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CONTRIBUTIONS TO SIMHALESE GRAMMAR.
JULY, 1882.]
scriptions mentioned in the text, referring to the places where they have been published, and also of the other books of reference which I have principally used.
madhupáníyam; miyá D. I. 10 mushika,' a rat;' weya, a white ant' D. I. 10, probably from Pâli upachika (Skt. upajika ?) through uwahiya wahiya; wi paddy = vrihi; môla 'pestle' = mushala; poya day of the new and full moon,' for pohoya: uposatha ; bô for bodhi, boya, the Bodhi tree; gens, génu for gaehaenu, a woman
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p, b, m, y, r, l, w, 8, and k. We see the Simhalese had given up r,, ai, au (like all the vernaculars), the aspirates, and-, é and sh and anusvára. Besides they knew neither double nor compound consonants and no viráma, as all words end in vowels.
The original Simhalese alphabet consists only of the three short vowels a, i, t, and also e and o, the original quantity of which I cannot ascertain. Consonants: k, g, ch, j, t, d, n, t, d, n,grihini; múda for hamuda, muhuda, samudra; dágaba for dhátugarbha; anuru = anurúpa, Amb. A, 42; akaemiya: údikarmika, Amb. A, 20, B, 3; áwû = ábhúta, ib. A, 15, 50, 53; paha waesi prásádawási, Amb. B, 26; på= pátra, Amb. B, 20, 28; ledarulekhadharaka, Amb. B, 43; lekam lekhakarma, Amb. A. 25; dá játa, Mayil. A, 15; dá dhátu, Wandar. 9, R. D. 20; sat= sattva P. P. 8; dú duhitá, Gp. B, 3; mámbo, P. P. 32; nirmita, P. P. 29; niwanawa nirwa, nimi niwi, P. P. 4; niwami, P. P. 3; niwi, P. P. P. A. 19; dá játaka, Kávy. XIII, 33; dá = dáma, K. J. 308; pamá= pramáda, P. P. 19; pámok prátimoksha, P. P. 19.
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(A) VOWEL SYSTEM.
The simplicity of the Simhalese vowel system continued for some time, then lengthening of the vowels took place from two reasons: (1) contraction, (2) accent. In the 4th century we find baya brother for batiya. I have met with very few long vowels before that time, though they appear occasionally, either from a desire of the inscriber to improve the language imitating Pâli and Sanskrit or by irregular longation, Tatsamas as vápi, yaku for yágu, and others, of course are found with their proper quantities, and we also find occasionally Gámini or Devanapiya, and the like. Later contractions are, to give a few instances-lunu for luhunu lasuna, gônd =gokarna (called the elk in Ceylon), sára = chatvar, su (panaes) 54 P. P. 4, winisa winićchaya P. P. 23, paya prasáda, L. V. K, rála honorific form radala, master, lord, husband, i. e. raja and affix la, gánawá for gahanawa, to smear, to daub, plaster, Sanskrit ghrish, Sindhi gahanu to rub, Trumpp. 2, 64.
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Mi in mimaessa madhu-makshikda bee,' mi madhuka, Amb. A, 50; and mipaeni
7.-Nissanka Malla's inscription on the four pillars near Rankot Dagoba, Polonnaruwa (F. P.) Rhys Davids, Jour. R. A. 8. 1874, p. 164.
8-Nissanka Malla's inscription called Galpota at Polonnaruwa, (Gp.) a few lines published in P. Goldschmidt's Rep. XI, p. 12, and Ind. Ant. vol. VI, p.. 327; translated by Armour in Ceylon Almanac, 1834.
9.-Inginimitiya, E. Müller's Rep. II. 1880 p. 5, and Ind. Ant. vol. IX, p. 271. (Ing.)
10.-Kassapa V. inscription at Mihintale (K., M.) E. Müller's Rep. XXV, p. 4, and Ind. Ant. vol. VIII, p. 223. 11.-Inscription at Kongollaewa (Kong.)
12.-Inscription of General Lag Vijaya Singukit from Abhayawaewa now in Colombo (L. V. K.) P. Goldschmidt's Rep. XI, p. 13, and Ind. Ant. vol. VI, p. 328. 13.-Mahakalattaewa, P. Goldschmidt's Rep. XI, p. 8, and Ind. Ant. vol. VI, p. 323; Jour. C. A. 8. 1879, p. 22. (Mahik.)
14.-Mayilagastota, E. Müller's Rep. II, 1880, p. 4, and Ind. Ant. vol. IX, pp. 270, 271 (Mavil).
15.-Inscription at Minneri (Min.), see Goldschmidt's Rep. XI, p. 11, and Ind. Ant. vol. VI, p. 326.
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The force of accent we observe in boho (ma) much = bahu; asúwa, 80 Gp. C, 2, 104, 7, anúwa 90; in verbal nouns like gaelima (from galanawa) gal., etc., older senim, sitim 10th century, still older palisatarikama for pratisamskáritakarma. The lengthening of the final vowel in animates as á in minisá, I believe, to be due to a former termination in ak, affix ka, now used to indicate indefinition in inanimates. In modern Indian vernaculars, too, we find á as a masculine termination, comp. Beames, Comp. Gram., vol. II, p. 160. A further important addition to the vowel system was made by the two characters peculiar to Simhalese ae and its lengthened form dé. They are not found in the 4th century, but are firmly established in the
16.-Parakramabahu's inscription at the Galwihara Polonnaruwa (P. P.) (seven lines published in P. Goldschmidt's Rep. XI, p. 11,) and Ind. Ant. vol. VI, p. 326. 17.-Nissanka Malla's inscription at Polonnaruwa (P. P. P.) Rhys Davids, Jour. R. A. 8. 1874, p. 160.
18.-Nissanka Malla's inscription at the Ruanwaeli Dagoba (R. D.) Anuradhapura; Rhys Davids, Jour. R. A. Soc. 1874, p. 360.
19.-SAhasa Malla's inscription at Polonnaruwa (S. M.) Rhys Davids, Jour. R. A. 8. 1874, p. 356.
20.-Siri Sangabo's inscription at Mihintale (S. B. M.) E. Müller's Rep. II, 1880, p. 6, and Ind. Ant. vol. IX, p.
272.
21.-Wadurag's inscription at Polonnaruwa (W. P.) E. Müller's Rep. II, 1880, p. 5, and Ind. Ant. vol. IX, p. 272. 22.-Nissanka Malla's inscription at Wandarûpawihara (Wandr.) E. Müller's Rep. XXV, p. 5, and Ind. Ant. vol. VIII, p. 224.
23.-Inscription at Wewelketiya (Wewelk.)
In Parakramabahu's inscription at Polannaruwa we find occasionally dahagaep, but this is probably an artificial" disruption of the long vowel.
