/dreuh vid"ee euhn/ , n.
1. a family of languages, wholly distinct from Indo-European, spoken mostly in southern India and Sri Lanka and including Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and, in Pakistan, Brahui.
2. a member of the aboriginal population occupying much of southern India and parts of Sri Lanka.
adj.
3. Also, Dravidic . of or pertaining to this people or their language.
[ 1855-60; Dravid ( a ) ethnonym + -IAN ]