Preserving Language Heritage for Socio-Economic Survival: A Case Study of the Indigenous Vedda Community in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Indigenous Vedda language in Sri Lanka is recognized as critically endangered and many argued that it is on the verge of disappearance. After decades of debates, the Veddas are still alive luckily and their language is still been spoken at least partially. The paper examined the factors that drive existence/ disappearance of Vedda language. The study was conducted in Dambana Vedda village and Pollebadda Vedda village. Field surveys took place in July 2024, utilizing a specially designed questionnaire to gather information on the use of the Vedda language. The questionnaire included items rated on a Likert scale from 1 to 5, covering various aspects of the language. A total of 25 interviews were conducted in Dambana and Pollebadda Vedda villages. Participants were selected through purposive sampling to ensure access to the most reliable sources of information. The sample consisted of 80% male and 20% female respondents. Regarding age distribution, 10% were below 25 years, 60% were between 25 and 50 years, and 30% were over 50 years old. The study reveals that Veddas today speak Sinhalese better than their native language. Compared to Dambana, more Veddas in Pollebadda, where modernization is apparent, demonstrate weak fluency in their native language. The Vedda children, compared to their parents, have poor knowledge in Vedda language, though they have acquired fluency in all domains of Sinhalese. The poor Vedda language knowledge is highly prevalent among Pollebadda children. Majority of the Veddas accept that younger generation is not interested in learning the language, the absence of elders to teach it, their language is disappearing and their language should be preserved. Though it does not help them finding jobs, as Veddas believe, the Vedda language carries economic benefits and they remain vital for learning it. The Pollebadda Veddas are more interested in economic benefits of the language. The Veddas, again with more support from Pollebadda, reckon that their language helps them earning from tourism. The Veddas strongly agree that their language is essential for the protection of their priceless intangible cultural heritage. Thus, this paper recommends an ideological shift and resulting policies to look at the Veddas, and their language too, as an inherent asset than something to be modernized and assimilated.