Abstract:
The contemporary Sinhalese language possesses five unique consonant sounds
known as Nasalised Plosives alias Pre-nasal Stops. They are [g], 0]. [Q.]. [a]. [6]
represented respectively by the graphemes <w. 0, f:!, <:;. in the standard alphabet.
Linguists and traditional grammarians hold opposing views about their
realisation as individual sounds. Linguists, i.e. phoneticians who consider their
articulatory features and distribution argue them to be individual sounds. Their
standpoint is that they should be included in the alphabet since they are of solid
phonemic value. Traditional grammarians who merely consider their origin and
historical change oppose this view arguing them to be sound combinations. This
study intends to present a synopsis of these opposing views commenting on both
synchronic and diachronic aspects of these sounds. Data for the study were
collected from primary and secondary sources on nasalised stops. These included
both traditional grammatical commentaries and findings of spectrographic
analyses of speech sounds. It is observed from the analysis of data, that most of
the Sinhalese words in contemporary speech containing these sounds are results
of gradual sound change of Sanskrit. Pali and Tamil words. During an early stage
of the evolution of the Sinhalese language. these sounds have been pronounced
as combinations of nasals and their corresponding voiced plosives. However in
contemporary speech they have evolved to be individual sounds that cause
semantic distinctions. Thus. they are phonemes in the contemporary Sinhalese
language and it is justifiable to be included in the standard alphabet.
