103-584: Maldivians ( Dhivehi pronunciation: [diˈʋehiŋ] ; Dhivehi : ދިވެހިން , romanized : dhivehin ) are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group and nation native to the historic region of the Maldive Islands , present day Republic of Maldives and the island of Minicoy in Union Territory of Lakshadweep , India. Maldivians share one culture and speak the Dhivehi language , which
206-610: A vaavu ( ވ ). This means that Thaana is one of the few alphabets not derived graphically from the original Semitic alphabet – unless the Indic numerals were (see Brahmi numerals ). The Thaana alphabet ( hā, shaviyani, nūnu, rā, bā , ...) does not follow the ancient order of the other Indic scripts (like Tamil) or the order of the Arabic alphabet. Thaana, like Arabic, is written right to left . It indicates vowels with diacritic marks derived from Arabic. Each letter must carry either
309-531: A noonu at the end of a word, it indicates a velar nasal. The Maldivian language has had its own script since very ancient times, most likely over two millennia, when Maldivian Buddhist monks translated and copied the Buddhist scriptures. It used to be written in the earlier form (Evēla) of the Dhives Akuru ("Dhivehi/Maldivian letters") which are written from left to right. Dhives Akuru were used in all of
412-591: A glottal stop. Gemination of nasals, however, is indicated by noonu + sukun preceding the nasal to be geminated. Maldivian is also written in " Malé Latin " (most commonly used, such as when romanising place names). IAST transliteration is also sometimes used, and also the Devanāgarī script (almost never used in Maldives, but used in Minicoy ) Towards the mid-1970s, during President Ibrahim Nasir 's tenure,
515-481: A great sorcerer or fandita made coconut trees grow out of the skulls of the buried corpses of the first settlers. Therefore, the coconut tree is said to have an anthropomorphic origin. The word naashi (coconut shell) is the word for skull in the Dhivehi language. The coconut tree occupies a central place in the present-day Maldive national emblem . The tuna fish is said to have been brought to Maldivian waters by
618-605: A mythical seafarer ( maalimi ) called Bodu Niyami Kalēfanu who went close to the Dagas (the mythical tree at the end of the world) to bring this fish. One of the earliest people to settle were from the Malabar Coast of India and northwestern shores of Sri Lanka , and are of Tamil and Malayali ancestry, evidenced by the Tamil–Malayalam substratum in language and culture. The Giraavaru people are considered one of
721-433: A radiant light at night. According to Jain cosmology, in the three Aras (unequal periods) of the descending arc ( Avasarpini ), Kalpavrikshas provided all that was needed, but towards the end of the third ara , the yield from them diminished. Eight types of these trees are described in some texts, each of which provided different objects. Thus from the "Madyanga tree" delicious and nutritious drinks could be obtained; from
824-435: A silver midriff , lapis lazuli boughs, coral leaves, pearl flower, gemstone buds, and diamond fruit. It is also said that Ashokasundari was created from a Kalpavriksha tree to provide relief to Parvati from her loneliness. In some versions of Hindu mythology , Shiva and Parvati, after many painful discussions while parting with their daughter Aranyani , gave her away to the divine Kalpavriksha for safekeeping when
927-985: A slight variation in speech.Such as the huvadhu accent which from islands from thinadhoo to gadhoo have differences even though it's the same accent The sound system of Maldivian is similar to that of Dravidian languages. Like other modern Indo-Aryan languages the Maldivian phonemic inventory shows an opposition of long and short vowels, of dental and retroflex consonants, and of single and geminate consonants but no aspirates. Nouns in Maldivian inflect for definiteness , number and case. Definiteness may be one of definite, indefinite or unspecified. Number may be singular or plural. Case may be one of nominative , dative , ablative , genitive , locative , instrumental or emphatic . The nominal system of Maldivian comprises nouns, pronouns, adjectives and numerals as parts of speech. Maldivian uses two numeral systems. Both of them are identical up to 30. After 30, however, one system places
1030-510: A subgroup within the modern Indo-Aryan languages, called Insular Indo-Aryan . However, they are not mutually intelligible. Maldivian and Sinhalese are descended from the Elu Prakrit of ancient and medieval Sri Lanka. These Prakrits were originally derived from Old Indo-Aryan vernaculars related to Vedic Sanskrit . Whereas formerly Maldivian was thought to be a descendant of Sinhalese, in 1969 Sinhalese philologist M. W. S. de Silva for
1133-553: A vowel or a sukun , which indicates "no vowel". The only exception to this rule is noonu which, when written without a diacritic, indicates prenasalisation of a following stop . The vowels are written with diacritical signs called fili . There are five fili for short vowels (a, i, u, e, o), with the first three being identical to the Arabic vowel signs ( fatha, kasra and damma ). Long vowels (aa, ee, oo, ey, oa) are denoted by doubled fili , except oa, which
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#17327722614191236-552: Is a consistent script system that is well adapted to writing almost all languages of South Asia. However, this scheme lacks a few sounds used in Maldivian. ISO 15919 has been used by Xavier Romero-Frias to romanize Maldivian in his book The Maldive Islanders - A Study of the Popular Culture of an Ancient Ocean Kingdom . The government reinstated the Thaana script shortly after President Maumoon took power in 1978. There
