Alternate Names: Malayar
Dialects: None known. Lexical similarity: 68%–74% with Tamil ,, 79%–83% with Walayar Irula ,, 77%–86% with Eravallan ,, 57%–61% with Malayalam ,, 68%–75% with Mala Malasar , (2004 survey); 52%–56% with Malaryan ,, 77%–82% between Malasar and Kollimalakkar, Kollimalakkar 80% with Malapulaya (2006 survey).
Genealogy:
Demographics: 7,760 (2001 census).
Language Use: Home, village, religion. all ages. Positive attitudes. Bilingual ability in Malayalam [mal] (in Kerala) increases with education but few have higher education. Bilingualism in Tamil [tam] reportedly more widespread even in Kerala.
Language Development: Literacy rate in L2: 36% in Kerala, 22% in Tamil Nadu (2001 census).
Nation of Origin: India
Other Comments: A Scheduled Tribe. Kollimalakkar call themselves Malasar but are different culturally, belonging to the Malayali tribe of Tamil Nadu. They migrated to Nelliyampathy area in Kerala for work many years ago. Traditional religion, Christian, Hindu.