CLASSIFIED | POLITICS | TERRORISM | OPINION | VIEWS

Similarities between Sinhala and Hindi

Ruchira Jayasinghe

Sinhala shares much with other Indo-Aryan languages such as Hindi. This includes vocabulary and grammar.

Examples:

Verbs in their infinitive form.

Note that the ending "vaa" in Sinhala infinitives can be removed wihout any change to the meaning.
This has been done below with some of the infinitives to highlight the similarities between the Hindi form and the Sinhala form. Note that these are two language separated by thousands of kilometres and a huge belt of Dravidian languages.

"to do"
Hindi (H) - karnaa
Sinhala (S) - karanaa

"to kill"
H - maarnaa
S - maranaa

"to see"
H - dekhnaa
S - dakinaa

"to eat"
H - khanaa
S - kanavaa

"to bathe"
H - nahaanaa
S - naanavaa

"to come"
H - aanaa
S - enaa

"to go"
H - jaanaa
S - yanaa

"to sing"
H - gaanaa
S - gayanaa

"to give"
H - denaa
S - denavaa

"to count"
H - ginnaa
S - ganinaa

"to know"
H - jaannaa
S - dannavaa

"to insult/scorn"
H - nindaa karnaa
S - nindaa karanaa

"to hear"
H - sunnaa
S - asanaa

even some of the irregular verbs are strangely similar

"to go" and "went"
H - jaanaa, gayaa
S - yanavaa, giyaa

And some simple words...

ENGLISH -- HINDI -- SINHALA

NO - nahi - naha
YES - haa - haa
RICE - bhaath - bath
OIL - tel - tel
MEAT - maans - mas
POTATO - aaloo - ala
SUGAR - cheeni - seeni
HAND - haath - atha
TEETH - daant - dat
EAR - kaan - kana
ARM - baahu - baahuwa
MOUTH - muu - muwa
NECK - gelaa - gela
FINGER - unglee - angilla
DOUBLE - dugunaa - deguna
SUFFERING - dukh - dukha
SMOKE - dhua - duma
FAR - door - dura
ON THE RIGHT - dahine - dakune
STAR - taaraa - taruwa
MOON - chaand - handa
COUGH - khaasii - kessa
CORNER - konaa - kona
BLACK - kaalaa - kalu
BLUE - neelaa - nil
VILLAGE - graam - gama
WAR - yudh - yuddaya
BLIND - andhaa - anda
BLANKET - kammal - kambala
DARKNESS - andheraa - andura
BRASS - peetal - pittala
COPPER - taambaa - tamba
LANGUAGE - bhaashaa - basa
NAKED - nangaa - nagna
NEW - nayaa - nava
ODOUR - gandh - ganda
OLD - puraanaa - parana
POISEN - vish - visa
PRICE - moolya - mila
ROOM - kamraa - kaamaraya
SIN - paap - paapaya
SPECIAL - vishesh - vishesha
HEAVY - bharee - bara
LAST - antim - antima
UNCLE - maamaa - maamaa

Numerals

ENGLISH - HINDI - SINHALA

ONE - ek - eka
TWO - do - deka
THREE - teen - tuna
FOUR - chaar - hatara
FIVE - paanch - paha
SIX - chah - haya
SEVEN - saat - hata
EIGHT - aaT - aTa
NINE - nau - namaya
TEN - daas - dahaya

Sinhala a "Dravidian language"? You be the judge!

Disclaimer: The comments contained within this website are personal reflection only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the LankaWeb. LankaWeb.com offers the contents of this website without charge, but does not necessarily endorse the views and opinions expressed within. Neither the LankaWeb nor the individual authors of any material on this Web site accept responsibility for any loss or damage, however caused (including through negligence), which you may directly or indirectly suffer arising out of your use of or reliance on information contained on or accessed through this Web site.
All views and opinions presented in this article are solely those of the surfer and do not necessarily represent those of LankaWeb.com. .

BACK TO LATEST NEWS

DISCLAIMER