Mind your quirky language:

Verbalization blues

Aditha Dissanayake

Who is to blame if certain English words have become an integral part of our day to day vocabulary? There is surely no crime in not asking someone hima kiranak kamuda” or suggesting “yathuru padiyen yamu da”. “None at all” says award winning poet and popular columnist, Buddadasa Galappaththi. He believes code switching is not a “mega issue” so far as the listener comprehends what is being said.

“Now hear this!” the postcard begins. “The use of an English word when conversing in Sinhala or Tamil is a pretentious and altogether lamentable affectation”. The writer continues in this baroque manner for several more sentences, and concludes, “You will of course accept my view in this matter in good part and will never again switch from one language to another , at least in public, and thus oblige.” The card is signed, “Your most humble petitioner, XX, Chairman, Ad Hoc Committee for Stamping Out Language Mixing”.

The postcard and the Committee are imaginary right now. But at the rate English words are invading the Sinhala and Tamil languages, a movement ought to begin soon, protesting against what linguists call “code switching”.

In case you don’t call it that, “code switching” is that “act” bilingual types perform when they are having a conversation, with their colleagues or cousins or a close friend, in Sinhala or Tamil, by inexplicably switching to English, then switching back to their mother tongue again. (i.e “When you have time, mata call karanna”, train eka late una, ada stock market down da? idi fix pannanga, game karan, nalla idea etc)

Unintentional

For the bilingual, code-switching is, undoubtedly, business as usual. For the monolingual, though, who overhear them as they jabber into their mobile phones at public places like the supermarket (“Holiday season eke mara choice ekak”) or at Galle Face esplanade (greenary eka sea ekath ekka blend wenawa) it can, undoubtedly be infuriating.

Yet, code switching continues, mostly unintentionally. Who is to blame if certain English words have become an integral part of our day to day vocabulary? There is surely no crime in not asking someone hima kiranak kamuda” or suggesting “yathuru padiyen yamu da”.

“None at all” says award winning poet and popular columnist, Buddadasa Galappaththi. He believes code switching is not a “mega issue” so far as the listener comprehends what is being said. Who would understand me if I said “Mama three roda rathayaka awa” instead of saying “mama three wheel ekaka awa”, or “dahathun wana kathangaya baluwada” instead of “dahathun wana episode eka baluwada” he asks and adds “In my candid opinion there is no harm at all in using English words in day to day conversations”. He laughs, “Mawa quote karanna, no problem. Uputa dakwanna kiwuwoth therenne na ne”.

Yet, like Professor Kusuma Karunaratne,Former Head of the Department of Sinhala, University of Colombo, Galappaththi too abhors hearing presenters of radio and tv channels using English words when there are perfect Sinhala equivalents. He believes Sinhala presenters on radio and tv can easily avoid phrases like “kumbura experience karamu” or “next segment ekata yamu”, while Professor Karunaratne, feels, by frequently switching from Sinhala to English we are aping the Indians who constantly sprinkle Hindu sentences with English words.

“If you speak in Sinhala, speak only in Sinhala” she advises and hopes the media would take note when they present programmes in Sinhala.

Her consternation is justified when one hears tv and radio show hosts and hostesses perhaps in their attempts to show off their knowledge of English do the opposite and reveal how little they know; they see nothing wrong in saying “thanks karanna awa”, or “comedy character ekak act karanawa”.

This is the main contention Wasanthi Nanayakkara, News Manager at Derana TV, too, has against the use of English words when speaking in Sinhala. Saying she herself never uses an English word in her programs if she could help it she says announcers who switch to English every now and then in their presentations should make sure before the programme, the English words they use are grammatically correct.

“There are certain words like station and post office that are a part of the Sinhala vocabulary now” says Nanayakkara. “But there are other English words which we can easily avoid. By sticking to the English word and ignoring its Sinhala equivalent we distort our mother tongue. This is unpardonable”. Things are no different in the Tamil language. Subashini Padmanadan, newspaper columnist and author of seven books written in the Tamil language says on most radio and tv channels presenters constantly switch from Tamil to English mainly to show off their knowledge of English. She is worried if this trend continues certain Tamil words will disappear from the vocabulary all together.

Horrendous

Perhaps no other media personality opposes code switching on radio and tv as veteran journalist Tilak Kuruwita Bandara. “Media personnel should stick completely to the language their programs are conducted in; (i.e if it is a Sinhala programme speak only in Sinhala, if its a Tamil program speak only in Tamil).

It is horrendous the way presenters who are neither proficient in Sinhala nor English have mixed the two, willy nilly, and created a nonsensical language for which they have to be thoroughly reprimanded?

Yet, in spite of such heavy disapproval the print and electronic media continue to dish out a fizzy mix of Sinhala, Tamil and English. “Ada customers la demand karanne X brand eke underwear” goes a radio advertisement followed by words and sentences like “hotma hot, loan ekak ganna enna, set wemuda”.

On a weekend, going through the Sinhala newspapers or listening to popular radio and tv channels you are bound to pick phrases like “comedy movie ekak produce wela, strangers la ekka fun ekak ganna, impress karanna, or try karala balanna.” If you are lucky you might even catch the “remix pora” who comes up with the classic warning, in case you are thinking of going out for a drive, “No joking, na parking”. Heed his advice, stay at home and watch some more tv.

Enter Talk Show Hostess (turning to a young man, long hair, pants torn at the knees, heavy necklaces, reminiscent of Mr. T’s jewelry): “End eke monawada kiyanna kamathi”?

Young man: “Mm...kiyanna kamathi....(Cut. The scene shifts without warning to several advertisements ranging from herbal concoctions for the common cold, to plastic pipes, to milk powder, to hair dye). When you have almost forgotten everything about the skinnier version of Mr. T, he appears with his last words. “Mata kiyanna thiyenne...mmm, well...actually, life eka jeevath wenna ona”.

Hostess: “Right. Hariyatama hari. Thank you.” (turns to the viewers). “Next week, same time meet wemu. Don’t forget. Sure ne”.

Feel quirky? Over to you Mr. Chairman, Ad Hoc Committee for Stamping Out Language Mixing? Hope you will not be imaginary for far too long.

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