1339-400: Is a mark to indicate an abrupt stop (vowel deletion) on the sound of the letter on which it is placed. However, if it is on a shaviyani or alif and comes within the word, the following consonant is geminated; if it comes on a shaviyani or alif at the end of a word, it signifies the glottal stop; if it comes on a thaa , the sound is replaced by a y off-glide; if it comes on
1442-400: Is a member of the southern group of Indo-Aryan languages . For ethnographic and linguistic purposes as well as geopolitical reasons, anthropologists divide the Maldivian people into three subgroups. The main group numbers more than 250,000. This group inhabits the numerous atolls stretching from Ihavandhippolhu (Haa Alif) to Haddhunmathi (Laamu) in the Maldives. They constitute over 70% of
1545-413: Is a modification of the short obofili . The letter alifu represents the glottal stop . It has three different purposes: It can act as a carrier for a vowel, that is, a word-initial vowel or the second part of a diphthong ; when it carries a sukun , it indicates gemination of the following consonant; and if alifu + sukun occurs at the end of a word, it indicates that the word ends in
1648-664: Is also a popular theme in Jain cosmology and Buddhism . The Kalpavriksha originated during the Samudra Manthana or the "churning of the ocean " along with Kamadhenu , the divine cow, providing for all needs. The king of the gods, Indra , returned with this tree to his paradise. Kalpavriksha is also identified with many trees such as parijata ( Nyctanthes arbor-tristis ), Ficus benghalensis , Acacia , Madhuca longifolia , Prosopis cineraria , Diploknema butyracea , and mulberry tree ( Morus nigra tree). The tree
1751-473: Is also called the Kalpavriksha or Kanlapaphruek in local dialect. It is believed to be the tree of success. In iconography , Kalpavriksha, the wish-fulfilling tree, is painted within a picture of a landscape, decorated with flowers, silks, and suspended with jewellery. It is a pattern which has a prominent symbolic meaning. Ornamental Kalpavriksha design was a feature that was adopted on the reverse of
1854-651: Is also extolled in iconography and literature. Kalpavriksha is common to the Hindu Bhagavatas , the Jains, and the Buddhists . Kalpavriksha, the tree of life, also meaning "World Tree", finds mention in the Vedic scriptures . In the earliest account of the Samudra Manthana , or the "churning of the ocean of milk". Kalpavriksha emerged from the primal waters during the ocean churning process along with Kamadhenu,
1957-442: Is also known as Kalapvriksha where the deities and Brahma are stated to reside, and it is where sage Narada taught the rishis on the procedure for worshipping the tree and its usefulness. Shami tree ( Prosopis cineraria ), found in desert areas of the country, called in local dialect as Ajmer or jaant is called Kalpavriksha. In Rajasthan desert area its roots go deep to a depth of 17–25 metres (56–82 ft). This checks
2060-565: Is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in the South Asian island country of Maldives and on Minicoy Island , Lakshadweep , a union territory of India . The Maldivian language has four notable dialects. The standard dialect is that of the capital city of Malé . The greatest dialectal variation exists in the southern atolls of Huvadhu , Addu and Fuvahmulah . Each of these atolls has its own distinct dialect often thought to be interconnected with each other while being widely different from
2163-549: Is an inscription on a coral stone, which is estimated to be from around the 6th-8th centuries. Maldivian is an Indo-Aryan language of the Sinhalese-Maldivian subfamily. It developed in relative isolation from other languages until the 12th century. Since the 16th century, Maldivian has been written in a unique script called Thaana which is written from right to left , like Arabic (with which it shares several common diacritics for vowel sounds). The foundation of
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#17327722614192266-416: Is called "Kalpavriksha", as every part of it is useful in one way or the other. The coconut water inside the nut is a delicious drink. In dried form it is called copra and is used to manufacture oil. The coconut husk, called coir, is used to make rope. Leaves are used to make huts, fans, mats. Palm sugar is made from budding flower. The dried midrib is used to make boats. Ashwatha tree (sacred fig tree)
2369-405: Is central to the Maldivian identity. Unlike South India's other languages, it is an Indo-European language , while other South Indian languages are Dravidian. However the language shows some influences of Dravidian languages, and many loanwords. Dhivehi language Dhivehi or Divehi ( / d ɪ ˈ v eɪ h i / di- VAY -hee ; Dhivehi: ދިވެހި , IPA: [d̪iʋehi] ),
2472-471: Is characterised by a derivational relationship between active, causative and involitive/intransitive verb forms. The word order in Maldivian is not as rigid as in English, though changes in the order of words in a sentence may convey subtle differences in meaning. To ask for some fish in a market, one uses the following words: mashah (to me) mas (fish) vikkaa (sell), which may be put in any of
2575-522: Is depicted in a Buddhist sculpture at Besnagar . This sculpture in Besnagar, also known as Vidisa (Bhilsa), is dated to third century BC and is exhibited in the Calcutta Museum . In Myanmar , where Theravada Buddhism is practiced, the significance of the Kalpavriksha is in the form of an annual ritual known as Kathina (presenting a robe) in which the laity present gifts to the monks in
2678-411: Is favoured as the second script. Maldivian is now written using a different script, called Taana or Thaana, written from right to left. This script is relatively recent. The literacy rate of the Maldives is very high (98%) compared to other South Asian countries. Since the 1960s English has become the medium of education in most schools although they still have Maldivian language classes, but Maldivian
