An Early Fhase of Sinhalese compared with

Early Modern trndo-Aryan

Professor

D. E. Hnrrrlnlrcrn

Indo-Aryan is generally divided into three stages: (l) Old Indo(2) Middle Indo-Aryan,and (3)Modern (or New)'Indo-Arvan.
Indo'Aryan is represenied by vedic and classical Sanskrit, midate
Indo-Aryan by Plli and Pr-akrits extending up to the most developed
P.rakritviz.-,Apabhraln$aof about the gth"or^t0th century A.D. and
Modern fqdo-Aryan continues from about the gth or ttith century

4lyg,,
old

g11v3rd.. Duqing each of these three periods the language has developeh

distinctive features typical of thai phase of devilofment. The rate

of change or of develop-ment of certain mod.ern Indo-iryan-lrrrguages
seems

to have varied . while cert ain modern

I ndo

Aryan iangu

ag-es

li"ke

Sengali, are yet in the Apabhrah4F6a.stage as late

f Oitr c6ntury,
Sinhalese, probably in its isolation in the island"sil9
of Sri Lanka, his
developed much quicker as a modern Ind.o-Aryan language.

. . The Old.Bengali-ClqViladq, ascribed to the t0th century

and

claimed asbein6 Old Maithili or OldOriya orOId Assamese,and 6elonging_to the Tantric Sahajiya cult, has for for all intents and purposes,
Apabhrarl06a characteristics.

from the Caryagitj-(dqa of the tsudd.hist Siddhas

Dr P. C. tsagchi and Sdnti Bhikpu Sastri (p. ?5) appears

passage

edited bv
below:

?.

3.

q."::r.<6 dO dE toO 68ce6c

6.rd eg:q OeaiJcOS qo5c

[r;,rf@zrc dO8c dOEr oO60roe6
Sd>c ogcorrc OCmcd gcorgcm.l
qceol 46 c5cengl q8mor odcg
drO @cJ.e6 trrO zorgeee6 oeoc A
[Oor. n gcr'rro r qEmalr:ococEax
erzrg Od.6" oOs dgaootr o06l
dgo-eoc ejrO
BOoa:z;.r
[oscqaar"

9d60

t:rgoeoc

Ogoe mcE Soccoecr

e5rsig @d{598 zscqao:

8Od @aoo arceed Eoclaa:l

r7

JOURNAL, R.A.S. (SRI

4.

LANKA)

Vol.

XX, (New Series),

r97 6

dr O$ e3c@ OdoS Eee$eoc

ebx 6)dC dee 6esco6od or$Oc
focec'g drtJ@d 95o6" Eg]Sal;
eo ?tDgdc';e des deorce?tocec:

zolr$ret@]

5. od etOdrOd dqte erOe:d

on qddcOd ,6@8 o cr.e,.rtrJd
[o.c,r eeOdrCS]s qoo gOr:S
oo qe5drgdcc 698 ?tr trC,zr6l
6. ii:<r-O zsreO I zor:i.eg e{.cg
ads w6"E q8zi:n oes: OrO
[darO:lc tog r-5" zo$e5c ejarO
Oed qBmor>o@n{ OrOl

c,sdoe?c

,t.

faci raci bjra','a nirva4d.

micire l6a ban,-ihdvae apand
[atmana racayitva racayitvd irhava-nirvile
mithya loko badhniti itmd.nam]
amhe na janahu acintajoi
aPa"ire

AN EARLY PHASE OF SINHALESD

hattaddid); gumi. 'bnsh thicket' (Sinh. go;n, S1<. 9o1166); nai 'ship.
boat', (Sinh. niiua); na.hika'not' (Sinh. niikci); pdthara'slab or splinter
of rock' (Srnn. pat,ula,sk.prastu,ra); sarnuda'ocean,sea'(Sk. sdm,u,d,rd,
P. samudd,a, Sinh. tnwhutla)', mokha 'emancipation' (P. mokkka,
Sinh. mok); rati'night' lP. rutti, 3k. ralri., Sinh. za);iidhd'obtainecl'
(P. I'addka, Sinh. lada); vikaqai 'sells' (P. aikkiqt'dti, Stnh. aiku'nayi,);
samudara 'ocean' (Sk. samud.rrr, Sinh. santtutr'wra)', sfrdha 'pure'
(Sk. iud,dlra, Sinh. sadr, lou.d,u,).
During the next 1| or trvcl centuiies, ts'engai rvas subjected to
the in'lasion oI lire Turlis altl the ianguage itseif unclerv.rent rapid
changes. tsy thg l5tli century we see the devotional literature o{

