International Conference on Linguistics in Sri Lanka (ICLSL)

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    The Extending of Sinhala Diglossia under English Influence
    (Department of Linguistics, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Premaratna, C.D.H.M.
    Diglossia, or the use of two varieties, namely High (H) and Low (L) of a language in a single speech community is widespread. The difference between the two varieties is that the non-standard L variety is used for everyday conversations, while that standard H variety is used for writing. This difference often occurs in phonology as well as in morphology and syntax. Most children from diglossic communities are usually exposed to the colloquial non-standard L variety during conversations at home and day-to-day activities, as the social setting determines that the children follow the language of their parents. Sinhala has been a diglossic language historically since the tenth century, under the influence of Sanskrit language at Polonnaruwa era. Since then differences between the non-standard form and the standard form have increased under influence of contact languages both from the East and West, up to today. This research paper examines the present condition of the Sinhala Diglossia and discusses how the gap between the two varieties has extended under the influence of English. This problem is examined under the sociolinguistic and basic linguistic theories of phonology as well as morphology and syntax. English became the sole official language in Sri Lanka from 1815 up to 1956, and a second language subsequently. Moreover, in 1987, under the present Constitution of Sri Lanka English was accepted as an official language under the name “Link Language” and it is a medium of instruction in education sectors as well. Alternatively, bilingual situation increases among Sinhala speakers. This shows repercussions in the structure of phonology, morphology and syntax of L variety as well as the H variety and it affects the Sinhala diglossic condition as well. It has significantly affected the quality of the writing skills of children as well as the adults and has also caused social problems between bilingual (Sinhala - English) speakers and monolingual (Sinhala) speakers.
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    A Comparative Analysis on Word Formation Processes in English and Sinhala
    (Department of Linguistics, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Dhammadassana Thero, Kosgama
    Word formation is a process which makes a new word by changing exiting one or adding something to exiting word. It makes a new word. Forming new words is a most influential process to develop a language and to continue it as a live language. There are number of word formation process according to morphology and those processes can be seen in both Sinhala and English languages. Affixation, compounding, conversion, borrowing, blending and clipping are some of them. This study is an effort to find the similarities and dissimilarities of word formation processes between English and Sinhala languages. Thus, the present research aims to study the word formation processes mainly in terms of the two languages in order to discuss the similarities and dissimilarities between them. The oldest available grammar book in Sinhala, “Sidath Sagara” helps to find out the grammatical concept of the forming word in Sinhala and a number of books have been written in English which reveal the word formation processes of it. As the methodology both English and Sinhala books are used and after going through those books the concepts of the forming words can be analysed. those word formation processes can be compared and the research is based on a literature study, which takes a quantitative plane.