Alternate Names: Mudavan, Muduva, Muduvan, Muduvar, Mutuvar
Dialects: Eastern Muthuvan (Pandi Muthuvan, Tamil Muthuvan), Western Muthuvan (Malayalam Muthuvan, Nattu Muthuvan). Intelligibility 82%–87% between dialects, eastern dialect more intelligible to western than vice versa, 80% intelligibility of Malayalam ,. Lexical similarity: 77%–88% between dialects, 62%–67% with Tamil ,, 58%–68% with Malayalam ,.
Genealogy:
Demographics: 16,800 (2006 IMB).
Language Use: Vigorous. Home, village, religion. All ages. Positive attitudes. Youth understand Malayalam [mal] better than Tamil. Older people understand Tamil [tam] better than Malayalam [mal].
Language Development: Literacy rate in L2: 24% (31% males, 17% females) (1991 census); 40% for Tamil Nadu (2001 census).
Nation of Origin: India
Other Comments: A Scheduled Tribe. Hindu.