Calr.li,lasa iike Sri kts.na kirttana anC o{ Kg3r:add.sa Kaviraja like

Caitanya-Caritimtta. B;,' then rned.iaer'ai Eengaii is fully der.'eiooed.
f'o citr: an example of a rlevotionai pot;l {r'om }Iayandnanda
(about 1583 A.D. ), one cf the follovrers of Caitanyadeva;
I

jd.ma marana bhava kaisa{ra hoi

&,

te ajard,mara kimpi na honti

Iye sacarS,card trida6e bhramanti

6.

3.

laiso jima maraqamavi taiso

ivante maile n6,hi viseso
yddSSatn janma maraqamapi tid$am
ivati myte nasti vj6eqah] ja ethu jd.ma marane visankd,
sd. karau rasa rasd.nere kafrkhd.
[yo'tra jaqmani marale vidaikah
sa karotu rasa-rasayanayoh kinkqarnl

5. je sacard,cara tiasa bhamanti

te ajar5,marah kimpi na bhavantil

jame kdma kim kime jama
saraha bhanati acitta so dhima
[janmani karma kir.n karmand ianma
saraho vadati acintyaln tad-dhama (sa dharmovi)l

Thus one notices that even during the l0th century, oid Bengali
ca-ryi.s breathe an atmosphere of Ap"abhram6a. Rear dergari ir-ltirr
..f11:ly, although in the Ci:,ryds w6 come across forms iminiscent
oi ulcl Srnhalese: d.na(Sk:- 6nyd) Sinh: ar); umata ,mad,(p: ummaltan

;frrfo;Erif,.'iiiiar"
Sinh.
.umatu,); uiri'hetpful,- (p.Sk. ubiiar;
uvi,ra);
kd,pura (Sk. hirps,ra,' Sinh. iapurw); r<aiadi ;iowiji-i-et,

2.

[vayar.n na janamo' cintya yogina[

janma maratam bhavah kidr6ena bhavati]
3.

I9

L.

oocdc o9rd qo6d eerod

ogogd od$o ac8 6,oo) E6o:n6
o@odc o9cd gzog"zor crd
o8rnr@ gOc zsrroto red QOc 68.
oordc o@cd E@c! 6Od
?'re'c olosgool og@ o.oc Oour 85ma6

oocdc o9cd og@ zogcrzldl

ord oqdcoo SOgO OcotoCl

5.

1.

oordc o@rd anO 69 otOA6

Odd c8og c,lr@ol ?6:od mrSod
6. es:rdc e9cd qcmo4d Od
?rcc632trozEd 93{6 co3rod 63d6.
Gor6. mora gunera sigara
Premera taranga tayi ulhe nirantara

Gord. mora akalairka 6a6i

Harinimasud.hn tihe kpare divd ni6i
:t. Gori mora himidri Sikhara
Tlhd, hoite premagangi bahe nirantara

2.

4.

Gori mora prema kalPataru

yira padaohive jivasukha vasakaru

5.

Gori mora nava jala navadhara

Bara6i 6itala y6,he kare ndrina,ra

o.

Gord mora S.nandera khani

Nayandnand,era pr6na yahara nij ani

[The History o{ Bengali Literature

page. 461

by Sukumar

Sen.

20

JOURNAL, R.A.S. (SRI LANKA)

VoI.

