Database

Sinhalese (Sinhala)

(Sri Lanka; Indo-European, Sinhalese-Maldivian)

Summary:
The order of the consonants in some CVC sequences in Modern Sinhalese words is opposite to that found in Sanskrit.

Examples:
Modern Sinhalese

keNera

'she-elephant'

cf. kaNe:ru- (in Pa., Pk.)

< kare:Nu- (in Sk.)

vahan

'sandals'

cf. upa:hana: (in Pa.)
uva:Naha:, pa:Naha:,
pa:haNa:, va:haNa: (in Pk.)

< upa:nah- (in Sk.)

Conditions:
No information currently available.

Motivation:
No information currently available.

Related Information:
No information currently available.

Symbols:
N = retroflexed alveolar nasal

Last Updated: 6/19/2007

References:

Wijeratne, P. B. F. 1957. Phonology of the Sinhalese inscriptions up to the end of the tenth century. Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies 19: 479-514.