The Dhivehi Language
Dhivehi, also known as Maldivian, is the official language of the Maldives, an archipelago nation located in the Indian Ocean. It holds a unique position as the only language spoken in the Maldives and is an integral part of the nation’s cultural and historical identity.
Origins and History:
The Dhivehi language has a long and rich history that traces its roots to the Indo-Aryan languages. Linguists suggest that Dhivehi shares its ancestry with Sinhala, the language spoken in Sri Lanka. The influence of Sanskrit, Pali, and Arabic is evident in the language, reflecting the historical interactions and trade connections of the Maldives with neighbouring regions.
Historical records suggest that Dhivehi was written in a script known as Eveyla Akuru, a script derived from the ancient Brahmi script. However, over time, the script underwent transformations, and today, Dhivehi is written in a script called Thaana, which was introduced in the 16th century.
Development and Influences:
The development of the Dhivehi language has been shaped by its unique geographical and cultural context. Being isolated on a series of coral atolls, the Maldives maintained its distinct linguistic identity, although it absorbed influences from trade partners, such as Arabic and Persian.
During the medieval period, Islamic influences played a significant role in shaping the vocabulary of Dhivehi, as well as its literary and cultural expressions. The language adapted and evolved while maintaining its core structure.
Similarities and Differences with Related Languages:
Dhivehi shares linguistic and historical connections with Sinhala, and the two languages exhibit similarities in grammar and vocabulary. However, Dhivehi has also been influenced by Arabic due to the spread of Islam, setting it apart from Sinhala. The language has maintained its uniqueness over the centuries, despite its geographical proximity to other linguistic influences.
Dialects:
Dhivehi does not have significant regional dialectal variations. The language is spoken uniformly across the various atolls of the Maldives, maintaining a high degree of mutual intelligibility.
Number of Speakers and Geographic Distribution:
Dhivehi is spoken by approximately 500,000 people, predominantly in the Maldives. Due to the nature of the Maldives as an archipelagic nation, Dhivehi is the linguistic glue that binds the communities spread across the atolls.
Literary Works:
Dhivehi literature has a rich tradition, with influences from classical Islamic literature and local folklore. The earliest literary works in Dhivehi date back to the medieval period and are often associated with the spread of Islam in the region. Traditional storytelling, poetry, and oral narratives have been integral to the preservation of Dhivehi culture and language.
Grammar:
Syntax: Dhivehi follows a subject-object-verb (SOV) word order, which means that the subject comes first, followed by the object and then the verb. For example:
- Raajje gothun libey miadhu kihiney. (Translation: The boy ate the apple.)
Verbs and Verb Conjugations: Dhivehi verbs undergo conjugation based on tense, aspect, and mood. The verb stem remains constant, and affixes are added for conjugation. There are three verb conjugations: present, past, and imperative. For instance:
- Aisa kurun. (Translation: I eat.)
- Aisa kurin. (Translation: I ate.)
- Kuri! (Translation: Eat!)
Verb Tenses: Dhivehi recognizes three primary tenses: present, past, and future. Tense markers are added to the verb stem to indicate the timing of the action. Examples include:
- Aisa kurun. (Present – I eat.)
- Aisa kurin. (Past – I ate.)
- Aisa kuran. (Future – I will eat.)
Cases: Dhivehi employs a system of grammatical cases to indicate the syntactic and semantic roles of nouns within a sentence. Common cases include nominative, accusative, genitive, and dative. For example:
- Miadhu libun. (Nominative – The apple is red.)
- Miadhu libey. (Accusative – I see the apple.)
- Miadhu libaage. (Genitive – The color of the apple.)
- Miadhu libah. (Dative – Give the apple to me.)
Nouns and Articles: Dhivehi nouns do not have gender, but they can be singular or plural. Articles are not used in Dhivehi in the same way as in English. Instead, definiteness is often implied through context. For instance:
- Mas. (Fish – singular)
- Masun. (Fish – plural)
Adjectives: Adjectives in Dhivehi generally follow the noun they modify. Adjective forms do not change based on the gender or number of the noun. Example:
- Farudhee fai. (Big house.)
Negative and Interrogative Sentences: Negation in Dhivehi is typically expressed by adding the word “noon” before the verb. Interrogative sentences often begin with question words or particles. Examples include:
- Miadhu noon libun. (I don’t like apples.)
- Kihiney? (Did he/she eat?)
Example Sentences:
- Dhivehi boli aadhey. (We speak Dhivehi.)
- Miadhu noon libun. (I don’t like apples.)
- Raajje gothun libey miadhu kihiney. (The boy ate the apple.)
- Fahun huri. (The sky is blue.)
- Kuriah noon. (It’s not raining.)
In conclusion, the grammatical features of Dhivehi similar with that of other Indic languages including its nearest known relative Sinhala.
Here is a video related to the Maldivian language or Dhivehi.