XX, (Ncw Setias)), tg76

["MyGordisan ocean of virtues; in him the waves of Love are

always surging up. ryJ GorE is a stainless moon, and from him the

nectar of the name Hari is ever-d.ripping. My Gor6. is a Himd.layan

peak; from him is flowing eternally t[e Ginges of Love; and undeihis
feet creatures live in bliss. My Gord, is a new d,ark cioud; He rains
down and refreshes men and women. My Gor6. is a mine oi bliss; the
heart of Nayandnanda is an offering to him (to avert all evil),'.
You will notice that with a minimum command of the Bengal.
language, you will be able to understand this passage because of the
close resemblance between this language and Sinhalese or Sanskriti
While reading through the Jyotipa Rathamdtd a commentarial

astrological_ work- by Sripatibha!.ta, composed in about l0Z0 A.D.,

was struck by the following words so much alike l0th century Sin-I
halese.

AN EARLY PIIASD OF

SINHALESE

2r

goc coc6Oc. ocE oqSS ozrlc 9oot6 oeeE E"6 eecSOo. ooocl eqdog.
ozlc @oo6 grc8 ozorodogccc eeoSOc. g"ec oq6og. oarr Ouro'6 toec8
Odc"oOoc eccSOc. odoee" Ozoo@anc" 6,odcE6. r>og. @oOl. oOce$
q@c0o @6)0 @oo<6 oc oe.rd @cdzo2 d4 qOdQ oalco. cr8 g)cc6 aoOo
edarc" qOd8. Szors ozslc ineoE.
G6.r.nvdqg hasti dI6.. Tethe jdtyandha hasti pah6+ gele. Eke4g
pivd dekhild.. Eke4 somda dekhild., Ekern kd.nu dekhil6.. EF"+
pa-ttii det<trili. Ekeqp potha dekhilery. Ekeq pusa dekhile4. Maga
ekamekam saqgvaditi: lre tuvdm hasti dekhil6.. Javo dekhild to mhale
hasti khdrnbd. sdrikh6. Somda dekhili to mhar.re mnsale sarikhi.
K5.nu dekhila to mha4e hasti supd. sd.rikh6.. Palhi dekili to mhane
hasti bhirpti sdrikhi. Polha dekhiiem i-o mhane hasti kothaleyS.
sdrikh[. Pumsa dekhilem to rnhane hasti ]<har5.rn!eya satikh6.. Aisem
ekamekd.m rrrodhiti. Tayi4g madiryerp dolasu aser.n to mha4e hd
hasti ma ehu eku avaevu hoe. Pari hasti navhe. aisdm avaevim yukta
to hasti.
[An Old. Mardthi Read.er by Prof. S. G. Tulpuie, Extract trI.]
"Once an elephant ca.me to the town. Those who were borq blind
went to see the elephant. One (of tliem) felt its leg. One felt the trunk.
One felt the ear. One felt the back. One felt the belly. One felt the
tail. Then tire}z began to discuss among themseh'es, "Oh", have you
seen the eiephant?'

surr;itw'S

Besides the Old Marathi inscriptions and the Copper plates wtrich

throw hgirt on the earhest pliase .i{ I'Lr.; iit;'ii r..;.,: r:..-.];i mo}e inl,,rl:rnt
J-1'6tiqa Ratnamd.ld, is the Bhfiad.rtha-Ltt,it;,i:& or Jfid,,eilar.6,
a comrreni.ariai -weirl< based on Ehagavad.- Gi,6.:,.::".i1 co1rir,,.rsr:rl
by
Gi6.ni.,]r,i,3. a.bout 1290 A.D. The iiueha-Siudh oi liuknnctaraji
an'J Ldid-car,iil'a ol Mairindra, propagating the S;i li q+a cuh a,* alio
works in old i.rlardtlii interesting fiorn the srain'1or,.rini rif langLrage.
The parable oI an elephant quoted beiolv i.,,re -.!n Oi; }larathi
$e.ade1.by Pro{essor S. p. Tuipule (Extract No ::)as narrated, by
cakraclhara brings out the relation Letween Goci ancr his attributes.
etei6 qcgc. oo:oO e3crolrz::C eceed etrocl3e sooe. Ooro.
-or.O1
ocoOc
oq56;:. Soror. eeor"O oq5. doro:" zorcql or.69r. Ooro. oib eSAe.
Oozor. otrcol oq6oq". dg-"^ gec oq6og"]gco O?EoOalc. er.Ooq&l
g:od_4Oc" tace8 eq6qis. dcoOr eq6gc orrr OiDo{6 oec8 Or"Occec6Oc.

