Table Of Content56b OMO
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4^fe^
SINHALESE
This syttem taaches you the eas«ntlalf of
ft tanguag« (for travel and enjoyment)
without the drudgery of prolonged study
5'-
Nn
By
Don M. de ZILVA WICKREMASINGHi
Authorof
Tamil Self*Taught
Tamil GrammarSaif-Taught, &c.
London : E. MAfU-fiOROUCH A CO. LTD.
Marlborough's
Self-Taught Series
of
European and Oriental Languages
DESIGNED primarily for TOURISTS and TRAVEL-
LERS in Foreign lands who, without previous
knowledge of the Language, desire to express themselves
sufficiently to be understood, these books also form a good
foundation for the more seriously minded student.
The Method followed throughout the Scries is to give
Classified vocabularies and Conversational Phrases under
Subjects, arranged in three columns giving first the English
word or phrase, second the Foreign equivalent, and third
the English phonetic pronunciation. This latter column
A
makes correct pronunciation a simple matter. section
on Elementary Grammar is included in most cases and
deals with the construction of sentences and any special
pcculiarites of the language, such as Genders, Tenses, Con^
jugation of Verbs, etc. For the more important languages
a separate volume on Grammar is published containing, in
addition to a thorough treatise on Grammar, Exercises for
translation.
These books can he obtained through any bookseller.
POIl COMPLETE LIST OF LANGUAGES SEE PA&E 4 OF COVLM
^1 k ^^>/x
Marlborough's Self-Taught Series.
SinDalese
SelfCauflbt
by the Natural Method
-WITH
Phonetic Pronunciation
THIMM'S SYSTEM
BY
Don M. de Z. WICKRBMASINQHE,
Hon. M.A. (Oxon)
Epigraphistto theCeylonGovernment. Lectureron Tamiland
Teltigtiinthe UniversityofOxford,andonPaliandPrakritfor
Jesus College, Oxford. Authorof " TamilSelf-Taught,"
"TamilGrammar Self-Taught," etc.
PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN
LONDON
E. Marlborough &z Co., Ltd.
ALL RIGHTS RSSBRVSO
TO
The Honourable Mr. F. H. M. CORBET,
ADVOCATE-GENERAL OF MADRAS,
DEDICATE THESE PAGES,
I
AS A TOKEN
OF SINCERE GRATITUDE
FOR HELP AND ENCOURAGEMENT
AFFORDED ME IN MY LINGUISTIC STUDIES.
M. DE Z. WICKRERIASINGHE.
LETCHWORTH
THE GARDEN CITY PRESS LTD.,
PRINTERS.
PrintedandMadeinGreatBritain.
PREFACE.
THISmanualisintendedtosupplyaworkingknowled'geofSinhalese,
for the benefit, primarily, of those who have not the time, or,
perhaps,the inclination, to master the Grammar ofthe language, and
yet require to use the spoken tongue for businessor other purposes.
With this object in view, I have compiled the present work mainly
on the lines of my Tamil Self-Taught, with the addition of an
outline of the Grammar of Sinhalese, pending the publication of a
separate volume ofGrammar.
Having regardtothe needs ofstudentswhoworkwithoutaTeacher,
I have devoted some pages wholly to the subject of pronunciation,
andhave giventhetransliterationofalltheSinhalese words occurring
in the grammar section of the work, side by side with the Sinhalese
character.
Inthe scheme oftransliteration I have used full-facedtype to mark
the aspirate, instead of attaching the usual h to the aspirated con-
s^on=ant,onthe principle of"one sign for one sign": e.g., ssi =k, and
k, not kh. This, I consider, is practically useful in the trans-
literation of Prakrit and modern Indian dialects, for it will enable
the reader to distinguish at a glance the difference between, say,
(5sitS523^ rathaka, a red conch shell, and (5(5<553 rathaka (raiaka),
a small chariot, unless, as in the " P^pigraphia Zeylanica", a small
hyphen is added between the two elements to show that the sound
in question is a true double sound. Again, Cf:i and <$^ have been
represented by a and 5, not, as is usual in Ceylon, by e and e, these
soundsbeing only modifications ofthe sounds of^ a and Cp a.
Further, as a guide to the proper intonation of Sinhalese words,
I have indicated those vowels which are pronounced fully witha sort
of "stress accent" by the mark of the acute accent placed above
them. I have not done this, however, in the section containing the
Vransliterated vocabularies, idiomatic phrases, and sentences, because
585
there the correct pronunciation of every Sinhalese word xs indicated
in the third column of each page by means ofMarlborough's system
ofEnglish phonetics.
This work being designed purely for practical use, the rules and
explanations given in the grammar section are scarcely intended for
students entering on a scientific investigation of the Sinhalese
language. For them a separate grammar and an etymological and
historical lexicon founded on the latest results of Prakrit philology
are under preparation.
M. DE Z.W.
Oxford, 1916.
CONTENTS
... .
CONTENTS.
— PAGE
Outline of Grammar. Pages 72-93.
Articles 72
Nouns . 74
Pronouns; Personal 80
Demonstrative 83
Interrogative. 85
Verbs 86
Conversational Phrases AND Sentences. (Pages 94-117).
ChangingMoney 117
CommercialanrlTrading 112
ExpressionsandPhrases UsefulandNecessaryTdiomafcic 94
.
Fishing 111
.
Health .. 105
Hotel, The 101
Meals 102-104
Breakfast 102
Dinner 103
Tea .. 104
Monej^ Changing 117
Sinhalese Currency 118
Sinhalese Money wiith EngUsh and American Equivalen 118
EngUsh and American Money with Sinhalese Equivalent: 118
Notices 98
.
Planting 116
Post Office and Telegrams 106
Public Works 113
Railway, The 99
Shooting 110
Shopping 109
Time, The 106
Town, In 107
Money, Weights and Measures I IS. 119
Postal Rates . 119