2781-520: Is mutually intelligible with main group Maldivian. No historical evidence explains the origin of Maldivians; no evidence describes any negrito or other aboriginal population, such as the Andamanese . No archaeology has investigated the islands' prehistory. However, a Tamil–Malayalam substratum remains, in addition to later cultural influences in the islands. Bengali , Odia , and Sinhalese people have had trading connections with Dhivehi people in
2884-437: Is said that there are five Kalpavrikshas, which are called Mandana, Parijata , Santana, Kalpavriksha, and Harichandana, all of which fulfill various wishes. Kalpavriksha, in particular, is said to be planted at Mt. Meru peak in the middle of Indra's five paradise gardens. It is on account of these wish-granting trees that the asuras waged a perpetual war with the devas as the heavenly gods who exclusively benefited freely from
2987-400: Is still the language used for the overall administration. Maldivian uses mainly the Thaana script for writing. It is an alphabet , with obligatory vowels derived from the vowel diacritics of the Arabic abjad . It is a largely phonemic script: With a few minor exceptions, spelling can be predicted from pronunciation, and pronunciation from spelling. The origins of Thaana are unique among
3090-488: The jinni and caused all the people to convert to Islam). Maloney reported this from Hulhumeedhoo , Addu Atoll . Maloney reported that Gujarat, with its indented coastline and its proximity to the navigation routes of the Mesopotamian and Indus civilisations, maintained a tradition of navigation for over 4000 years. The earliest Buddhist literature records seafaring from its ports. North Indian civilisation reached
3193-425: The union territory of Lakshadweep , India. The Maldivian language has multiple dialects due to the wide distribution of the islands, causing differences in pronunciation and vocabulary to develop during the centuries. The most divergent dialects of the language are to be found in the southern atolls, namely Huvadhu , Fuvahmulah and Addu . The other variants show less difference to the official dialect, including
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3296-565: The "Bhojananga", delicious food; from "yotiranga", light more radiant than the sun and the moon; while from "Dopanga" came indoor light. Other trees provided homes, musical devices, table ware, fine garments, wreaths and scents. The Tiloya Panatti give the following list: Pananga , Turiyanga , Bhusananga , Vatthanga , Bhoyanga , Alayanga , Diviyanga , Bhayananga , Malanga , Tejanga with excellent drinks, music, ornaments, garments, edibles and ready-made dishes, mansions to live in, lamps, utensils and garlands of flowers respectively while
3399-451: The "divine flowers and fruits" from the Kalpavriksha, whereas the asuras lived comparatively in penury at the lower part of its "trunk and roots". The Parijata is often identified with its terrestrial counterpart, the Indian coral tree ( Eyrthrina indica ), but is most often depicted like a magnolia or frangipani ( Sanskrit : champaka ) tree. It is described as having roots made of gold,
3502-460: The 10th century CE. However, there is nothing in the history of these islands or Sinhalese chronicles, even in legendary form, that alludes to a migration of Sinhalese people which would result in such a connection. Maldives is completely absent from the pre-12th century records of Sri Lanka. A rare Maliku Thaana primer written in the Maliku dialect, published by Lakshadweep 's administration during
3605-560: The 17th century when the islands of Lakshadweep came under the rule of Ali Rajahs /Arakkal Bheevi of Kannur . Since 1957, direct transport between Minicoy and the Maldives was forbidden by the Indian government. Thus they are adopting elements of Indian culture owing to a lack of contact with the Maldivian people. Approximately 20,000 people of Maldivian ethnicity lived in Sri Lanka, as of 2013. In 1899, John Stanley Gardiner visited
3708-475: The 3rd century BC. When the Buddhist missionaries arrived in the Maldives, the place was called Dheeva Mahl. Around the 2nd century AD, Arab traders stopped by the Maldives en route to the Far East – their first record of the Maldives islands, which they called Mahal Dibiyat, is from these traders. The Maldives provided enormous quantities of cowrie shells, an international currency at the time. The cowrie became
3811-745: The Adeetha Vansha Dynasty (Solar Dynasty) there, shortly before the reign of Emperor Ashoka in India. This places the establishment of the first kingdom in the Maldives circa the 4th century BC. Tradition states that Emperor Ashoka established his kingdom in Pataliputra and that his people preached the religion and teachings of Buddha to Bairat , west of Pataliputra. People came from Bairat to teach Buddhism. These people are said to have arrived during Ashoka's reign, probably when he sent Buddhist missionaries to all neighbouring countries, in
3914-572: The Dravidian root kō , king). The malā component may be derived from māla as in Māla-dīv, but, if so, the name would mean 'prince of the Maldives'. The term kalō is a common word for man, used as a term of endearment. The title of former Maldivian kings was kattiri bovana mahaa radun , 'Kattiri' (ކައްތިރި) meaning Kshatriya in Maldivian. One oral tradition says that the Giraavaru people are
4017-516: The Hindu month of Shraavana . In Ranchi , Jharkhand , there are three Kalpavrikshas. They are at a locality called Hinoo. In Tamil Nadu's culture, tala ( Borassus flabellifer ) a variety of Palmyra palm ( Borassus ), also known as toddy, is referred to as Kalpataru as all its parts have a use. This tree is also native to Asia and South East Asia , has normally a life span of 100 years, grows up to 20 metres (66 ft) height; its leaves in
