, but a reclamation of intellectual heritage.
What is often overlooked is Dr. Gopala Krishnayya’s extraordinary foresight. As early as 1956, driven by an unwavering commitment to the growth of Telugu, he conceptualized and introduced over twenty new letters. These sounds had always existed in spoken usage but never found representation in written form. In a world where everything seems to be advancing, the stagnation of Telugu pains the conscientious observer. Even today, adopting these new letters could mark a decisive step toward authentic linguistic development.
The grammatical rules laid out in this work, structured through clear morphological analysis, remain remarkably close to the lived realities of Telugu dialects. Dr. Krishnayya’s vision continues to resonate, inspiring speakers and scholars across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh alike.
Above all, Vyāvahārika Bhāṣā Vyākaraṇam stands as both a safeguard against intellectual mischief and a guiding compass for students of Telugu language and linguistics. As an academic reference and a moral corrective, it deserves renewed attention—and enduring respect.