than

eecr"e)

oicle

6'.or Oelo6 Qeegc esc8Or. ?6r0a oq6gc one @rre.6 .oe06

The one who had felt its leg said that this elephant was like a
pillar. The one who had felt the trunk said that it was like a wooden
pestle. The one rvho ]rad felt the ear said that the elephant was like a
winnorving pai-\. The one rvho had seen the back said that it was like
a wall. The-one r,r'ho had. seen the belly said that it rvas like a large
sack. 'lhe one who had seen its tail said that the elephant was like
a broom. Thus they were refuting each other's views. One of them
was with sight. He said: 'What you describe are the different limbs
of the elephant, and not the elephant itsel{. These limbs go to constitute the elephant".
Jfld.nefvari contains numerous forms that have corresponding
parallels in Sinhalese, especially Old Sinhalese. Sometirnes the Old
Marathi form throws light on the history of the Sinhaiese worcL e.g.
Sk. R a p iU k a; Pk. h a a i{!h a (OM) gitt utw- g iv u! w .
Occasionally an Old Marathi worcl indicates the line o{ develop'
ment alongivhich the Sinhalese word too has developed e'9. Sinhalese
hili O\l hil'ana ard. horla (which, whats) Sirit.. It'u,rttina OM uid,? a roll
oi betel with arecanut lime etc. used {or chewing c{. Sinh. bulat'rtila
'a chew o{ Betel', c{. Sk. ttili, ai'!i' , adtikd '

Amthurana 'bed, bed-clothes' (P. a'tth6ra,4'{t, Sk.

dstkaraqta

S\trh. aturary,ru 'coveriug'); dry'd'hd,ra 'darkness' (P. andkahd,ra, Sinh.

aird.ura); ituki'this much, so much' (P. ittaha, Sinh, eteh, meteh)',

JOURNAL, R.A.s. (SRr LANKA)

Vol.

XX,

(New Series), rg75

AN EARLY PHASE OF
@O"O eo@ ecozor

SINHALESE

23

goOo 6ooc 968 9t2 oog8S

O"Qn Odm dd qd 60S

qd1
ogodror
2oe'?6t
9O"O orOzor 9g dod
9EA"A
gq O8o nrcg. ?t) eoa ?ts) gd 8O pd oqOE" Ood
08 d1o ercOzor dcd od @ een> @tE 6@ EQn oe5c
86 Sdocod g"Qdc dc@8 e0958 gcd otec
dor ozoceoogco

oeec

g@eooe

dcg OcO Eoco

aro8g

6$E

6tE6 q6 oococu$,

E6e3 6,m,o @crlrp rsrzlzsr o.zodd zo

d6e8" g9m od8 gd Ocd8" oo?t) 6ect?t

ctcOE" E"a6 SdOg mc@8" OS. Egcm
dzrreargzirc eso@zr:

gt? oeocslc g@zn qocd

oq6 alcg ro8 odoe dcs dged gOeocd.

But Sita bowed, to her Lord's commarld., pure as she was in thou'
ght, word and deed, and said; Lakshman,be you the celebrant of this
iit"; Stto* me the fire and be quick'. When Lakshman heard. Sita's
word, so full of d,etachment disiretion and piety his eyss filled with
tears and he clasped his hands iq prayer bui could not speak a word
to his lord,. Seeinf that Rama was displeased he ran and kindled a fire
with a quantity of wood that he brought. Sita beheld the fierceness
of the flame, but was glad o{ heart without a particle of fear'. "ff
neither in thought, word or deed I have ever abandoned Rama or
cherished any other, may the fire, which tests all men's actions,become

as cooling as sandalwood.