4120-497: The Indian butter tree ( Diploknema butyracea ), is called a Kalpavriskha, or tree of paradise by the people of the mountainous region as it yields honey , jaggery and ghee . It is in the shape of an umbrella. In Joshimath in Uttarakhand a mulberry tree , which is said to be 2400 years old, is renowned and revered as the Kalpavriksha as it was the location where, in the 8th century, Adi Sankaracharya did penance under
4223-541: The Maldives and Sri Lanka from Gujarat. North Indian civilisation also reached Java and other parts of Southeast Asia. The export of this civilisation across South and Southeast Asia began about 500 B.C. During the Mauryan period and the diffusion of Buddhism, sea traffic in the Bay of Bengal supplemented and, to some extent, surpassed that originating along the coasts of Western India. Three Jataka tales seem to refer to
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4326-768: The Maldives and collected anthropometrical data on Maldivians from many islands. Analysis of this data by Wynfrid Duckworth , suggested three major waves of immigration into the country. These are: In 1997, a Maldivian NGO, the Society for Health Education, conducted a study on thalassaemia mutations in the Maldives. This study reported a mutation that probably originated in the Middle East , another that could have been derived from Portuguese or Algerians, and another that probably originated from South Asia and Malays. The observations are consistent with historical records, showing that travellers from India, Indonesia, North Africa,
4429-597: The Maldives and that merchants in search of treasures sailed in several seas called – maala (or maara ). The Maldives may have been settled in parallel with the arrival of Indo-Aryan speakers in Sri Lanka. Mariners from the peninsula's northwestern coasts must have on occasion been blown over to the Maldives—unmanned canoes and rafts from Kerala appeared there – and the dangers of shipwreck were vividly described in Jātakas. These might have arisen from contact with some of
4532-417: The Maldives, particularly that exiles from Bharukaccha went to a thousand islands ( Laccadive and Maldives) where they found room, and that these were near an island named for coconuts ( Kerala ). This suggests seafarers from Bharukaccha and Suppara visited the Maldives, and that Gujaratis settled there in pre-Buddhist times. Other Jataka tales suggest that ships from Gujarat sailing to Southeast Asia stopped in
4635-408: The Maldives. In legend, the prince who arrived in the Maldives was the son of Brahmaditiya , king of Kalinga (Brahmadatta was King at the time of Buddha's death c. 500 – 350 BC), a kingdom in the south-east of India (modern Orissa ). King Brahmaditiya was displeased with his son and sent him to Dheeva Maari (Maldives). The prince was Sri Soorudasaruna . Sri Soorudasaruna established a kingdom of
4738-531: The Maldives. Dhivehi is written in Thaana script. Dhivehi is a descendant of Elu Prakrit and is closely related to Sinhalese , but not mutually intelligible with it. Many languages have influenced the development of Dhivehi through the ages. They include Arabic , Hindi , Persian , Tamil , French , Portuguese , and English . The English words atoll (a ring of coral islands or reefs) and dhoni (a vessel for inter-atoll navigation) are anglicised forms of
4841-540: The Maldives. Maldivian communities across the world (including the people of Minicoy) originate from the Maldives. The Maldivian community consists of the main group, the Suvadivians, and the Mahls. As a result of political activities during the early 1960s, the term Suvadivian was adopted by some authors to refer to the southern group. From 1959 to 1963 a short-lived breakaway government named United Suvadive Republic
4944-583: The Maldivian government introduced telex machines in the local administration. This was viewed as great progress, but the local Thaana script was deemed to be an obstacle because messages on the telex machines could only be written in the Latin script . Following this, in 1976 the government approved a new official Latin transliteration, Dhivehi Latin , which was quickly implemented by the administration. Booklets were printed and dispatched to all Atoll and Island Offices, as well as schools and merchant liners. This
5047-522: The Maldivian words atoḷu and dōni . Before European colonization of the Southern Hemisphere, it was the southernmost Indo-European language. The origin of the word "Divehi" is from older divu-vesi , meaning "island dwelling". Divu (from Sanskrit द्वीप dvīpa , 'island') later became ދޫ dū , which is currently present in many names of Maldivian islands, such as Hanimādū , Mīdū , and Dāndū . Vesi came from
5150-727: The Red Sea and the Persian Gulf areas settled in the Maldives. Thalassaemia is the commonest genetically transmitted blood disease in the Maldives, and the study results suggest that many Maldivians had ancestors in the above-mentioned countries. Anthropological, ethnographic, and linguistic studies suggest that Maldivians share genes principally with the Sinhalese of Sri Lanka as well as western Indian populations, such as Marathis , Konkanis and Gujaratis with traces of Arab , Malay , southern Indian and North African genes. In 2013,
5253-455: The Sanskrit suffix -वासिन् -vāsin and later became ވެހި vehi . ބަސް bas (from Sanskrit भाषा bhāṣā ) means "language", so ދިވެހިބަސް dhivehi bas means "islanders' language". Wilhelm Geiger , a German linguist who undertook the first research on Maldivian linguistics in the early 20th century, also called the language Divehi . An h was added to
