Tags: Language.
Badaga (Kannada: ಬಡಗ ಭಾಷೆ) is a southern Dravidian language (Tamil–Kannada branch) spoken by approximately 400000 people in the Nilgiri Hills of Southern India. It is known for its retroflex vowels. It has similarities with neighbouring Kannada language and it was earlier considered as a dialect of Kannada and now identified as an independent language. The word Badaga refers to the Badaga language as well as the Badaga indigenous people that speak it.