The Writing and Numeral System of the Sinhala Language: A Comprehensive Study

Introduction

The Sinhala language, one of the two official languages of Sri Lanka, boasts an antiquity that stretches back over 2000 years. Used primarily by the Sinhalese people, the majority ethnic group in Sri Lanka, the language has evolved into a rich medium of communication with its own unique script and numeral system. This article provides an in-depth analysis of the writing and numeral system of Sinhala, discussing its historical development, key features, and contemporary usage.

The Sinhala Script

Historical Development

The Sinhala script has its roots in ancient Brahmi script, which originated in India. The earliest examples of Sinhala script can be traced back to inscriptions dating to the 3rd and 2nd centuries BCE. Over time, the script has undergone various modifications and now presents a distinct form that’s uniquely adapted to the phonological characteristics of the Sinhala language.

Alphabet and Key Features

The Sinhala script is an abugida, meaning each consonant-vowel sequence is written as a unit. This stands in contrast to alphabets where vowels and consonants are written as separate characters.

• Consonants: Sinhala script includes 41 basic consonant characters.
• Vowels: There are 14 vowel sounds, represented using 18 characters. In written form, vowels appear as diacritical marks accompanying the consonant they follow.
• Virama: The script uses a character called “hal kirīma” (්), equivalent to the virama in other Indic scripts, to suppress the inherent vowel sound in a consonant.

Orthography

Sinhala orthography is largely phonemic, with each grapheme representing a single phoneme. However, historical and etymological considerations have led to some exceptions. The language tends to preserve the spelling of some Sanskrit or Pali loanwords even when contemporary pronunciation has changed.

Contemporary Usage

Sinhala is the primary script for writing the Sinhala language and is widely used in day-to-day transactions, government documents, media, and education in Sri Lanka.

The Sinhala Numeral System

Sinhala Numerals

Sinhala has its own set of numerals, which are seldom used today except in specific cultural or religious contexts. Traditional Sinhala numerals have been largely replaced by Arabic numerals in contemporary usage.

• Basic Numerals: The basic numerals are නොයය (0), එක (1), දෙක (2), තුන (3), හතර (4), පහ (5), හය (6), හත (7), අට (8), නවය (9).
• Tens and Higher: For tens and higher numbers, combinations of the above numerals are used. For example, සිහිය (40) is formed by combining සිහි (4) and ය (0).

Arabic Numerals

Arabic numerals (0-9) are overwhelmingly used for all mathematical and counting purposes today. They are employed in educational contexts, official documents, and digital media.

Influence of Other Languages and Scripts

• Pali and Sanskrit: A significant amount of vocabulary in Sinhala, especially in religious, legal, and academic contexts, is derived from Pali and Sanskrit. Many of these words retain their original spelling.
• English and Tamil: In contemporary Sri Lanka, the Sinhala script exists alongside the Tamil and Latin scripts. English and Tamil loanwords often make their way into Sinhala, and are usually transliterated phonetically.

Conclusion

The Sinhala language offers a fascinating blend of ancient tradition and modern usage. Its script, which has evolved over centuries, reflects the unique linguistic characteristics of the language. Although the traditional Sinhala numeral system has been largely replaced by Arabic numerals in everyday use, it remains a part of the cultural heritage of Sri Lanka. Collectively, the writing and numeral system of Sinhala present an interesting case study of linguistic evolution and adaptation in a multicultural and multilingual context.