68 Forms of Salutation and Address 



is expressed in a more shocking form, when a native in his 

 asseverations wishes he may be a low caste man or a demon 

 in the next birth, if he is not to be believed. 



Where a higher feeling is to be conveyed, some honorific 

 or other is used, which honorifics are variously formed, and 

 unite with each other and with the noun or pronoun in 

 various ways, 



<fe)|)5>e5 (tamuse) pers. pron. You, may be addressed to an 

 equal— it is a term of civility, Chater, p. 40, and is even re- 

 garded as " rather respectful," Bridgnell's Dictionary. It is 

 used, according to Mr. Alwis, (Sidath Sangarawa, p. 158,) 

 " by husbands towards their wives and vice versa ; and also 

 by some low cast e people to the inferior classes of the Yel- 

 lales ; by Upasampada priests towards their pupils or Sama- 

 naras ; and even by servants of a higher grade towards the 

 young members of their master's families." 



CDg3^enoSvo (tamuniMzhe ) is addressed to an equal or to a 

 superior, but it is " the least of all the acknowledgments of 

 superiority." Lambrick, Gram. p. 25, note. 



^zrw^ ?t$ (tamunnanse ), pers. pron. You, is higher; 

 it is addressed to one perfectly equal and for whom we would 

 express some respect. Bridgnell, after C lough, says it is 

 « very respectful." Mr. Alwis says, " it is used towards each 

 other by persons of an equal station in life amongst the 

 highest class of the Singhalese, and amongst the priesthood." 

 It may be like our " Learned Sir." 



«)g)^$3£)t»«s5<5*dF (iamun wahansej is still higher; it is ad- 

 dressed to a superior, and is expressive of the highest respect. 

 It may be like our " Worthy Sir." 



Similar to this last is ©SE/ta^^e? ( oba wahanse) which 

 was the term used in the Lord's prayer ; as S>a)* t&^s^ r e3 

 <55^2Se3^e)o oba wahansege rajyaya eiva, (Thy Kingdom come.) 

 But now the term employed is <jga) z)&&i&z$ (nuba icahanse ), 

 a supposed derivative of the former. 



And here it may be observed, that generally, in all com- 

 munications from an inferior, as in communications to one 



