Alternate Names: Kanikkar, Kannikan, Kannikaran, Kannikharan, Malampashi
Dialects: None known. Lexical similarity: 71%–80% between Kanikkaran varieties in Kerala, 67%–71% between Kanikkaran in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, 66%–75% with Malayalam ,, 59%–65% with Tamil ,.
Genealogy:
Demographics: 19,000 (2007). Ethnic population: 19,000.
Language Use: Almost all in Kerala are shifting to Malayalam [mal], but those in Tamil Nadu use L1. Also use Malayalam [mal], Tamil [tam].
Language Development: Literacy rate in L2: 71%–80% in Kerala, 59%–68% in Tamil Nadu (2001 census).
Nation of Origin: India
Other Comments: A Scheduled Tribe. Traditional religion, Hindu.