Indian Antiquary Vol 12

Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 66

THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[FEBRUARY, 1883.
development of the language, any direct relation Sing. 1. karam Pl. 1. karamu between Tamil and Sinhalese is brusquely set aside
karami
keremu by such a scholar as Caldwell (Comp. Gramm.,
kerem
karamo (2d. ed.) p. 111 of the Preface). More recently
keremi
karamha the opinion that Sinhalese deserves a place among
karamhu the Aryan dialects is that which has received
2. kerehi
2. karahu most favour. This view, first propounded ably
karav by Alwis (Journal of the Ceylon Branch of the
3. keré
3. karat Royal Asiatic Society, 1865-6, p. 143-156; 1867-70,
karati p. 1-86), has been scientifically established by
keret Childers (Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society,
kereti N. S. VII, pp. 35-48;9 VIII, p. 131-155), and has agrees closely enough with an Aryan been accepted by the inquirers in the province of Sing. 1. karami Pl. 1. karimas Sinhalese inscriptions, Rhys Davids, P. Gold
2. karasi
2. karatha schmidt (especially in his first report on the sub
3. karati
3. karanti ject, printed int. al. in Trübner's Record, X, pp. 21. -and finally that a whole number of derived verbal 22)," and Ed. Müller--the first mentioned with & forms and participial formations have been traced wise caution, the other two not without allowing back by Childers with undoubted correctaess to themselves to be led into hasty explanations of Aryan sources, the view of a purely Aryan characsome words. As a curiosity, which deserves ter of the language has certainly something mention only on account of the highly honoured uncommonly attractive about it. But the pleas. name of its author, it may also be mentioned, that ing impression.vanishes if we look closer into the Lassen (Ind. Alterthumsk. (2a. ed.) vol. I, p. 557) language actually in use. Forms like those of the considered the language as entirely a Malayo- paradigm just quoted, while not over-abundant in Polynesian one; the Maldivian, which had its the so-called Elu of the old poetry, disappear origin in Ceylon, and to which he appeals in sup in the modern prose as good as entirely before port of this view, is however not at all Malayan, karanand for all persons alike, and the proper but an undoubted dialect of the current Sinhalese formation of tenses and moods shows only a dis(though indeed perhaps mixed with foreign ele- tant connection with that to which we are accusments), which will probably throw more light on tomed in the modern Aryan languages. it than it is able of itself to do."
Here we may appropriately consider more closely Of the different views expressed only that relat- the historical argument of the view in question. ing to the Aryan character of the language can be Its supporters, Rhys Davids and Childers in loc. subjected to a critical examination : for it alone | cit. 'supra, and P. Goldschmidt in his Report on can on satisfactory ground be brought forward, all Inscriptions found in the North Central Provine the others rest upon bare assertions. Let us first and in the Hambantota District, 1876, p. 3, rightly examine the subject independently of all historical take as their starting point the popular local tradisuppositions. Setting aside all Sanskrit tatsamas tion, that Vijaya, a king's son of Lala, about the and casual loans from the Pali for religious and time of Buddha's death conquered Ceylon, and suchlike ideas, there remains in the Sinhalese of thus caused an extensive colonization of the island all periods and classes of literature a remarkable by Aryan settlers (cf. the succinct description in stock of Aryan words, among them all the numerals Lassen's Ind. Alterthumsk, (2d. ed.) vol. II, p. and a good part of the pronouns and particles. 103 ff.). This Lala, Rhys Davids looks for on If to this be added the fact that the declension the west coast of India, evidently following is morphologically scarcely distinct from that of Lassen, who wished to identify it with the prethe modern Aryan languages of India, also that vince of Laţa or Latika, the Aapki of the a paradigm like that given in Alwis's edition of Greeks. According to the acoount given in the the Sidat Sangard, p. 191
Mahdvarsa, however, which must be here con
. See note 2, p. 52.
• Cf. loc. cit, p. 35:-"The Sinhalese is one of the Aryan vernaculars of India, and is spoken by the deHoendants of people who migrated from Magadht to Ceylon at a very remoto period."
Cf. loc. cit. p. 22 - "Sinhalese is now proved to be a thorough Aryan dialect, having its nearest relations in some of the dialects used in King Asoka's inscriptions, as well as in the Maharlahtri Prekrit of the Indian middle-age, while it differs from Pali in very essential
I refer partioularly to the adoption by E. Müller
(Report on the Inscriptions in the Hambantota District, 1878, p. 5; Ind. Ant. vol. VIII, p. 224), following the example of Goldschmidt, of the conjunctive asati from the root as.
See Vocabulary of the Maldivian Language, compiled by W. Christopher, Journal of the R. As. Soc. VI, p. 42-76, and Dictionaire de quelques mots de la Langue des Maldives interpretes en François : supplement to the Seconde Partie de Voyage de François Pyrard, Paris, 1669; cf. A. Gray in loc. cit., N. S. X, pp. 173-209.Alwis has also left an essay on this subject : 800 Trübner's Record, XI, p. 132.
pointa."