Meaning & use
Toda
Last updated
Meanings
proper nounproperIndian
A small Indigenous community of the Nilgiri Hills in southern India, traditionally herders of buffalo.
Grammar: Used with the for the people (the Toda) and with a plural verb. Also used for one member: a Toda woman.
Patterns
- the Toda people
- a member of the Toda
The Toda traditionally lived in barrel-shaped huts in the Nilgiri Hills.
Anthropologists have studied the Toda for more than a century.
Toda women are known for their red and black embroidery.
proper nounpropertechnical
The Dravidian language spoken by the Toda people.
Grammar: Used without an article for the language: she speaks Toda.
Patterns
- speak Toda
Toda is spoken by only a few thousand people.
Linguists record Toda to keep it from being lost.
Toda is related to Tamil and Kannada.
Common combinations
- the Toda people
- The Toda people live in villages called munds.
- Toda embroidery
- Toda embroidery is made with red and black thread.
- Toda temple
- A Toda temple is shaped like a hut with a rounded roof.
- Toda language
- The Toda language belongs to the Dravidian family.
- Toda buffalo
- The Toda buffalo are central to Toda ceremonies.
Word family
- Todas noun
- plural form for members of the community
- Dravidian adjective
- relating to the family of languages of southern India
- Nilgiri proper noun
- the hills in southern India where the Toda live
Commonly confused: Toda or toda?
Toda vs toda
In Spanish and Portuguese, toda means all or whole. It is unrelated to the Toda community of India.
Practice
Where is the Toda community traditionally found?
Choose one answer.
The Toda are traditionally herders of the Nilgiri Hills in southern India. The other regions are home to different communities and landscapes.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Toda”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.