A comparative study on Sinhala - Hindi phoneme clusters

Abstract

Meaningful words in a language are formed by combining syllables (Warna). A fully articulated syllable consists of an unobstructed sound (a vowel) and may contain one or more obstructed sounds (consonants). Accordingly, the syllable is a linguistic unit that is more complex than a single phone (Dhwani). During the articulation of a syllable, exhaled air is released from the mouth simultaneously, while the oral cavity remains open. In this process, any barrier obstructing the exhaled air is removed. Since this obstruction is removed by an unobstructed sound, the nucleus of every syllable is a vowel, while its periphery may consist of zero consonants, a single consonant, or multiple consonants. In the process of language acquisition, a native speaker spontaneously acquires the correct pronunciation potential; however, in second or foreign language education, identifying the correct syllable structures of words is important for developing reading proficiency. The present research comparatively studies the syllable structures used in both Hindi and Sinhala languages. Here, the dissimilar syllable structures occurring in both languages are analyzed through a horizontal cross-section, studying their immediate and distal environments. The research problems of the study include: Are the syllable structures used in Sinhala and Hindi languages similar? What are the identical and dissimilar syllable structures? What are the linguistic factors underlying the creation of dissimilar syllable structures? Data analysis in this research is conducted based on a qualitative methodology. In the analysis centered on these two languages, the syllables are analyzed comparatively. The syllable structures uniquely created for each language exhibit both similarities and dissimilarities. The minimum composition of a Sinhala syllable is a single sound, while the maximum is limited to three sounds. However, in the Hindi language, syllables are used subject to a maximum ranging from a single sound up to six sounds. Accordingly, it is observed that Hindi syllable structures possess greater complexity compared to Sinhala syllable structures.