A Study of the Special Features of the Nouns in The Laggala Folk Language

Abstract

The folk language used by the general public who have not received formal education in the use of language is a variety of languages characterised by an absence of prescriptive grammar rules and without the necessity to adhere to fixed linguistic conventions of language usage. Laggala is situated in the Laggala Divisional Secretariat of the Matale District in the Central Province, bordered by the Dumbara mountain range. The research problem of the present study is to discover the significance of nouns used in Laggala usage. The main objectives of the study are to identify the specialities of the nouns and to analyse the creation of a rich lexicon via its linguistic and semantic function. This study further aims to identify the socioeconomic sphere that has influenced the creation of a greater part of the lexicon and the reasons for such an influence. The primary data collection method involved observations and focus groups, and secondary data were obtained through a literature review. First, employing a qualitative data analysis, the sample of 230 nouns was thematically grouped as jargon and as products of specific morphological processes. The two groups were analysed linguistically. The sample was then subjected to a quantitative representation to identify the frequency of nouns occurring within a particular socioeconomic sphere. This was stated as a percentage, and the reasons were analysed. The findings of the study revealed the presence of single morphemes, double morphemes, and triple morphemes. The use of the affix 'olə' was identified. Further, the highest number of nouns were related to agriculture, as it was the main livelihood of the people. Thus, the study successfully concluded that the Laggala language significantly differed from other languages, holding its own unique collection of nouns with their own special features.