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#17327722614195356-581: The Sanskrit work Mānāsara as a royal insignia. In Hemādri 's work Caturvargacīntama , the Kalpavriksha is said to be a tree of gold and gem stones. In poetry Kalpavriksha is compared to Lakshmi as its sister emerging from the sea. It is born to the Naga King Kumuda, the fifth descendant of Takshaka , along with his sister Kumudavati. It emerged from below the bed of the Sarayu river challenging Kusa considered an incarnation of Vishnu just in
5459-434: The addition of ve , which is never used to end a sentence in spoken Maldivian. In using ve a strict word order also has to be maintained, but in spoken Maldivian word order is not considered to be very rigid. One of the very important things one has to take into account in written Maldivian which is not so important in spoken Maldivian is the ‘ sukun ’ on the letters alif and shaviyani . Sukun in general
5562-491: The archipelago. The genetic study confirmed that the most likely origin of the Maldivian population was in South Asia with additions from the Middle East . The Dhivehi language of the Maldives is the southernmost Indo-Aryan language and the sharing of specific haplogroups with Indo-Aryan populations mostly from India and from Sri Lanka , could point to a common origin of these populations. The Maldivian language
5665-517: The chief minister and reigned as a nominal Sultana. She gave birth to a son called Kalaminja, who, in turn, married a lady of the country. This legend was recorded by Bell in 1922. The Indian king was angry with his son, and sent him with and his wife in two boats with 700 soldiers. They came to Rasgetheemu in Raa Atoll. When he became king there, people called that island Rasgetheemu "King's Landing". The king and queen then came to Malé, and Koimala
5768-512: The coins and sculptures in the Gupta period . Kalpavriksha is also dated to the Dharmachakra period of Buddhism. The paintings of this period depicting the tree with various branches and leaves have a female figure painted on its top part. The female figure is painted from mast upwards holding a bowl in her hand. Similar depiction of female figure with tree representing it as presiding deity
5871-406: The creature to the palace, looked after him, and taught him language. The creature helped the king by showing him treasures in the forest, and the king came to respect him. The king had a daughter who fell in love with this creature (in an alternate version, the king forced his daughter to marry him). The king became angry and sent them into exile. Their ship came to Laam ( Hadummati ) Atoll (towards
5974-404: The day-to-day life of the tribal people. It is like the Kalpavriksha wish tree called madhu ( Madhuca indica ). The banyan tree ( Ficus benghalensis ), also called Nyagrodha tree, which grows throughout the country is referred to as Kalpavriksha or Kalpataru because of its ability to amply provide for human needs. The coconut tree ( Cocos nucifera ) found in most regions of the country
6077-695: The demon Andhakasura waged war. Parvati requested Kalpavriksha to bring up her daughter with "safety, wisdom, health and happiness," and to make her Vana Devi, the protector of forests. In Jain Cosmology Kalpavrikshas are wish-granting trees which fulfill the desires of people in the initial stages of a world cycle. In initial times children are born in pairs (boy and girl) and don't do any karma . There are 10 Kalpavrikshas which grant 10 distinct wishes such as an abode to reside, garments, utensils, nourishment including fruits and sweets, pleasant music, ornaments, fragrant flowers, shining lamps and
6180-752: The department of Human Genetics of Liden University studied the genetic origins of Maldivians. The studied examined autosomal DNA -, mitochondrial DNA -, and Y-chromosomal DNA markers in a representative sample of 141 unrelated Maldivians, with 119 from six major settlements. The researchers found a total of 63 different mtDNA haplotypes that could be allocated to 29 mtDNAs , mostly within the M , R and U clades. They also reported 66 different Y-STR haplotypes in 10 Y chromosome haplogroups, predominantly R1a1 , R2 , H , L and J2 . The study concluded that this data agreed with commonly reported Maldivian ancestry, and suggested multiple, independent immigration events and asymmetrical migration of females and males across
6283-573: The development of the language. Especially in the field of morphology, the amount of archaic features steadily increase from the north to the south. Within the three southernmost atolls (of the Maldives), the dialect of the Addu islands which form the southern tip of the whole archipelago is characterized by the highest degree of archaicity". However, the Huvadhu Atoll dialect is characterized by
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#17327722614196386-408: The dialect spoken in the northern atolls. The southern dialects are so distinct that those only speaking northern dialects cannot understand them. The ethnic endonym for the language, Divehi , is occasionally found in English as Dhivehi (spelled according to the locally used Malé Latin for the romanisation of the Maldivian language), which is the official spelling as well as the common usage in
6489-480: The dialects spoken in a few islands in Kolhumadulu Atoll and the now obsolete dialect once spoken in Giraavaru , which are hardly recognised and known. The letter Ṇaviyani (ޱ), which represented the retroflex n sound common to many Indic languages ( Gujarati , Hindi , etc.), was abolished from official documents in by Muhammad Amin in 1950. Ṇaviyani's former position in the Thaana alphabet, between
