COMMUNICATION SPECIFICITIES IN REGIONAL DIALECTS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE DIALECTS OF NUWARAKALAVIYA AND RUHUNA

Abstract

Language is the primary tool of communication. In addition to language, humans use signs and symbols for communication; however, language remains the main means by which subtle sensations, feelings and information are conveyed in human life. The aim of this study is to examine the importance of regional dialects in communication. The research problem focuses on identifying the specific communicative features present in regional dialects. In this study, the words used in the dialects of Nuwarakalaviya and Ruhuna were analyzed based on five main criteria: Terms used to indicate kinship, Words related to animals found in henna farming/agriculture, Vocabulary associated with nature, Terminology related to food culture and Similarities found in applications used for interpersonal communication. Words used to express kinship can be extensively observed within Sinhala culture. In terms of kinship, the dialects of Nuwarakalaviya and Ruhuna reveal both words that are similar in meaning but differ in usage, as well as words that differ in both meaning and usage. Beyond the general terms used to describe animals in henna farming/agriculture, the terminology found in the Nuwarakalaviya and Ruhuna dialects reflects a strong sense of regional identity. While terms related to nature tend to share similar meanings in common usage, they more closely align with the usage found in Nuwarakalaviya. It can be concluded that there is a strong semantic and lexical resemblance between commonly used food-related terms and those found in the Ruhuna dialect.