Kannada writer, lexicographer, G Venkatasubbiah passes away at 107

Bengaluru: Kannada writer, editor, lexicographer, G Venkatasubbiah passed away on Monday. He was 107 years old. Recipient of the Kannada Sahitya Akademi Award and the Pampa Award, G. Venkatasubbiah's contribution to the world of Kannada Lexicography is vast.

His work Igo Kannada is a socio-linguistic dictionary which encompasses an eclectic mix of Kannada phrases, usages, idioms, phrases, and serves as a reference for linguists and sociologists alike.

Born on 23 August 1913 at Ganjam village, Srirangapatna, in Mandya district, Venkatasubbiah is best known for his work on Kannada dictionary science titled Kannada Nighantu Shastra Parichaya. This came out exactly one hundred years after a Kannada-English dictionary was authored by the German priest and Indologist Reverend Ferdinand Kittel in 1894.

This work became an addition to a tradition of dictionary writing in Kannada known for at least thousand years starting with first available Rannakanda.