6592-732: The distinction between what is spoken and what is written. Every language that has a written form has this distinction to a greater or lesser degree, but many Asian languages, including Maldivian exhibit major differences between the two varieties of language. Malé dialect and Maliku dialect are the only dialects commonly used in writing. Spoken Maldivian, for instance, has twenty-seven consonants. In contrast, written or literary Maldivian includes some Arabic sounds as well. Though these sounds are also used in speaking, their phonetics are not strictly observed. This results in pronunciation as close as possible to spoken Maldivian. Regarding syntax, it may be said that every sentence in written Maldivian ends with
6695-561: The divine cow that bestows all needs. The tree is also said to be the Milky Way or the birthplace of the stars Sirius . The king of the devas , Indra, returned with this Kalpavriksha to his abode in paradise and planted it there. The tree also finds mention in the Sanskrit text Mānāsara, part of Shilpa Shastras . Another story says that Kalpavriksha was located on earth and was transported to Indra's abode after people started misusing it by wishing evil things. In Indra's "Devaloka" it
6798-444: The earliest settlers. They were technologically advanced, building sail boats ( dhonis ) . These people used words such as varam for their islands. Examples given in the old manuscript are: Noḷivaram , Kuruhinnavaram , and Girāvaram . Many of the old terms used by Maldivian fishermen come from Dravidian languages , leading to the assumption that these terms were brought from southern coastal India. Historical records show that in
6901-480: The erosion of the sandy soil of the desert. For this reason the tree stays green even during drought conditions. People of Rajasthan hence regard this tree as Kalpavriksha, because at the time of drought when no grass or fodder is found anywhere the animals are able to sustain by eating its green leaves. Chyur tree in the high altitudes of the Himalayas growing at an altitude between 500 and 1000 m, known as
7004-406: The first time proposed that Maldivian and Sinhalese had branched off from a common mother language. The following are some phonological features shared by Sinhala, or unique to Maldivian: The earliest official writings were on the lōmāfānu (copper-plate grants ) of the 12th and 13th centuries. Earlier inscriptions on coral stone have also been found. The oldest inscription found to date
7107-477: The following orders without a change in meaning: mashah to.me Kalpavriksha Kalpavriksha ( Sanskrit : कल्पवृक्ष , lit. 'age tree', Kalpavṛkṣa) is a wish-fulfilling divine tree in religions like Hinduism , Jainism , and Buddhism . In Buddhism, another term, ratnavṛkṣa (jeweled tree) , is also common . Its earliest descriptions are mentioned in Sanskrit literature. It
7210-521: The form of money trees. At the kingdom of Ketumati 's front gates, it is thought four Kalpavrikshas will spring up from the Earth and provide enough valuables to satisfy all of Jambudvīpa for years. In different states of India some trees are specifically referred to as the Kalpavriksha. These are stated below. Mahura tree ( Madhuca longifolia ) in Maharashtra, India holds an important place in
7313-441: The highest degree of archaicity. From Huvadhu Atoll the archaic features decrease toward the south and north. Fritz also adds that "the different classes of verb conjugation and nominal inflection are best preserved there, morphological simplifications and, as a consequence increasing from atoll to atoll towards north (in the Maldives)". Maldivian presents another aspect with which English speakers are not too familiar: diglossia ,
7416-487: The historical linguistic analysis of both Maldivian and Sinhalese was laid by Wilhelm Geiger (1856–1943). In Geiger's comparative study of Maldivian and Sinhalese, he assumes that Maldivian is a dialectal offspring of Sinhalese and therefore is a "daughter language" of Sinhalese. However, the material he collected was not sufficient to judge the "degree of relationship" of Maldivian and Sinhalese. Geiger concludes that Maldivian must have split from Sinhalese not earlier than
7519-477: The indigenous people of the Maldives and were present before Koimala arrived. They are of Tamil origin; their presence predates Buddhism and the arrival of Indo-Aryans. This may be the reason that the Dhivehi kinship system is part of the Dravidian origin, and bears evidence of some matriliny , like the Nayar and other matrilineal groups of Kerala . Some kinship terms are derived from Malayalam . Five versions of
7622-461: The islands between the conversion to Islam and until the 18th century. These ancient Maldivian letters were also used in official correspondence with Addu Atoll until the early 20th century. Perhaps they were used in some isolated islands and rural communities until the 1960s, but the last remaining native user died in the 1990s. Today Maldivians rarely learn the Dhives Akuru alphabet, for Arabic
7725-479: The last type, namely Tejanga , seems to be self-luminous, serving the purpose of heavenly luminaries. In Buddhism a small wish granting tree is depicted decorating the upper part of the "long-life vase" held by "longevity deities" like Amitayus and Ushnishavijaya . The goddess Shramana devi holds jeweled branch of Kalpavriksha in her left hand. Worship of the Nyagrodha tree as a form of non-human worship
7828-509: The letters Gaafu and Seenu, is today occupied by the palatal nasal Ñaviyani (ޏ). It is still seen in reprints of traditional old books like the Boḍu Tarutību and official documents like the Rādavaḷi . It is also used by people of southern atolls when writing songs or poetry in their language variant. According to Sonja Fritz, "the dialects of Maldivian represent different diachronial stages in
