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An Analysis of the Sociolinguistic Problems of the Contemporary Sinhala Language As Regards Its Diglossia

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An Analysis of the Sociolinguistic Problems of the Contemporary Sinhala Language As Regards Its Diglossia CLASSICISM VERSUS MODERNISM: AN ANALYSIS OF THE SOCIOLINGUISTIC PROBLEMS OF THE CONTEMPORARY SINHALA LANGUAGE AS REGARDS ITS DIGLOSSIA THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE MASARYK UNIVERSITY FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN LINGUISTICS BY E.M.M.R.P.L. NUGAPITIYA UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF PROFESSOR PhDr. ONDREJ SEFCIK, Ph D. MASARYK UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF LINGUISTICS AND BALTIC LANGUAGES, GENERAL LINGUISTICS FACULTY OF ARTS BRNO CZECH REPUBLIC APRIL 2019 i DECLARATION BY THE CANDIDATE I declare that the thesis entitled “Classicism versus Modernism: An Analysis of the Sociolinguistic Problems of the Contemporary Sinhala Language as regards its Diglossia ” submitted by me for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Linguistics is the record of work carried out by me, under the guidance of PhDr. Ondrej Sefcik, Ph D ., and has not formed the basis for the award of any degree, diploma, associateship, fellowship, titles in this or any other University or other institution of Higher learning. I further declare that the material obtained from other sources has been duly acknowledged in the thesis. Date: 25/04/2019 E.M.M.R.P.L. Nugapitiya Place: Brno ii Table of Contents Declaration by the Candidate ii Contents iii - xiii Contents of Tables ix - xiii Abbreviations xiv Preface xv Acknowledgements xvi Introduction xviii - xxv Chapter One: Early Literary Trends and the History of Sinhalese Diglossia 01 - 49 1.0 Introduction 01 1.1 Early Literary Trends and the History of Sinhalese Language 01 1.2 History of Sinhalese Diglossia 22 1.3 The Inception of Diglossia in Modern Sinhala 30 1.4 Early Sinhala School Text Books 35 1.5 Conclusion 49 Chapter Two: Sinhalese Diglossia 50 - 101 2.0 Introduction 50 2.1 Phonology 53 2.1.1 Vowel Phonemes in Spoken Sinhala 53 2.1.2 Consonants Phonemes in Spoken Sinhala 54 2.1.3 Vowel Letters of Written Sinhala 55 2.2 Morphology 59 2.2.1 Nouns 59 2.2.1.1 Masculine Gender 60 2.2.1.2 Feminine Gender 63 2.2.1.3 Neuter Gender 65 2.2.1.4 Pronouns 68 2.2.1.4.1 First Person Pronouns 69 2.2.1.4.2 Second Person Pronouns 69 2.2.1.4.3 Third Person Pronouns 74 2.2.1.4.3.1 Third Person Pronouns in Spoken Sinhala 74 2.2.1.4.3.2 Third Person Pronouns in Written Sinhala 79 2.2.1.4.4 Interrogative Pronouns/Question Pronouns 81 iii 2.2.1.4.4.1 Interrogative Pronouns in Spoken Sinhala 81 2.2.1.4.4.2 Interrogative Pronouns in Written Sinhala 82 2.2.1.4.5 Indefinite Pronouns 82 2.2.1.4.6 Quantitative Pronouns 83 2.2.1.4.7 Numerical Nouns 83 2.2.1.4.8 Derivatives 84 2.2.1.4.8.1 Nominal Derivatives [ tadd hit ǝ] 84 2.2.1.4.8.2 Verbal Derivatives “ krudant ǝ” 86 2.2.1.4.8.3 Abstract Verbal Noun 87 2.2.1.4.8.4 Actor Verbal Noun 88 2.2.2 Verb 90 2.2.3 Modifiers 94 2.2.4 Particles (Prepositions/Postpositions/Articles) 96 2.3 Syntax 99 2.4 Conclusion 100 Chapter Three: Controversy over Standard Grammar 102 - 139 3.0 Introduction 102 3.1 A Short History of Sinhala Grammatical Concerns 