Malayalam is one of the four major Dravidian languages spoken principally in the southern part of India. It has a recorded history of eight centuries and is spoken by more than thirty million people on the Malabar coast of southern India This is the first detailed description of Malayalam, providing an in-depth analysis of the linguistic richness of this language.

ý......Dr. GeorgeýS Comprehensive Study Is Thus Valuable, Not Only For Throwing A Revealing Light On The Immediate Subject, But Also For Its Relevance To The Wider Subject Of Western Influence On India As A Whole....It Is Only After Inquiries Have Been Conducted In Depth, Like Dr. GeorgeýS Covering The Whole Country And All The Divers Aspects Of The Problem That Anything Like A Definitive Picture For All India Can Be Expected To Emerge. But Even By Itself, Dr. GeorgeýS Study Has An Importance Transcending Malayalam Language And Literature Or The Life And Culture Of The People Of Kerala.....ý