7931-555: The myth survive: At a time when the Maldives were still sparsely inhabited, Prince Koimala, who had married the daughter of the king of Ceylon, made a voyage with her in two vessels from Srendib (Sri Lanka). Reaching the Maldives they were becalmed and rested at Rasgetheemu island in North Maalhosmadulu Atoll. The islanders, learning that the two chief visitors were Ceylon royals, invited them to remain; they ultimately proclaimed Koimala their king at Rasgetheemu,
8034-486: The name of the language— "Dhivehi"— in 1976, when the semi-official transliteration called Malé Latin was developed. Today the spelling with Dh has common and semi-official usage in the Maldives. Maldivian is an Indo-Aryan language closely related to the Sinhalese language of Sri Lanka . Maldivian represents the southernmost Indo-Aryan language, as well as the southernmost Indo-European language prior to European colonization. Maldivian and Sinhalese together constitute
8137-497: The northern end of the Maldivian atoll chain and is the northernmost group. They make up 3% of the total. Ethnically and linguistically they are identical to the main group. They are distinguished instead by their politics and their latter day affiliation with India. The Minicoians are steadily undergoing a process of acculturation. This group has its own dialect (called Maliku dialect or Mahl ) which retains some features of an older Maldivian, and shows Malayalam influences. The dialect
8240-542: The original Maldivian language and Malayalam influences. The dialect is mutually intelligible with the main group and is more related to variants of northern Maldives. Most Mahls live in Minicoy. Mahls are 15.67% of the population of Lakshadweep. Mahl communities have emerged in Kozhikode , Malappuram , Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) in the southern state of Kerala . Their ancestors settled there in
8343-564: The original 'King's Island'. Koimala and his spouse migrated to Malé and settled there with the consent of the inhabitants, then the most important community of Malé Atoll. The two ships were dispatched to Lanka, and brought over other people of 'the Lion Race' ( Sinhalese ). Koimala and his queen spawned a male child called Kalaminja. He reigned as a Buddhist for twelve years and then converted to Islam, ruling for thirteen years more before migrating to Mecca . This ruler's daughter married
8446-568: The original Maldivians. Historical records suggest that this group faced less interference from the outside world. Unlike the other group, this group was not affected by Portuguese rule as it did not cross Suvadiva channel. Fewer traders and travelers visited this area. Each atoll of the Suvadiva region speaks its own distinctive forms of the Maldivian language ( Huvadhu dialect , Mulaku dialect and Addu dialect ), which are much different from
8549-540: The past. Scholars conjecture that the ancestors of Maldivian people arrived in the Maldives from North West and West India , from Kalibangan between 2500 and 1700 BC and that they formed a distinct ethnic group around the 6th century BC. Maldivian folklore describes the dependence of the Maldivians on the coconut tree and the tuna fish. One legend says that the first inhabitants died in great numbers, but
8652-676: The rest may be closer to the original. This group of Maldivians was subject to substantial foreign interactions. Numerous incidents of interference from outsiders came from traders, travelers, and others. Portuguese rule and other factors affected the language and the ethnic mix. The Minicoy secession create a Maldivian population holding Indian citizenship. This group consists of the people of Minicoy and migrants. The only communities of ethnic Maldivians with Indian citizenship are from Minicoy, officially referred as Mahls . The people locally identify as Malikun . This group has its own dialect (called Maliku dialect or Mahl ) which retains features of
8755-638: The shape of a fan are rough texture. The leaves were used for writing in the ancient times. In the Harivansh Puraan , the Parijata, baobab tree, is called a Kalpavriksha, or wish bearing tree, which apart from the village of Kintoor , near Barabanki , Uttar Pradesh , is believed to be only found in heaven. The tree has mythological link with prince Arjuna of the Pandava clan who is said to have brought it from heaven. His mother Kunti after whom
8858-427: The south), where the pair saw a crow that cried. They thought the crow was a poor omen, and it was, therefore, undesirable to land there, so they continued to Malé. They settled in what is now Sultan Park (the site of the former palace) and started a kingdom. After fifteen years, a jinn began to come from the ocean once a month and disturbed the people... (from here follows the story of the saint who came and dispelled
8961-641: The southern and central atolls, occupations such as farming and weaving became important early on. After the Indo-Aryans ' arrival and the introduction of the Hindu religion , a prince of India is said to have visited the Maldives. The period can be estimated from oral tradition, and the story corresponds to that from Sri Lanka's Mahavamsa chronicle, about the king's son exiled from his country who arrived in Lanka, while one of his ships lost its way and arrived in
9064-645: The symbol of the Maldives Monetary Authority. Abu al-Barakat Yusuf al-Barbari, a North African Arab, is credited with converting the Maldivians to Islam in 1153. The ruling dynasty was established by prince Koimala. In the Lōmāfānu and Rādavaḷi chronicles pre-Muslim royalty are represented by a king, whose successor was converted to Islam. The name Koimala Kalo is suggestive: koi or koyi in Maldivian language means son, lad or prince (derived from Malayalam koya , son, prince, master, cf.
