THE SINHALESE LANGUAGE. 



79 



has been remarked by the same writer, to whom I have so frequently 

 referred in the course of my remarks, Dr. Stevenson, that the 

 general structure of all [the North and South-Indian dialects] 

 is the same, and has certainly remained unaffected [by Brahmanical 

 influences], a few remarks may not be deemed unnecessary. 



Mr. Caldwell in summing up all the Syntactical differences be- 

 tween the Sanskrit family of languages and the Dravidian, says:— - 



" The situation of the governing word is characteristic of each of 

 these families of languages. In Sanskrit and the Indo-European 

 family it usually precedes the word governed: in the Dravidian 

 and in all the Scythian languages, it is invariably placed after it; 

 in consequence of which the principal verb always occupies the last 

 place in the sentence. The adjective precedes the substantive : 

 the adverb precedes the verb: the substantive which is governed 

 by a verb, together with every word that depends upon it or qua- 

 lifies it, precedes the verb hy which it is governed : the relative 

 participle precedes the noun on which it depend* the negative 

 branch of a sentence precedes the affirmative: the noun in the 

 genitive case precedes that which governs it: the pre-posiiion. 

 changes places with the noun and becomes a post-position in vir- 

 tue of its governing a case: and finally the sentence is concluded 

 by the one, all-governing, finite verb. In each of these important 

 and highly characteristic peculiarities of syntax, the Dravidiam 

 languages and the Scythian are thoroughly agreed." — p. 36. 



There seems to be some misapprehension here; for I 

 cannot perceive so great a diversity, as here stated, in the 

 construction of Indo-European and Dravidian dialects. I fail also 

 to perceive much difference, in many of the particulars above 

 stated, between the former and the Sinhalese. If the peculiar 

 characteristic in the construction of a Dravidian sentence is, that 

 the governing words are preceded by those that are governed, the 

 Sinhalese, like some of her North-Indian sisters, is certainly 

 an exception, in many respects, to the rule; and, where it is not, it 