Tire scene selected is'cilat of SiiA's r'll,:iicar.ie,". iier honour and

fideiity ily sti,lcirrg the oicieatr of fire.

gitoz;) Oeal 8*o OB $nc--oO:S Oo Sr:t dO?r g$Hjr

ga{9zl o'arin 459 S or:iB-ercOo gotO rr:dg ,,qgoroO3
96g 6idOrr $n:ozo Oo8-8deo 6oOar OIJO 46 tco$
o;-3rOo esdg or3c5 zsrd oq 6,r-gEccn: a:3{ao8ee?o?r ol@Ca
oqiloc9 d1O gdgar OrO-erOn: goe aroci Og gc$

gO3 oq5 oo0qE-oaQco ?r6er rrlE.d zogorl8

ode. @o: OO pg Og 6,d @c8.-m8 dg8d qrm erd arc$"
one ?:)3 eecg eoO ozos6dcnc-o@czog otog, $Oce O e.l@c?rc
erOrc:

The fire was cool as Sandalwood. as Sita entered it meditating

on her Lord: "Glory to the king of Kosala, for whose feet ever wor'
shipped by Siva, I cherish the purest d.evotion". IIer shadow and the
stains of social disgrace were alone consumed in the blazing fire.
Such an action on the part of the Lord had never been seen before
gods, saints and sages all stood at gaze. The fire assumed a bodily
forrn and took her by the hand and led and presented her to Rama,

the very Lakshmi celebrated alike in the Vedas and the world
who erst arose as Indra from the sea of milk, resplendent with exquisite beauty, she shines forth as the left side of Rama's bocly like the
blossom of a golden lily besides a fresh blue lotus.

The gods in their delight rain down flowers and make music in
the air, while the Kinnara's sing and the nymphs of heaven dance all
mounted on their chariots. The beauty of Jaqaka's daughter reunited to her Lord was beyond all measure and bound the bears and
monkeys in rapture at the sight shouted;'Glory to Rama the bene-

ficient'. (p.441)

24

JOURNAL, R.A.S. (SRI

LANKA)

Vot.

XX, (Ncw

Serics), r'976

AN EARLY PHASI, OF SINHALESE

25

Thus it will be noticed that Old Bengali, Old Marathi aod Old
Hindi like the old phase of any other moi.ern Ind.o-aryan language
bears a marked resemblance to old Sinhalese and that- they aie ill
parallel developmeqts from a common source. f arn amaze"d. at the
light oqe language throws on the other. For some time I have been
engaged in making a close study of O@8cer gQOr olOeqor the oldest
prose book in Sinhalese dating back to the i0th c.A.D. f am overwhelmed by the wealth of evidence thrown on various problems
lriglng- in connection with that work by a study of the ear-ly works
in Modern frldo-Aryan.

DEVANAPIYA TISA.RAJAHA \IARUMANAKE

TISA I\IAHARAJAHA MARUMANAKE NAKA _MAHARAJAHAPUTE GAMINI ABHAYA DINE
KULAGAME SAHA PADAGAMAKE
SOVANA KUTARAKE
grand'
[Gamini Abhaya, son of the $reat king Naka who was the
ion of Devanimpiya Tissa and also grandson of the great ki18
Tissa granted Kaiagama and Padagamaka (accompanied by
the rite of) the golden vase.l

There is a wealth of lithic records in prakritic Sinhalese, dating

from about 3rd century 8.C., and also the graffiti at Sigiriya datin[
from about the 6th or 7th century A.D., which when coinpared with
Asokan and the later inscriptions of rndia will show the paiailel development of the laqguages duri4g those times in both fhe countries.
A few inscriptioqs from Sri Lanka representing the earlier period

SABARAJE EKADONIKA VIHARAIII

POHATAKARA KARAVAYA. UPALADONIKA
VAVI PACA SATEI{I KII.{IYA PACA
SATBTTryE PASU OVAYA BIKU SAGAHATAYA DINE
[King Saba caused to be constructed the Sabbath house.of the
Etadvarita vihdra, and, having purchased the tankof Uppalafor five hund,red (kaheia-4as) and having removed silt
donika
-(spending
another) five hundled k-ahdpa4as gave it to the
by
comnrunity of bhikkhus.l [Epz. III p. 165]

are quoted below:

