Malayalam is a Dravidian language spoken primarily in the southern Indian state of Kerala and in the Union Territory of Lakshadweep. It is also spoken by a significant number of people in the Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Maharashtra as well as abroad in places such as the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United States where there is a Malayali diaspora. Malayalam is written in the Malayalam script, which is unique to the language and has a rich literary tradition, with a history dating back to the 13th century.

It has a complex grammatical structure and a vocabulary that has been influenced by various other languages such as Sanskrit, Tamil, and Arabic. Malayalam is also widely spoken in the Malayali diaspora around the world, particularly in Gulf countries, USA, UK, Canada and Australia. It is also used as a medium of instruction in schools and universities and also used in media, literature and poetry.