Imatges de pàgina
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DEDICATION.

those distinguished merits which have placed Your Excellency over the Government of Ceylon at a critical period of its political history, any additional support be derived from the public; it will add not a little to the deep sense of the obligations which the translator already feels, at being permitted, consistently with ancient usage, to dedicate this Grammar of the Singhalese language to the Ruler of the Island in the person of Your ExcellencyAnd to subscribe himself,

With due deference,

SIR,

Your Excellency's

Very obedient and humble Servant,

JAMES ALWIS.

Silver Smith Street.

June 12, 1851.

INTRODUCTION.*

FEW studies have more attraction, excite greater curiosity, or are more instructive, than that of languages. Whether we pursue it with a view to philosophic comparison of different tongues, with the object of throwing light on man's social progress, or with the design of ascertaining the changes which one single language has undergone in progressing through a vista of ages, the interest which attaches to it is equally great.

Led by curiosity, or invited by the allurements of science, Europeans have, during the past half-century, devoted not a little of their time to the task of unlocking the rich stores of Oriental literature. Not only those whose lot has been cast in the far East, but those also who have never rounded the Cape, have made Oriental languages the subject of deep study. England, Germany, and France have each rivalled Hindostan: whilst a Jones, a Colebrooke, a Wilson, a Wilkins, an Adelung, a Bopp, a Burnout, and other deservedly celebrated scholars, have, by their thorough researches into Oriental literature, cast into dim shade a Kalidàsha, a Panninni, a Cattyana, and a Yopadewa, in India; and, in our own country, a Totagamuwa, and a Weedāgama.

Apart from the instructions which philological inquiries in general convey, as auxiliaries to the elucidation of science; when extended to Asiatic languages, they afford, (from the reflection that the Eastern hemisphere was at one time the seat of the primeval language of the human

A paper, being "A brief sketch of the history of the Singhalese language, "read before the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society on the 13th August, 1850.

species,) matter of additional interest to the student. Not the less engaging or instructive, however, are such studies when they are confined to his national language—a language too, which had its origin in the East; for then he feels a zest beyond the interest inherent in the subject.

Reflections such as these have led me to take advantage of the means afforded by the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, in devoting a portion of my leisure hours to an inquiry, the result of which I hope may not be without interest to the general reader in Ceylon.-That result is "A brief sketch of the history of the Singhalese language."

In entering upon this investigation, I must not omit to premise, that however engaging the subject, the inquiry is not the less tedious, nor are its results perfectly satisfactory. The farther we extend our inquiries, the deeper are we shrouded in the darkness of the fabulous accounts of our forefathers; and, perhaps, of no country is this more true than of Ceylon.

I am sensible that I have, for obvious reasons, entered upon a subject which I know myself unable to discuss to the full extent of my design. Indeed, in the words of Doctor Johnson, this is one of those "works of hunan industry, which, to begin and finish, is hardly granted to the same man. Yet his labours, though deficient, may be useful, and, with the hope of this inferior praise, he must incite his activity and solace his weariness."

Under such circumstances, our investigations must necessarily partake much of the character of theories; in our inquiries probabilities must take the place of positive facts; and the authority of eminent scholars can only add weight to our conclusions. More, perhaps, we cannot accomplish; less, indeed, may be expected.

The known history of this Island commences from the period of its invasion by Wijeya, 543 B. C. As the English nation and the then (Anglo-Saxon) language were called

after the Angles, a leading branch of the Saxons, so the natives of this Island, as well as their language, received the appellation of Sinhala, from the Sinha (lion) race of kings who commenced to govern Lanka at the period above given. That upon the arrival of Wijeya he found in this Island a native tongue (we say "native" in order to distinguish it from the language which afterwards received the appellation of the invaders) there can exist, perhaps, but little doubt.

With a view, therefore, to ascertain the correctness of the above hypothesis, it is necessary to consider several questions, all which are intimately connected with each other, and which we have reduced to the following order: 1st, Whether the Island itself was inhabited before the æra to which we have alluded? 2ndly, If so, whether the aborigines became totally extinct upon Wijeya's arrival? 3dly, If the language of the conqueror be either purely or in part the basis of the present Singhalese? and, 4thly, Whether the language now denominated the Singhalese, was the language of the original inhabitants of Lanka?

To the consideration of each of these questions, we shall now apply ourselves; and

1st, Whether the Island itself was inhabited before the Wijeyan æra?

Sir William Jones, the eminent Orientalist, states, that Rama conquered Silan, 1810 B. C. If this were so, doubtless this Island was peopled at a very early period of the world. But the evidence relied on by Sir William Jones was, probably, that of the Ramayana,* an epic poem embodying the Hindu Mythology--a book which is of no authority† except

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Ramayana, or The adventures of Rama, is an epic poem in seven books. with notes in the Déva Nagara character. There are several works bearing the same title, and the appellation of Baharatta; but the one written by Valmic is the most esteemed.

The following occurs in the Kaviasàkera: @6... එව දෙඩුම්මුල් යුත කීමුත්බස්නිරත යුතුය දෙයගින් දනුව නිය

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