No. 29. — 1884.] THRESHING-FLOOR LANGUAGE. 265 



E. — Miscellaneous. 



There is a peculiar method of notation in use among Tamil culti- 

 vators, similar to a system described by the late Maha Mudaliyar L.De 

 Zoysa, as found in ancient Sanskrit and Sinhalese works,* 



Thus, one person = kaddaiyadiyitpolan, because there is one centre 

 pole (kaddai) in the thre-hing-floor, or perhaps one man whose duty it 

 is to fix it there (haddaippolan ). In the Sinhalese system "one" is 

 represented by Meru, because there is but one Meru mountain in the 

 world. 



" Two persons" — kavaipolepolamdr. Kavai means "the fork of a 

 branch." In Sinhalese netra (eyes) = 2. 



" Three persons " = chularnpdlepdlamdr. Hulam = "trident." In 

 Sinhalese Siva (who has three eyes) = 3. 



" Four persons " = vetampolepolamdr ; so in the Sinhalese system 

 Veda — 4, because there are four Vedas. 



" Five persons" = kaipdlepolamdr, because there are five fingers. In 

 the Sinhalese system sara = 6, because there are six tastes. 



I understand that similar fanciful methods of representing numbers 

 are in vogue in the bazars. 



JI. — Sinhalese Cultivators' Songs. 



1 — Whilst Sowing* 

 6)<3C3(3 zn&$®<^ a 





 



a 



a 



Q 

 O 

 O 



a 

 a 

 a 

 a 



a 

 a 

 a 

 a 



* C.A.S. Journal, 1852, p. xlv— xlvi. 



