Language
Goud Saraswat Brahmins primarily speak Konkani as their mother tongue. The Konkani they speak is slightly different from the Konkani spoken by other communities such as the Catholics, Navayaths, and Siddis. The Konkani spoken by Goan Saraswats, Karnataka Saraswats and Kerala Saraswats is also different. The Konkani spoken by Karnataka Saraswats has borrowed loan words from Kannada while the Konkani spoken by Kerala Saraswats has borrowed loan words from Malayalam. This was due to several centuries of domicile by the Saraswats in these areas.
The usage of the language by the community is on the decline:
- In Goa, the Portuguese discouraged the usage of Konkani in Goa and imposed the Portuguese language as official, leading to Konkani's decline in Goa.
- In Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala, the usage of Marathi, Kannada and Malayalam respectively was preferred in place of Konkani.
- The need for usage of English and Hindi languages has also contributed to this decline.
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