Njattyela Sreedharan | |
|---|---|
| Born | 20 December 1938 Thalassery, Madras Province, British India |
| Died | 13 August 2025 (aged 86) Thalassery, Kerala, India |
| Spouse(s) | Yashoda |
Njattyela Sreedharan[3][4] (Malayalam: ഞാറ്റ്യേല ശ്രീധരന്, IPA: [ɲaːtːjeːlɐ ʃriːd̪ʰɐɾɐn]; 20 December 1938 – 13 August 2025) was an Indian lexicographer[5] from Thalassery[6] in Kerala. He is known for compiling a dictionary connecting four major Dravidian languages Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil and Telugu.[7][8]
Background
Sreedharan was born in Thalassery, Madras Province, British India on 20 December 1938.[9][10] He died at his residence on 13 August 2025, at the age of 86.[11][12][13]
Selected books
- Malayalam–Tamil Dictionary (2012)[14]
- Chathur Dravida Bhasha Nighandu (Dictionary of Four Dravidian Languages) (2020)[15][16]
- Chathur Dravida Bhasha Padaparichayam (Published by Kerala Bhasha Institute) (2023)[17]
- Ormakalude Thirayattam (Autobiography) (2024)[18]
The Chathur Dravida Bhasha Nighandu was digitized and published as the Samam Four-Language Dictionary in 2024, through a collaboration between the Indic Digital Archive Foundation and the Malayalam Mission’s Karnataka Chapter.[19][20]
In popular culture
The 2021 documentary Dreaming of Words,[21][22][23] directed by Nandan,[24][25][26] celebrates the life and work of Njattyela Sreedharan.[27] Dreaming of Words has received numerous accolades including a National Film Award and was screened at the annual convention of the Modern Language Association[28] and the annual conference of the Linguistic Society of America[29] in January 2022.
Major awards
- Dr. Hermann Gundert Award for the best dictionary (2022) instituted by Dravidian Linguistics Association.[30][31]
- Special Jury Award at the 5th India Reading Olympiad (2023), organised by the Food4Thought Foundation, which was presented during the 13th Hyderabad Literary Festival.[32]
See also
References
- ↑ "Unique dictionary covering 4 Dravidian languages ready". Deccan Herald. 28 October 2020.
- ↑ "ഞാറ്റ്യേല ശ്രീധരനെ ആദരിച്ചു | Madhyamam". February 2021.
- ↑ "Beedi-worker-turned-lexicographer spends 25 years to compile dictionary in 4 Dravidian languages". OnManorama.
- ↑ "The work of his dreams, and love for words, awaits a reprint". The New Indian Express.
- ↑ "For the love of words, 82-year-old compiles dictionary of four south Indian languages". The News Minute. 30 November 2020.
- ↑ "Dreaming of Words – Njattyela Sreedharan United Four Languages and Hearts Through His Unique Dictionary". 18 November 2020.
- ↑ "83-YO Kerala School Dropout Creates Unique Dictionary in 4 South Indian Languages". The Better India. 31 December 2020.
- ↑ "One man's 40-year labour of love results in dictionary of four Dravidian languages | Kochi News". The Times of India. 27 March 2021.
- ↑ "നാല് ഭാഷകളിൽ വാക്കുകളെ സ്വപ്നം കണ്ടയാൾ - ഇത് തലശ്ശേരിയിലെ ശ്രീധരേട്ടൻ". News18 Malayalam. 4 February 2020.
- ↑ "The Man Who Wrote A Dictionary In Four Languages - Silver Talkies". silvertalkies.com.
- ↑ "Njattyela Sreedharan, self-taught linguist and creator of four-language Dravidian dictionary, passes away at 87". The Hindu. 14 August 2025. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
- ↑ "ഞാറ്റ്യേല ശ്രീധരൻ അന്തരിച്ചു; വിടപറഞ്ഞത് തലശേരിയുടെ രണ്ടാംഗുണ്ടർട്ട്". Deshabhimani. 14 August 2025. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
- ↑ "ഞാറ്റ്യേല ശ്രീധരന് ഓര്മ്മയായി; വിട പറഞ്ഞത് ചതുര്ഭാഷാ നിഘണ്ടുവിന്റെ പിതാവ്". Mathrubhumi. 14 August 2025. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
- ↑ "Amazon.in". www.amazon.in.
- ↑ Sajit, C. p (30 October 2020). "For Keralites, door opens to three other Dravidian languages". The Hindu – via www.thehindu.com.
- ↑ ഡെസ്ക്, വെബ് (24 January 2021). "ഇവിടെ വാക്കുകൾ വീർപ്പുമുട്ടുകയാണ് | Madhyamam". www.madhyamam.com.
- ↑ https://www.mathrubhumi.com/literature/news/njattyela-sreedharan-chathurbhasha-dictionary-released-by-bhasha-institute-1.8650916
- ↑ https://keralakaumudi.com/news/news.php?id=1591529&u=death
- ↑ https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2023/07/16/samam-digital-dravidian-dictionary-njattyela-sreedharan.html
- ↑ https://samam.net/
- ↑ "Dreaming of Words". 21 February 2021 – via IMDb.
- ↑ "On the extraordinary achievements of an ordinary man". 4 January 2021.
- ↑ "DC South Asian Film Festival". dcsaff.eventive.org.
- ↑ "Dreaming of Words: Man who connected four Indian languages". 17 November 2020.
- ↑ "Main serial categories left blank in State TV Awards in Kerala". The Hindu. 1 September 2021 – via www.thehindu.com.
- ↑ "Award Winners Results 6th Edition | BUEIFF 2021". 29 April 2021. Archived from the original on 8 January 2022. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
- ↑ "ACL2022 | Award-Winning Indian Documentary "Dreaming of Words" to be Screened at ACL2022". The Asian Conference on Language (ACL). 8 February 2022. Archived from the original on 3 March 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
- ↑ B, Nandan (7 January 2022). "Dreaming of Words". MLA – via mla.confex.com.
- ↑ "Dreaming of Words | Linguistic Society of America". www.linguisticsociety.org.
- ↑ "Clipping of Thiruvananthapuram - Kannur".
- ↑ Award winners ijdl.org p.1
- ↑ https://newspaper.mathrubhumi.com/kannur/news/news-1.10832000?anonId=6584f79d-3c14-4e02-8098-491c3ed7b8c5&paywallId=678f8f9b0f451b1d10ba1d59&clientId=678628e52da52b55fd8b84a3&mobileView=false