Kittel Made an Unmatched Contribution to Tulu Language: Prashanth Pandit

Mangaluru: Ferdinand Kittel, the German missionary who compiled the first Kannada dictionary, made an exceptional contribution to the Tulu language as well, said researcher and documentary filmmaker Prashanth Pandit. He was delivering a talk on “Kittel’s Contribution to Tulu” at an event organised by the Karnataka Tulu Sahitya Academy at Tulu Bhavan in Mangaluru.

Pandit said that the years Kittel spent in Mangaluru were the most intellectually productive period of his life. In his monumental Kannada–English dictionary, Kittel documented thousands of Tulu words and provided Tulu interpretations for several Kannada entries, embedding Tulu identity within the Kannada lexicon, he noted.

Kittel, who arrived from Basel, Germany, as part of a missionary assignment, showed little interest in direct evangelism. Instead, he devoted himself to the study and research of Kannada and Tulu, even earning the displeasure of his own missionary authorities. During his stay in Tulu Nadu, he also taught the Tulu language to his wife Pauline, and later to his two children, Pandit said.

He added that Kittel conducted extensive research on the spread of “Bhuta” spirit worship traditions from Tulu Nadu to Coorg region, recording valuable ethnographic insights.

Following the lecture, a screening of Pandit’s documentary “Arivu Mattu Guruvu” (Knowledge and Guide), based on the life of Kittel, was held. Tulu researcher Bennett Amanna spoke in response to the presentation.

Prashanth Pandit was felicitated on the occasion. Retired Mangalore University Professor B. Shivarama Shetty and St. Aloysius (Deemed) University Humanities Dean Dr. Mahalinga Bhat were present. Karnataka Tulu Sahitya Academy President Taranath Gatti Kapikad presided over the programme