Account of the Rodiyas, 177 



and a Rodiya himself confessed to me that they do oceasionaly 

 steal clothes from the bleaching grounds, and stacked corn 

 from the threshing floors. 



The ordinary language of the Rodiyas is Singhalese, which 

 they, however, speak with a quick accent, intermixed with a 

 number of words peculiar to themselves, in order to render 

 their speech unintelligible to strangers. Some suppose that 

 the words in question are mere slang; but I am rather inclined 

 to think that they are the relics of a language which was 

 spoken by the ancestors of the Rodiyas, and since merged 

 into the Singhalese. 



The following is a list of words used by the Rodiyas. 



God 



Bakkuru 





Heaven 



Teriangay 





Earth 



Bintalauwe 





Sun 



Eelayatteriangay 





Moon 



Hapateriangay 





Stars 



Hapangaval 





Light 



Gigeri 





Darkness 



Kaluwella 





Fire 



Dulumu 





Water 



Nelattu 



Sea 



Terilattu 





River 



Mlattuwa 





Tank 



Nilattukattinna 





Mountain 



Teriboruluangay 





Village 



Dumuna 





Field 



Panguralla 





Jungle 



Raluwa 





Sand 







Dust 

 Mud 



j^Boraluwa 





Stone 







Man 



Gava 





VOL. II. 





2 A 



) 