102 3.2 Accepting Classical Grammar as a Modern Written Idiom 105 3.3 Disagreements on Classical Grammar 107 3.3.1 Ven. Yakkaduwe Pragnarama [yakka ʐḍuv ē Prag ɲārāmǝ 109 3.3.2 Martin Wickramasingha 112 3.3.3 Ven. Dr. Dehigaspe Pragnasara [dehigasp ē prac ɲāsārǝ] 114 3.3.4 Ven. Bambarende Siri Seevalee 115 3.3.5 Ven. Kiriwattuduwe Prachgnasara 116 3.3.6 Professor D. E. Hettiaratchi 117 3.3.7 Senerath Paranavithana 120 3.3.8 M.W.S. de Silva 124 3.3.9 Charles Godakumbure 126 3.3.10 Siri Gunasinghe 128 3.3.11 Nandasena Ratnapala 132 3.4 Conclusion 139 iv Chapter Four: Grammaticality in Practice 140 - 194 4.0 Introduction 140 4.1 Piyadasa Sirisena 142 4.2 W. A. Silva 144 4.3 Martin Wickramasinhe 154 4.4 G. B. Senanayake 163 4.4.1 Grammar and Language Style of G. B. Senanayake 164 4.4.2 Orthography 165 4.4.3 Word Division 165 4.4.4 Phonology 166 4.4.5 Morphology 167 4.4.6 Syntax 173 4.4.7 Spoken Idiom 188 4.5 Conclusion 193 Chapter Five: Variations in contemporary Sinhala Grammar 195 - 249 5.0 Introduction 195 5.1 Spoken Grammar 196 5.1.1 Common Spoken Grammar 196 5.1.1.1 Phonology 196 5.1.1.2 Sandhi 196 5.1.1.3 Morphology 198 5.1.1.3.1 Nouns 198 5.1.1.3.1.1 Masculine Gender 198 5.1.1.3.1.2 Feminine Gender 199 5.1.1.3.1.3 Neuter Gender 200 5.1.1.3.1.4 Pronouns 201 5.1.1.3.2 Verb 203 5.1.1.3.2.1 Causative Verb 203 5.1.1.3.2.2 Imperative Verb 204 5.1.1.3.2.3 Benedictive Verb 204 5.1.1.3.2.4 Conditional Verb 204 5.1.1.3.2.5 Conjunctive Participles 205 v 5.1.1.3.2.6 Contemporaneous Verb 205 5.1.1.3.2.7 Causative Contemporaneous Verb 205 5.1.1.3.3 Particles 205 5.1.1.4 Syntax 210 5.1.1.4.1 Declarative Sentences 211 5.1.1.4.1 Nonverbal Sentences 211 5.1.1.4.2 Interrogative Sentences 212 5.1.1.4.3 Imperative Sentences 213 5.1.1.4.4 Exclamation Sentences 213 5.1.2 High-brow Spoken Grammar 214 5.2 School Grammar 215 5.2.1 School Text Books 215 5.3 Prescriptive Grammar 223 5.3.1 The War ṇǝrīti and Sinhalese Grammar 224 5.3.2 Padanitiya 225 5.3.3 A Comprehensive Grammar of the Sinhalese Language 227 5.3.4 Sinhala Vaky ǝ N ītiy ǝ 229 5.3.5 Sinhalese Grammar 229 5.3.6 Sabdanusasanaya 230 5.3.6 Munidasa Kumaratunge 233 5.3.7.1 Kriya Vivaranaya 233 5.3.7.2 Vy ākǝrǝṇǝ Viv ǝrǝṇǝyǝ hevat Sinhala B hāṣāvē Vy ākǝrǝṇǝyǝ 234 5.3.8 Sri Ratnasara Vyakaranaya 236 5.3.9 J. B. Disanayake 237 5.3.9.1 Samakalina Sinhalaya (A book Series) 237 5.3.9.2 Basaka Mahima (A book Series) 238 5.3.9.3 Sinhala Ritiya (A book Series 2012-2014) 239 5.3.10 Sinhala Lekhana Reetiya (1989) 240 5.3.11 Sinhala Bhasa Vyakaranaya (1995) 241 6.3.12 Basa Adhyayanaya ha Sinhala Vyavaharaya (1995) 246 5.3.13 Sinhala Viyarana Vidi 247 5.4 Different Views of Grammarians 247 5.5 Conclusion 249 vi Chapter Six: Present Status of the Sinhala Language 250 - 301 6.0 Introduction 250 6.1 Spoken Language 250 6.1.1 Dialects 251 6.1.1.1 Regional Dialects 253 6.1.1.1.1 “ ūvǝ” Dialect 255 6.1.1.2 Social Dialects 258 6.1.3 Professional Usages 260 6.1.3.1 Fishery Usage 261 6.1.3.2 Threshing-floor 261 6.1.4 Situational Usages 262 6.1.4.1 Baby’s Usage 262 6.1.5 Public Speech 263 6.1.4 Electronic Media 264 6.1.4.1 Television 264 6.1.4. 