GAMANI UTI MAHARA.THA ]HITA ABI TISAYA

LENE DASA DTSASA sA"cAyA DrNE
MATA PITASA ATAYA
Cave
of Priqcess (Abi) Tissa daughter of the great king
[The
G6.mani lJttiya is given'to the Sangha of the ten dirictions foi

the benefit of the mother andthe fath-er.]

[Epigraphia Zeylanica, Vol. V page 2tr. No. 84.......3i"d. C.B.C.J

TISAGUTA-TER.ASA SepIT'THIBIYA BARATA-},IAJHIMAqAlTAK,! TrsAHA LtrryE SUorSexB AGArA AIT"AGATA

CATUDISA SaceSa xivarB
[The Cave of Venerable Tissa reciter of the majjhima nikaya
pupil of the Elder Tissagutta, is dedicated to the Sangha of the
four quarters, present aid absent.]
[Epz. V page ZB8, No. E]

DAMEDA VANIJHA GAPATI VISAKAHA SENI *RIIB

[The work of the flight of steps is o{ the householder Vi6akha,
the Tamil merchant.J
IEpz.Y page242. No. 16l

BATA DAMAGUTASA ATADASA panecATANI

IEighteen steps of the Venerable Dhammagutta]
the side of a rock-cut fiight of steps at Kudimbigala in
lBy
Panama Pattu, Batticaloa Distlictl
fnscriptions in late Brahmi Script (Ist C, B.C.-Brd C. A.D.):

LATAKATALAI{I OI/UVADU PUYAGONULAMI

SOVE-OPULAVANA.KASAPAGIRI RAJAMAIIA VAHERE
SIYA AGANA VAHERALA CIDAVI
MAPALA SAVA SATANATA
II Puyagonula, the bricklayer of Latakatale,-caused by wife to be
it""aitd* slavery in the rbyal monastely oJ Boya-Opu13'y^1"iG;;"g*i, may' trre merit" of this actiorr {or the benefit of all
beings.l
(Epz. fV page 132*6th centurY.l

TALAYAIIA VASANA NAGA TAMAHA VASA II{AYA

NAMAKA EKADORA-RAJA.MAHA.]/AIIARA
CIDAVA VAHARALAYA
(Naga residin$ at Talahaya, settled-the debt that he had incurred'
and caused the cessatio" oi ititl slavery in the royal monastory

of Ekadoral

[University of Ceylon Review Vol. XX p. 3]

recordsbear a
marked resemblance to Asokan and later Indian Prakrit inscripttons

It will be noticed that most of these inscriptional

lfr"l pt"""aed the emergence of the mod'ern Indo-Ariyan

language'

In his introduction to Var4a-Ratnd.kara (published by the Asiatic

Societv of Bengal, calcutta, 1940) Professor Sunitikumar chatterji'
while dealing wlth the language of that work, refers to the oldest

JOURNAL, R.A.S. (SRI

LANKA)

Vot. XX, (New

Seriesl

AN EARLY PHASE OF SINHALESE

, 476

works extant in va:rious I'Ioclern Indo-Aryan languages. "lliere Professor Chatterji observes that .,zery few authentic specimens of literature
in a \ odern Indo-Aryan ianguage going ba-ck beyond ibe lSth century
are avaiiable . Hovrever the Cary5.pa,i.as of rvilicir a selection rvas given
abovc date ba"cil to about the 10th ceatury or the pe-'-iod shortly after.
Next to Carydpairas, Professor Ciratterji men'ti.--ns Sri Illsna Kirttana o{ Caqqtidasa CLaiing probably to 15th century as an o}d specimen

of Bengali. Pro{essoi' Chatterji reiers to the literary tradition of

Western Hindi going back to the l2th ceritury, E,astern Hindi remains
such as Padumawa.t of lltalik },iuhainrned JS"yasi (16th century),
Guja.rati and Western Rajasthani (I\'iArr,vlri), I0ard-thi possesing a
geilrine text. JflineSvari, of the l3th century, and, works in 1iraj-bhapd
and Awadhi Dr. Nlata Frasid Gupta pubiishecl in .Allahabad or poem
callecl Riul Bel (R.ijakula Viiasa") in Dakqi4a I(6sali clating i-.ack to
the 1lth century, containing a cornplete giossary of terrns of great
lingtristic value.

