Abstract:
This paper is an inquiry into the syntax of the Vedda language from a generative syntactic perspective
conducted in accordance with Noam Chomsky’s (1980-) Principles and Parameters (P&P) framework
and under the cartographic approach (Rizzi 1997), (Cinque 1999). Its overall objective is to examine
the Vedda language word order and configurationality, phrase structure, clause structure, anaphoric
relations, negation and NegPs, Heads and Head positions, movement, Topic, Focus, and other
relevant syntactic phenomena. Moreover, the author intends to develop a mechanism to document the
Vedda language along with a comprehensive grammar compiled from a generative syntactic
perspective, taking note of the historical sources, hybridization, dialectal varieties, and other related
factors. The field research was carried out in the Dambana administrative division under the Uva
Province of Sri Lanka where the Vedda settlements are officially located. The sample consisted of 05
Veddas who are native speakers of the Vedda language. The data were recorded during two field
visits. The data analysis was carried out with attention to the syntactic phenomena mentioned above.
The most important conclusions that could be arrived at during the study are; that despite the
availability of many scrambling opportunities, the Vedda language remains configurational; that it
does not allow certain word orders present in the Sinhala language; that it is strongly Head final as
the Sinhala language; that it does not have an articulated CP or TP periphery; that their Neg marker
serves a number of modal functions in addition to Neg marking; that both Focus and Wh are located
in the Focus Head; and that on the whole, the syntax of the Vedda language largely aligns with the
syntax of the Sinhala language.
