No. 5. — 1850.] THE ELU LANGUAGE. 



249 



" Lanka," the last word contracted and added to the 

 particle & producing &q§ or £)<&. It is however to be* 

 remarked that the first of these definitions has not only the 

 support of grammar, but the authority of the best scholars 

 of the day ; is apparently more correct than the second ; 

 and that both support the view that Elu and Sinhala are 

 terms for one and the same language without distinction of 

 dialects, in that there is no difference between the two 

 roots, since the one has reference to the nation (&o&q *) 

 and the other to the Island which that nation 



inhabits. But a question has been very frequently proposed, 

 which has been, I believe, never satisfactorily answered : 

 " What is the Elu language ? Is it a dialect of the Sanskrit ? " 



We have already seen that the Elu was no other than 

 the Sinhalese language : but the question still remains, 

 " Is it a 'dialect of the Sanskrit? " 



Though at the risk of incurring the censure of some who 

 maintain the affirmative, I shall venture upon laying down 

 my own humble views on the subject, counter, I regret to 

 say, to those of many whom I respect. 



Let us first inquire " What is a dialect ? " It is defined 

 by several lexicographers thus : " Dialect, dialectique F., 

 dialectica L., dialetike G., is a manner of speech peculiar 

 to some part of the country, and differing from the manner 

 used in other parts, yet all using the same radical language 

 as to the substance of it." Now, those who maintain that 

 the Sinhalese is a dialect of the Sanskrit, do so upon the 

 ground that many words are derived into the former from 

 that rich and invaluable source the Sanskrit. But this is 

 no more correct than that the Portuguese which abounds 

 with Latin terms and the English with French are 



* " The name given in Ceylon subsequent to the landing of Wijayo, 

 from 63o©233, lion, and the root <£), to destroy." — Tumour. 