The short account given of each language by Frofessor S. K.

Bhatterji in his Languages ancl Lii-eratures of l ociern lndia (Calcutta,
1963) wiii prove {rrscinating for those who wisir to acquil'e a knovrledge
of the modern Inr.l.o Aryan languages.
A comparisc'l o{ anv of the rvorks meili,ioned above with an old
Sinhaiose work }i[e i)liaropiyi-a!,uva-Gd,fapadaya beionging to the
I0t.b century p,..D. rviil prove the inhe::elt sirnilarity between oid
Sinhaiese and othi:r o[i {rtrms of },Iorl.ern Iirclian.
gai aiyakkyale ltfllan{i iidn-vah'kn (a teacher tvho lvrites a cQmmeniary- btt a- hoot); ;.ri.- hE'ltd'yeltr (;n ti,e iorepart t.,l tlre book:
P . ga nth,ass a,p noi: ablri gd\; jt a! a w+ (first : P. p ath'a,ui'am);'utnuruvana!,a namakara llalayutu bd,vin (as he has to malie obeisance
to the triple Gem); k'"itltirgatnikd.yeiii (in ttre collection o{ minor
works:F. hhwd'd'ah a gan' ih +-ni ha I e) ; savisi-vd,gekin sarah6. tabanalada dhammapada-pali5ra-ta ({ot" tire texi. oi the Dhammapada
ar:ranged in tlvelt.v six vaggas), saqlvatrlana-}<a!bti buciugos
telanu';6 (l'rrera Budiiraghosa 1.,'ho lvas desirous of writing a
commentarr') ......yattutii lvd'hw said as lollorvs); moha yanu
avijyehi saiiia (rrr-oha is a clesignation for jgnorance); tama,rra111
aiduruyehi saiifl.r (tanr:r is a designation for darkness); me-td,n
dej aviime ti1'a (in thi': c,;nt'--xl (or pJace) both signiff ignorance
"

itself); (Page. f)

Cunda srikarikain ndma, suiciu narn huru-vd,ddaku (a pig-hunter

called Cunda); ciratakakdle, sayeiri (<iuring a time of {ami.ne;

d,!d.ne,t'a{nba (on a posi); udclhumayilva, iri.imii,, (ceing sioroilen);
mas nokd'den'l seiidahd siri
caturassa mugg.rrcira i-..ltlietr'a,
.l:ea]:en
up rvith a equare rod so that the
mlrguren poya-v (iraving
flesh m.av not get tc'rn); kiligafamatto, kufarage'pamala,
ek-kii,ni mai{a1u di nnigfl vala-gekak pama4a yt tan (of the