2 Radio 271 6.2 Written Language 273 6.2.1 Prose 273 6.2.1.1 Personal Writings 273 6.2.1.2 Academic Writings 273 6.2.1.2.1 Dissertations 278 6.2.1.4 Newspapers 279 6.2.1.5 Social Media 287 6.2.1.6 Fiction 291 6.2.2 Poetry 295 6.2.2.1 Songs 296 6.3 Conclusion 299 Chapter Seven: Conclusions 302 - 340 7.0 Introduction to Conclusion 302 7.1 Introduction 302 7.2 Chapter One 303 7.2.1 History of Sinhalese Diglossia 306 vii 7.2.2 History of Modern Sinhalese Diglossia 307 7.3 Chapter Two 309 7.4 Chapter Three 319 7.5 Chapter Four 324 7.6 Chapter Five 329 7.7 Chapter Six 333 7.8 Conclusion 338 Bibliography 341 - 351 viii Contents of Tables Table Nos. Title of Tables Page Nos. Table-01 - Phonetic Symbols xxv Table- 1.1 - Deviations of Translation 40 Table-2.1 - Vowel Phonemes in Spoken Sinhala 53 Table-2.2 - Consonants Phonemes in Spoken Sinhala 54 Table-2.3 - Vowel Letters of Written Sinhala 55 Table-2.4 - Sanskrit and Non-Sanskrit Loan Words 55 Table-2.5 - Pali-Sanskrit Loan Words and Sinhala and other Borrowings 56 Table-2.6 - Phonetic Symbols for Sinhala Alphabet 57 Table-2.7 - Noun Conjugation in Spoken Sinhala: Masculine (Type 01) 60 Table-2.8 - Noun Conjugation in Written Sinhala: Masculine (Type 01) 61 Table-2.9 - Noun Conjugation in Spoken Sinhala: Masculine (Type 02) 61 Table-2.10 - Noun Conjugation in Written Sinhala: Masculine (Type 02) 62 Table 2.11 - Noun Conjugation Spoken Sinhala: Feminine (Type 01) 63 Table 2.12 - Noun Conjugation in Written Sinhala Feminine (Type 01) 63 Table 2.13 - Noun Conjugation in Spoken Sinhala Feminine (Type 02) 64 Table 2.14 -Noun Conjugation in Spoken Sinhala Feminine (Type 02) 65 Table-2.15 - Noun Conjugation in Spoken and Written Sinhala: Neuter (Type 01) 65 Table-2.16 - Noun Conjugation in Spoken and Written Sinhala: Neuter (Type 02) 66 Table-2.17 - Traditional Method of Noun Conjugation in Written Sinhala 67 Table-2.18 - First Person Pronouns 69 Table-2.19 - Second Person Pronouns (Type 01) 70 Table-2.20 - Second Person Pronouns (Type 02) 70 Table-2.21 - Second Person: Spoken Language 71 Table-2.22 - Second Person: Spoken Language and Writing (Type 01) 71 Table-2.23 - Second Person: Spoken Language and Writing (Type 02) 72 ix Table-2.24 - Second Person: Spoken Language and Writing (Type 03) 72 Table-2.25 - Second Person: Written Sinhala (Type 01) 73 Table-2.26 - Second Person: Written Sinhala (Type 02) 73 Table-2.27 - Demonstration Pronouns (Type 01) 74 Table-2.28 - Demonstration Pronouns (Type 02) 75 Table-2.29 - Demonstration Pronouns (Type 03) 75 Table-2.30 - Demonstration Pronouns: Masculine, Feminine and Neutral (Type 01) 76 Table-2.31 - Demonstration Pronouns: Masculine, Feminine and Neutral (Type 02) 76 Table-2.32 - Demonstration Pronouns: Masculine, Feminine and Neutral (Type 03) 77 Table-2.33 - Demonstration Pronouns: Masculine, Feminine and Neutral (Type 04) 77 Table-2.34 - Demonstration Pronouns: Masculine, Feminine and Neutral (Type 05) 78 Table-2.35 - Quantitative Prepositions 78 Table 2.36 - Third Person Pronouns, Written Language: Animate 79 Table 2.37 - Third Person Pronouns, Written Language: Animate and Inanimate (Type 01)80 Table 2.38 - Third Person Pronouns, Written Language: Animate and Inanimate (Type 02)80 Table 2.39 - Interrogative Pronouns in Spoken Sinhala (Type 01) 81 Table 2.40 - Interrogative Pronouns in Spoken Sinhala (Type 02) 81 Table 2.41 - Indefinite Pronouns (Type 01) 82 Table 2.42 - Indefinite Pronouns (Type 02) 82 Table 2.43 - Quantitative Pronouns 83 Table 2.44 - Numerical Nouns 83 Table 2.45 - Nominal Derivatives
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