Browsing by Author "Rajapakshe, R.M.W."

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    A Linguistic-Analysis of 'Thula' usage
    (Essays in Social Sciences and Humanities, (In Honour of Professor Chandra Wickramagamage), 2012) Rajapakshe, R.M.W.
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    Language Policy and Politics
    (University of Kelaniya, 2015) Rajapakshe, R.M.W.
    Language the most sophisticated invention of man, is a tool used to fulfill main requirements of the people inclusive of communication. Thus language is not a problem. However, when it is used as a medium of instruction in public administration, judiciary and in education in multi lingual countries, it sometimes becomes a problem. Language planning emerges when such problem arise. Could actually language be planned? Physical phenomenon like rivers, forests, mountains can be probed and planned. As language is a physical phenomenon, a tool, it can be planned. However there are differences between other objects. Firstly, language is a secondary invention of man. Secondly, it is strictly associated with religion and culture and therefore is a complicated physical phenomena. In the process of language planning, planners have to face various difficulties created by patriotic national movements and politicians. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the difficulties faced in the process of Language Planning in relation to the Sri Lankan context and the proposals to overcome them.
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    Problems in Translating Sinhala ‘weniya’ into English
    (Department of Linguistics, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Rajapakshe, R.M.W.
    One language may differ from another phonologically, morphologically, syntactically and semantically. There are, however, differences as well as similarities between two languages. The degree of those differences and similarities between two languages depends on target languages. A number of differences and similarities can be seen between Sinhala and English. The purpose of this study is to analyse the difficulties of translating the Sinhala word “weniya” into English. When it refers to a position of a student in a class the word palaweniya, dewaniya, thuweniya are used to mean first, second, and third respectively. There are no problems in translating such words. The adjective forms of those words, namely palaweni, dewani and thunweni can be translated into English without any difficulty. However, a problem arises when translating a Sinhala sentence like “J.R. Jayawardena mahattaya lankawe kii weni janadhipathiwaraya da?” Ten scholars including university lecturers, professors and highly qualified professional translators gave different answers to this question. The problem here is that there is no parallel grammatical structure for this sentence in the English language. This study attempts to find the most suitable solution to the above problem. Data was gathered from six university professors, two university lecturers and two professional translators.
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    Semantic study of Semantic Units in Colloquial Sinhala
    (Journal of the Faculty of Humanities, 2008) Rajapakshe, R.M.W.
    This article includes an analysis of semantic units in Colloquial Sinhala and difficulties faced in classifying them Theories in traduced in Pragmatics are used in the analysis. First 'meaning' is described through definitions given in Traditional Semantics, Generative Grammar and Pragmatics. Then the semantic units in Colloquial Sinhala are analyzed.
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    Studies of Styles in Colloquial Sinhala
    (Department of Linguistics , University of Kelaniya, 2000) Rajapakshe, R.M.W.
    The purpose of this study is to study the styles in Colloquial Sinhala . In the analysis, the definitions of the 'style' and the significance of the analysis are discussed. Finally, the phonetic and phonological aspects of the rapid forms and the difference to the rapid and slow forms are discussed.