amongst the Singhalese. 257 



The Pali or Tamil word aiya, probably derived from the 

 Sanscrit arya* " the respectable," is found in the Singhalese ; 

 and is used by us to signify f an elder brother'; and akka, which 

 is a Sanscrit word for " mother," is adopted in the Singha- 

 lese to designate 6 an elder sister.' The use of these terms 

 denote the great respect with which the elder members of a 

 family are treated amongst the Singhalese ; and it is well 

 known that elder brothers and sisters amongst us are never 

 mentioned or called by their proper names. When the terms 

 aiya and akka, assume a more endearing form, they are ex- 

 pressed c aiy a?idi ' and ( akkandi ;' and the same termination 

 (andi) is employed when speaking of a mother respectfully, 

 as ammandi. The termination, in a similar application of the 

 words appa, { father,' and (bala-appa or) bdppa 6 uncle ' is tchi, 

 as appotchi } bdppotchi. 



As the above are nominal terms of address peculiar in their 

 use and application, so there are also nominal terminations 

 and verbal affixes in the Singhalese, to which I shall allude 

 here. Of nominal terminations, I may mention a peculiarity 

 which is not generally understood. It is in reference to the 

 use of names without honorific affixes. When persons address 

 each other without honorifics, they change the terminations 

 of the name from one vowel sound to another. They do so 

 with a view of conveying respect. Thus for instance podda, 

 ' little one' is changed into podde; Justine to Justine; Cornis 

 to Cornise, &c. Though the latter is the vocative form of 

 the noun, yet that form is adopted in the other cases also, with a 

 view to honor the person spoken of. Where, however, no 

 respect is intended, the proper termination of the name is 

 alone retained. 



There are several verbal affixes. Of them, ©sd<2» Seka 

 denotes the highest respect, as in the passage ^ea@^<KV)S)ea 

 «J®s£es<K>go)3£0@\e££» cs3£ogu>3<2>3©£to. So does 



* See Pr. Wilson's Hindu Drama, vol. I., p. 113, note, 



