Malayalam is the main language of Kerala. Malayalam is a combination of two words, mala (meaning mountain) and alam (meaning the land). Malayalam belongs to the Dravidian family of languages, but there is considerable difference of opinion about the exact nature of its relationship with the other languages of the Dravidian stock. It is the official language of Kerala. Malayalam also contains many Portuguese, Dutch, English, Arabic, Marathi, Sanskrit and Persian words. About 31.8 million people speak Malayalam. There are five main regional dialects of Malayalam and a number of communal dialects. There are 37 consonants and 16 vowels in the script. Besides Malayalam, English is also spoken by a considerable number of people in Kerala.