An Investigation about the Idioms (Rūḍhi) and Hints (Iňgiwäki) in Spoken Sinhala

Abstract

Language, which is the scope of linguistics, has two forms, speech and writing. In linguistic studies, more attention is paid to speech. Traditional expressions like 'ihē malak pipunā', 'oluva idimilā', in the Sinhala language, are known by some people as Rūḍhi (idioms) and also as Iňgiwäki (hints). The objective of this research was to investigate whether what is known as Rūḍhi and Iňgiwäki is one concept or two concepts. For this research, which was carried out following the descriptive research method, about 100 idioms (Rūḍhi) and hints (Iňgiwäki) used in the Sinhala language were analysed and the nature of idioms in several other languages was also studied. 'Hints' (Iňgiwäki) are called in Sanskrit as 'Rūḍhi' and in Pāli as 'Rūḷhi'. Words that cannot be interpreted by grammatical etymological analysis are defined as 'Rūḍhi ' in native languages. In Pāli 'maṇḍapa' is a Rūḍhi. It denotative meaning is 'a person who drinks drinker intoxicants'. But the Rūḍhi (idiomatic) meaning of 'maṇḍapa' is a 'place where like-minded people gather'. Although the denotative meaning of 'gōcara' is 'behaviour of cattle', its Rūḍhi (idiomatic) meaning is 'object'. The English synonym for Rūḍhi, Idiom, means words cannot be taken individually to understand the meaning. For instance, although 'colour' means 'colour of something', it is used to mean 'colour-blind (unable to distinguish certain colours), 'join the colour' (join the army), and 'off-colour' (not well). As in other languages, Rūḍhi (idioms), which cannot be explained literally, is also found in Sinhala. The meaning of phrases such as ‘Kadju kanawa’ (eating cashews), 'Humbas biya’ (phobia of anthills), 'kimbul kandulu heleema’ (shedding crocodile tears) and 'Ange malu natanawa’ (body flesh dancing) have gone beyond the denotative meaning. Accordingly, it is clear that Rūḍhi (idioms), which cannot be explained denotatively, is also found in the Sinhala language. Also, there are phrases like 'Bahina Kalava', 'Mune Dali Ganawa', 'Golubeli Gamana' which give clues to its deep meaning. They are not Rūḍhi, but 'hints' (Iňgiwäki). Accordingly, it can be concluded that 'Iňgiwäki' and Rūḍhi are not the same concept but two different concepts.