Vedda language
| Vedda | |
|---|---|
| Region | Sri Lanka (Eastern mountains, Badulla and Polonnaruwa districts) |
Native speakers | 300 (1993 Johnstone) |
| Sinhala abugida, Tamil script | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | ved |
| ELP | Veddah |
The Vedda language is an extinct language that was spoken by the Vedda people. The Vedda language has been highly influenced by Sinhala (and to a lesser extent, Tamil) over centuries of contact owing to the fact that the Veddas were pre-Aryan, aboriginal people [1]. So, while it is highly likely that they had a language unique to themselves, the present-day Vedda language is partially intelligible to Sinhala speakers. There is considerable debate as to whether the present-day form is an independent language, dialect or creole compared to Sinhala.
The Speakers are shifting to Sinhala, throughout most parts of Sri Lanka, and to Tamil in the North and North East. It is closely related to Sinhala, although much of its vocabulary (especially terms associated with the forest and their lifestyle) can not be traced to Sinhala and may be from a language(s) spoken before the adoption of the Sinhalese language. Owing to the fact that the Veddah people are considered as a caste that is accepted as equal in rank to the Sinhala Goyigama, instead of a distinct ethnic group, the language is no longer used by the community.
The etymology of the word 'Vedda' derives from the Tamil word 'Vedar/Vedan' ("hunter"). However, the Coast Veddas refer to themselves as 'Vedar' and the Sinhala influenced groups refer to themselves as 'vedda'.[2]. The Coast Veddas use the Vedda language for religious purposes only as they have shifted to a local dialect of Sri Lankan Tamil.
References
- Samarasinghe, S. W. R. de A (1990). The Vanishing aborigines : Sri Lanka's Veddas in transition. International Centre for Ethnic Studies in association with NORAD and Vikas Pub. House. ISBN 9780706952988.
- Hussein, Asif. Vedda language: Distinct speech or dialect of Sinhala?. Sunday Observer.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - Seligman, Charles ([1911] 1976). The Veddas. Ams Press Inc. Green. ISBN 0404159702.
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External links
- ^ http://www.lankalibrary.com/cul/veddha/veddha_10.htm
- ^ Seligman, Charles ([1911] 1976). The Veddas. Ams Press Inc. Green. ISBN 0404159702