Noted Kannada linguist, critic K.V. Narayana passes away in Bengaluru at 78

Noted Kannada linguist and critic K.V. Narayana, 78, passed away at his residence in Bengaluru on November 6.

He is survived by his wife, noted feminist writer H. S. Shrimati, and two children. He is reported to have passed away in his sleep.

A 2024 Sahitya Akademi awardee for his pathbreaking work Nudigala Alivu, Professor Narayana was a popular teacher. He worked in the Kannada University at Hampi. He was among those who laid a strong foundation for the university. He also served as its registrar and in-charge Vice-Chancellor for some time.

During his tenure at Kuvempu Bhasha Bharathi, he is credited with reimagining the work the academy had been doing till then. He published a translation of debates of the constituent assembly for the first time, and a 10-volume series Karnatakada Samajika Arthika Chintanegalu. 

Way to view language

With an axiom — Kannadigalu Innu Saaku — he coined over four decades ago, Prof. Narayana called for looking at Kannada community as a source of knowledge, moving away from eurocentric influences.

The Kannada community that has lived for over two millennia has developed its own philosophy, wisdom and has much to give the world, he argued.

ಖ್ಯಾತ ವಿಮರ್ಶಕ, ಭಾಷಾತಜ್ಞ ಹಾಗೂ ಹಿರಿಯ ಸಾಹಿತಿ ಶ್ರೀ ಕೆ.ವಿ. ನಾರಾಯಣ ಅವರ ನಿಧನದ ಸುದ್ದಿ ತಿಳಿದು ತೀವ್ರ ದುಃಖವಾಗಿದೆ. ಕನ್ನಡ ಭಾಷೆ, ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ ಮತ್ತು ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತಿಯ ಬೆಳವಣಿಗೆಗೆ ಶ್ರೀ ಕೆ.ವಿ. ನಾರಾಯಣ ಅವರು ಅಮೂಲ್ಯ ಕೊಡುಗೆಗಳನ್ನು ನೀಡಿದ್ದರು. ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ ಅಕಾಡೆಮಿ ಹಾಗೂ ರಾಜ್ಯೋತ್ಸವ ಪ್ರಶಸ್ತಿ ಪುರಸ್ಕೃತರಾಗಿ, ಕುವೆಂಪು ಭಾಷಾ ಭಾರತಿ ಅಧ್ಯಕ್ಷರಾಗಿ ಸಲ್ಲಿಸಿದ ಅವರ ಸೇವೆ ಸದಾ ಸ್ಮರಣೀಯ. ಅವರ ಅಗಲಿಕೆಯಿಂದ ಕನ್ನಡ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ ಲೋಕಕ್ಕೆ ತುಂಬಲಾರದ ನಷ್ಟವಾಗಿದೆ. ಮೃತರ ಆತ್ಮಕ್ಕೆ ಶಾಂತಿ ದೊರೆಯಲಿ ಹಾಗೂ ಅವರ ಕುಟುಂಬ ವರ್ಗ ಮತ್ತು ಅಭಿಮಾನಿಗಳಿಗೆ ಈ ದುಃಖವನ್ನು ಭರಿಸುವ ಶಕ್ತಿ ಸಿಗಲಿ ಎಂದು ಪ್ರಾರ್ಥಿಸುತ್ತೇನೆ. ಓಂ ಶಾಂತಿ. - ಸನ್ಮಾನ್ಯ ಶ್ರೀ @DKShivakumar  ಮುಖ್ಯಮಂತ್ರಿಗಳು, ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ಸರ್ಕಾರ

— CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) November 6, 2026

“For him Kannada was a way of life and thinking, through which he saw the world,” said K.Y. Narayanaswamy, critic and writer. Prof Narayana developed a programme called Karnataka Odu, a series of workshops attempting to create a way of reading the State and its culture. 

Prof. Narayana’s ideas of language were radical as well. He argued that any isolated attempts to ‘save’ a language was bound to fail and it is the community that will preserve the language. Nudigala Alivu debates what disappearance of languages mean to cultures, how it happens, and what is the right way to address the issue.

He was inclined towards another linguist D.N. Shankar Bhat’s ideas of Kannada, which argued mahapranas are not part of Kannada, and are a Sanskrit import.

Prof. Narayana introduced renowned linguist Noam Chomsky’s work in Kannada. 

He started his career as a science teacher in a high school. He was introduced to linguistics at a summer school in Mysuru in 1972, following which it became his passion. He later got a Masters in Kannada Literature from Bangalore University. He did his PhD under the guidance of the late poet and scholar G.S. Shivarudrappa on Anandavardana’s Dhvanyaloka, a 9th century Sanskrit treatise on classical Indian poetics. 

A democrat 

Prof. Narayana’s long-time friend O. L. Nagabhushana Swamy remembers him foremost as a ‘democrat’. “During his stint at Kannada University, he started a programme called Dina Matu, where everyone was free to present a topic for a few minutes and others would respond. This was the first activity everyday. This fostered a democratic space, which he followed in his life as well,” he said. 

Rajendra Prasad, poet and secretary of Besagarahalli Ramanna Memorial Trust, Mandya, which organises the annual Vichara Kammata, of which Prof. Narayana was a mentor from its first edition in 2008, said Prof. Narayana reworked the workshop format into a democratic space where everyone could present their views. “He would not impose his ideas on us. He would only suggest the directions in which we could think. Not once did he lecture us at the workshop. He would seriously consider even an uninformed, silly question, and respond with dignity,” he said.

Was to mentor this year’s Vichara Kammata

Active till the very end, Prof. Narayana was supposed to mentor this year’s Vichara Kammata at Kuppalli, birth place of poet laureate Kuvempu, from November 13. He had already given notes on the subject of the workshop, Shivaram Karanth’s seminal novel Marali Mannige, it is learnt.

He had recently written two books - Hosa Odugarige Kuvempu and Malegalalli Madhumagalu, Hosa Dikkina Odu, reintroducing Kuvempu to new readers. He was scheduled to release a short story collection Tereda Gali of Karigowda Beechanahalli and speak on it on November 6. He died hours before the event.

Nagabhushana Swamy said his work probably did not receive the kind of engagement it deserved in Kannada. Prof. Narayana’s long-time friend Prof. H. S. Raghavendra Rao, who was too emotional to speak on November 6, described him as ‘the light and heart of Kannada today’. 

Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar, Kannada and Culture Minister Shivaraj S. Tangadagi were among the many who condoled his death.

The Chief Minister acknowledged Prof. Narayana’s  contribution to Kannada University, Kuvempu Bhasha Bharathi and said he had articulated a tradition of original thought on Kannada, Kannadiga, and Karnataka.