27

sizeo{ahousewithagabledpcak-thatisacircularhouseerected
6unCeti gable); ""' tava aijhd'sa1'arp;,topa
i-,.r'otu.i"* a single
-i"i""t'""
(with
n 1, sirisobhagg-ena' Siri- sobhbgaven
;i#; in% ;
tii'sil-pasu-kamthan
kamml!!ha1aa1'
;;;ith Lnd prosperityii
the fi{th:P. tacaitf,""nu. objcits di *Jait"tlon r,'v.ith skin as
puj (with due respect
sakkd'ra4s,1ilr'ij\'at
ptnt"ilay^
;#cak;)'
klye flir.rarn ot5.retv6. k6hica-tudha
il fi;lii"'o{ oictiiration);
dilected towards tire body the
(having
eravay
ia4
*r"rr^ttt^n
'd.iscerning
elements); vihdrassa upa\/ane'
five
the
k;;;1ffi" of
pioximity oi the
forest-in-the
trt"
valhi
lit.'"
;;;;;.Lilahi
186]
vane)
[P'
i"i"g,f.:f . vihira- Samipe
ol the Dhampiya'Aluva'
edition
my
to
In the Introduction
the lan{--At.,t,ctit...t:-. j ha,c air*rr"A. iii d.etail various asp,etts of
thcir
show
to
rvorcls
cii:
some
onli
i-ir'.'t
J,lj;; ;iir.;l rr"J.."il"i"
for.rnd in OI<1 works in
rornrs
*i',rii..r
,thu,
il;*;;;;r",:."q,..I"of
Ilodern I:t,l r,-Aryan.
aiurrt: tcacher' (Sk' dcd't'''.:' P' J':ar"'''r');
cO, irot clothcd' (P ' accl"t'l;"); ;il;ii-;Lmbed,
"iJu:'n*t
dishcvellecl \P . ad dkutt ikh ii a);
;e;lr'
'covering, 91rpet'- (P ' atlkaraq'a);
"i"i*no,
nio",lu.U, one self ' (P '-attdnar.n,3k'-Etmdnaryt');
'one's existence' (P' attabhd'aa);
"tUau.t,
ud.ohot.., 'inttntion' \P' ojihdsayu); 'matter, authoriti'' (F' Sk' ad'hihd'ra);
"Jioort,'good rcsitlts' lP ' dnisurytso'); ""*t.:
1,,;lI ;."tit"trt with Iitile' (P. o'j;pictha' 3'*' ull'ectha\;
Sk' abh'vantara\;
;ti;il;; 'interior' lP(P' abbkantaia,
dki2t\tu);
'ci'or';tled'
'
akin:
avin.
i, 'vrins over' \P ' drdd'hetii;
"iitur
'dtittking-piace'
\P ' apana);
.,rit,
,;;asi-ti; 'ie{t or'er' (Sk' aua$a':fa);;;vasmara:'cpiieptic' l$k' apasnidra);
(F. Sk' Aga?ttta).amutu: 'guesi'
ievil conseqitences' lY ' F'dt'naua);
tvenva:
ur"r-our"t, 'breathing in and out' (P' assdsd'passdsa);
.ienllt'n),'irranitnate' (P' acetanika)',
as6: 'such antl such' lP ' asuha);
'breatl-ring in; (P' dssdsa, Sk' ridc"?:a);

"lu"t",
diara: 'teach er' (P .d'cariya,"Sk'

it'cdtyLt.\

'

ili:' salutin g with clas-p c d h ar"cl ;' ( t"'r: ijc i )

aiio"o''elepiant'ke epel' \l ntghi -.go l' aha \'
a; ' ;ttih; ?.\: 'd'dtt''dtti:ika);
rilti.adehiiti''p";i;;'i;";""iJtt'r?' (t'' &'cari-'al:t;la'i"
tradition'
\'?
'Ii*
'
o'tl"uttttin
;l;;e;;,
ayi'-'u"a other, beginning. with' \P ' iid'i):
J

airi

aiaisiva: 'idlcness' lSk dlasYa);

avat:' ' ttansgression, offencc' \Y ' Af afi)

ivdmen:'ott1h" demise

'

of ' 1P' a"pa'94'|nefie\i

JOURNALi R.A.S. (SRI LANKA)

Vol.

XX, (Neu Serdes),

1976

AN EARLY PHASE OF SINHALb]SE

of giving

away

(sk.

Sk. PratY6'ga'hdla)

lP. piyt{aPatu);

3o

JOURNAL, R,A.S. (SRI LANKA)

Vol, XX, (New Series), t976

(Sk. rdlresthdna, P.

sad.ykga|;

Thus it will be noticed that Siqhaiese is primarily an Indo'Aryan

language influenced earlier by Pali and Sanskrit and.in courseof time

by Tamil, and after the sixt6enth century alsoby Portuguese,Dutch

andEnglish.