International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) |Volume IV, Issue VIII, August 2020|ISSN 2454-6186 www.rsisinternational.org Page 737 The Linguistic Study of the Contemporary Context of Vedda Language with Special Reference to Dambana, Sri Lanka Dr. R.A.D. Priyanka Weerasekara Department of Languages, Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka, Belihuloya, Sri Lanka Abstract: The intent of this research is to examine the contemporary context of Vedda Language from the linguistic point of view, based on their overall socio-cultural background. The most popularly accepted theory on Vedda Language is a regional dialect of the Sinhala Language or a Creole and that there is no separate Vedda Language. Due to inadequate data of the original Vedda Language, it is difficult to identify the proper linguistic context of the early stage of Vedda Language. However the existing linguistic features of Vedda prove that the original Vedda Language is a simple hunting language. The findings of the research show the present day Vedda has borrowed not only lexical stocks but also sounds, grammar, and meaning from dominant languages, significantly from colloquial Sinhalese. These linguistic results of language contact induce it has become an extreme language mixture and the current situation of Vedda language is severely endangered. This research is based on Qualitative Empirical Research Methodology and the Participant Observation Method based on Case Study has been used for data elicitation. Keywords: Vedda Language, Colloquial Sinhalese, Linguistics Assimilation, Language Contact Phenomenon, Endangered Language. I. INTRODUCTION he aboriginal inhabitants, the Veddas in Sri Lanka are rich in many cultural values. In Pali 'Viyaadha’ means; 'hunter with bow and arrow’ and it is considered to be the word from which the Sinhala term Vedda is derived (Sorata,1956). The people refer to themselves as Vanniyaletto which means; 'Forest or Nature Dwellers'. According to archaeological evidences, the Veddas in Sri Lanka have been regarded as the indigenous inhabitants of Sri Lanka who preserved a direct line of descent from the island’s original Neolithic Community, 'The Balangoda Man' dating from at least 16,000 BC, probably far earlier. These evidences prove that the Veddas were living in most parts of the island before arrival of the Aryans (Deraniyagala, 1992). According to the present day Veddas of Sri Lanka, cultural aspect and their distribution can be divided into three major groups. The one group is scattered over a fairly large region in the South-east of the island, interior from the coast, including portions of Monaragala, Badulla, Amparai, and Batticoloa districts. These Veddas are best known in ethnographic literature, chiefly through the work of the Seligmanns (1911). The other group of Veddas can be found in Anuradhapura district. In 1978 James Brow has conducted research on this group of Veddas and he has written a book named ' The Vedda Villages of Anuradhapura'. The Anuradhapura Veddas practice wet rice agriculture supplemented with 'Chena' or swidden cultivation. The third major group of Veddas is found along the Eastern Coast of Sri Lanka between Valaichchenai and Trincomalee, and they are generally known as Coast Veddas (The local Tamil term for them is 'VeDar'). Unlike the first two groups, they speak Tamil as their mother tongue and are normally Hindus. They have little or no contact with the Veddas of the interior, although it is likely that they originally come to the coast from the interior district. Jhon Dart’s ‘The Coast Veddas: Dimension of Marginality’ (1990) is a significant contribution to study of Coast Veddas. The Veddas have been the focus of attention in recent years for the reason that the rapid change occurring in their habitat will drastically transform their life style. The major social development projects such as Mahaveli Irrigation and Agricultural Extension Projects, Post Tsunami Development Projects, Rambaken Oya Irrigation Projects, Tourism Projects, Road Development Projects and Electricity Projects several traditional Veddas settlements were evacuated and the Vedda people are re-settled in the new agricultural villages. Currently the Veddas are confined to small scattered communities in Dambana, Watuyaya, Gurukumbura, and Kotabakiniya. Apart from that present day Veddas are scattered in Henanigala attached to the 'Mahaweli C division' in the Mahiyangana, Dambana region in Ratugala and Nilgala which are situated beyond Inginiyagala in the Ampara district, in Pollebedda situated beyond Maha Oya, and in areas in close proximity to the sea such as those in the Trincomalee and Batticaloa districts. The result of this Social and economic transformation, Vedda has driven them towards diversity and their lives have become more complicated and complex. More than ten decades have passed since the Seligmanns (1911) did their field work, and the life of the Veddas has changed considerably. Since such significant changes have been taken place, it creates the dire need for an updated investigation in the field of Vedda studies. The particular research is based on first-hand data elicited from the current Vedda settlement areas, predominantly Dambana and it will contribute to a sound understanding of the contemporary linguistic context of the Vedda Language. Many areas of T