An annotated dictionary of Sinhala literary terms
Focus On Books by Prof. Sunanda Mahendra
One of the most important contributions to a literary field is the
compilation of the literary terms from varying points of view. Some
compilers make it useful to students at school level of education and
some others compile in order to suit the higher education levels and
some others for the common use of all groups of readers.
There are varying types of 'glossaries' as well as 'dictionaries' and
the type known as the 'Encyclopaedia' is the most notable common usage
given to the compilation which is different from the compilation of
other forms.
Then we come across Thesaurus and annotated glossaries and
dictionaries which carry various meanings into the subject intended and
if it happens to be a literary genre some compilers make it known from
the outset that the intention is to either help the reader to know about
the literary terms and concepts or names of authors and rest of which
are connected with the literary sources and the contents embedded in
each of the works.
As such there are various types of encyclopedias, Micropedias, and
dictionaries and all these, if taken together, mean to help the reader
from varying points of view allowing access to literature in a broad
manner.
All these facts become a preface to the compilation of the massive
Sinhala annotated dictionary now available denoted as a compendium of
Sinhala literary terms as compiled by the Pandit Dr K.B.A Edmund who
passed away a few months ago after serving a long period of time in
various units of literary execution exhibiting his erudition in the
languages as a scholar of Sinhala, Pali and Sanskrit.
He was well known as the Deputy Chief Editor of the Sinhala
Dictionary and the Chief Editor of Ayurvedic dictionary. Dr Edmund had
brought out the volume under the broad title Maha Sinhala Sahitya
Sabdhakoshaya (Part One) or The Great Dictionary of Sinhala Literature
Godage 2007 running to 1250 pages.
This to my mind is the largest and/or the longest volume of a
compilation ever to come from a local compiler and a publisher.
According to the compiler Edmund, the task as it is undertaken by him
is to fulfill a pressing contemporary function which had not been
fulfilled over the years attempting to collect all terms and concepts
inclusive of some names of authors of works both classical and folk and
to introduce the changes that had happened with the advent of various
forms of new literary terms as an inter cultural link influencing from
one form of literature to another as a result of many a literary
conceptual impact directly and indirectly.
This formation as observed in fact had gone into the introduction of
a new form of subject area in modern literary and communication studies
known as cross cultural studies and media studies.
Another aspect to this compilation as laid down by the compiler
scholar Edmund is that there are quite a number of borrowed terms and
coined concepts which are changing its communication meanings from time
to time and as such they have to be re-introduced with examples drawn
from various sources.
This work in this direction of the approach is a useful handbook of
glossarial terms as well as the literary concepts held by the scholars
over the years.
The compiler attempts fulfill this function in the most resourceful
manner possible. But I am not too sure whether this is possible as it is
a continuous flux as words, terms and concepts flood in day in day out
and not a single literary concept remains static for ever over the years
unchanged.
Take for example the term known as the 'theme' denoted in Sinhala as
'themava', which was never used in ancient classical works or in
critical canons and one is not too sure as to how it had come to be
known in Sinhala as 'themava'.
Perhaps it is a Sinhalization of the term 'theme'. Like some of the
Japanese literary terms one comes across in day to day life, the usages
that change in Sinhala literature and communication are observed.
For instance the genre 'home drama' over television in Japanese is
known as 'homodorama' - this is just a side glimpse. The scholar Edmund
goes further in this direction by compiling his words and terms
introducing the extra use of synonyms as well as antonyms.
Perhaps a reader may feel that this area of the subject is too long
drawn and unanticipated. But the reader may have the access to semantics
in a basic manner. As such the area of approach cannot be disregarded as
entirely another subject area in this sort of compilation. But may it be
so, as the reader may not see it go waste as the study of words maybe
known in its varying forms, and will not feel that it should be entirely
undertaken in another compilation.
One good example is the term or the word 'Neket', which may mean
'auspicious' in English. But the compiler has gone a further step ahead
as the word has acquired various other connotations such as 'Neket
Taruva' (Auspicious star or planet) 'Neket Karuva' (the person who makes
auspicious times) 'Neket Edura' (one who teaches auspicious times) Neket
Pata (the card on which the auspicious times are written) Neket
Wattoruva (the list of auspicious times or moments in a particular
ceremony such as new year dawn) etc.
Perhaps all these words and terms, with their exact meanings, are
listed in order to help the discerning reader and investigator which may
eventually add a new dimension to the seminal word and the term denoting
another aspect with the passage of time.
Another striking point in this compilation is the presentation in
brief manner some of the classical allusions as found in classical works
such as the Jataka collection and Saddharma Ratnavaliya.
For example, if one wants to know the embedded story line in a
particular Jataka tale, the name of the Jataka is laid down with the
summary of the contents in the briefest possible manner; one example is
the Nalini Jataka in the collection (see page 88).
As far as possible the compiler scholar Edmund gives some English
references to certain Sinhala usages, for instance the term denoted as 'Kala
Virodaya'(pertaining to the use of time or period inappropriately in a
text) he says is similar to the term 'Anachronism' in English criticism
(343pp).
In this compilation quite a number of colloquial usages are also
traced from folk sources such folk songs, folk poems, and folk tales
with their direct and indirect meanings.
One example is the term known as 'Javusan' which may mean 'Bad
Behaviour' in normal terminology, but in the more conventional form, it
is the term used in a particular dance ritual linked with religious
functions, where the people who present themselves collectively
participate (728pp).
Though several volumes of this nature had appeared in the past ('Sinhala
Sahitya Vishvakoshaya' compiled by late David Karunaratne, Gunasena
1958), they, for the most part were an unfulfilled task from the point
of view of the compilers. In this manner this voluminous work is a
useful addition with updates, to many a library and reference units in
education, culture and media activities.
([email protected])
|