9167-600: The thousands of the local reefs, which sailors long dreaded. Shipwrecked Gujaratis, as well as exiles, may have been early settlers there. The Maldive Islands comprise the Republic of Maldives and the island of Minicoy in Union territory of Lakshadweep , India. The secession of Minicoy from Maldivian rule and its affiliation with India gradually led to the emergence of a Maldivian population of Indian citizens who came to be known as Mahls . More than 97% of Maldivians live in
9270-544: The time of Rajiv Gandhi 's rule, was reprinted by Spanish researcher Xavier Romero Frías in 2003. There is a holiday, the Dhivehi Language Day , which is celebrated in the Maldives on 14 April, the birthday of the writer Husain Salahuddin . Maldivian is spoken in the Maldives and a variation of it in Minicoy . Maldivian is the official language of the Maldives and a semi-official language in
9373-564: The total. On a larger scale, the third group also comes under this group. From this group comes the standard dialect of the Maldivian language which is spoken in the Maldive's capital, Malé , along with the central atolls. Variants are spoken in the rest of the islands, from the far north to Laamu Atoll. The southern group is found in the three southernmost atolls of the equatorial zone ( Huvadhu , Fuvahmulah and Addu atolls ). This group numbers approximately 60,000 and constitutes about 20% of
9476-501: The total. The earliest known settlements were in this region. This group of Maldivians has the closest proximity to the original Maldivian people in terms of language and ethnicity. Each of the 3 atolls has its own distinctive form of the Maldivian language ( Huvadhu dialect , Mulaku dialect , Addu dialect ), which are significantly different from other dialects and have greater affinity to the original. The people of Minicoy (Malikun) – Mahls , number about 10,000. Minicoy island lies at
9579-466: The tree as he considered it an incarnation of Lord Shiva . It is also believed that sage Durvasa meditated under this tree, in Urgam. The mountain slopes of Kailasa are stated to have a profusion of Kalpavrikshas. At Mangaliyawas near Ajmer , Rajasthan, there are two revered trees (Male and Female) which are more than 800 years old, known as Kalpavrikshas. They are worshipped on an Amavasya day in
9682-480: The unit numeral stem before the decade, for example, eh-thirees '31' ( lit. "one and thirty") while the other combines the stem of the decade with the unit numeral, for example, thirees-ekeh '31' ("thirty + one"). The latter system also has numerals multiplied by ten for decades 70, 80 and 90. The decade fas dholhas '60' ("five twelves"), comes from a much older duodecimal , or dozen-based, system which has nearly disappeared. The Maldivian verbal system
9785-544: The village Kintoor is named used to offer flowers from this tree to worship Lord Shiva. It is also said that Lord Krishna brought this tree from heaven to please his wife Satyabhama . Kalpalatha is another wish fulfilling tree, a creeper, which was extolled during the later part of the Aryan period. It is said that a person standing below this tree would be blessed with beautiful ornaments, dresses and even unmarried girls. In Thailand , pink shower tree ( Cassia bakeriana )
9888-435: The world's alphabets: The first nine letters (h–v) are derived from the Arabic numerals, whereas the next nine (m–d) were the local Indic numerals. (See Hindu–Arabic numerals .) The remaining letters for loanwords (t–z) and Arabic transliteration are derived from phonetically similar native consonants by means of diacritics, with the exception of y ( ޔ ), which is derived from combining an alifu ( އ ) and
9991-463: Was a notable feature during the Sunga period as seen in the image of "Salabhanvka" in the railing pillars. In most paintings of Kalpavriksha Shiva and Parvati are a common feature. It forms a canopy over Shiva. In one painting Paravati is paying obeisance to Lord Shiva with her hands held up in adoration when she is blessed with a stream of water from the Kalpavriksha. A Kalpavriksha is mentioned in
10094-454: Was born to them. Maloney reported this from Malé. "... When Koimala and his wife came, there were already people here. Because she was a princess of royal lineage, people asked her husband to rule. Koimala sent ships to Sri Lanka and brought back more people. It is said that a beautiful woman named Malakamana from the Maldives was one of the early people who settled Sri Lanka." Maloney reported this from Noonu Atoll . A hunter king of Sri Lanka
10197-424: Was formed by Southerners, from which the name originated although the name is novel. The names Suvadive and Suvadivian suggest that they stem from the ancient name for the atolls of Huvadhu, Fuvahmulah and Addu, or Suvadiva. The Suvadivians, living on Huvadhu , Fuvahmulah and Addu atolls number approximately 60,000 and constitute about 20% of Maldivians. This group has the closest linguistic and ethnic proximity to
10300-469: Was hunting and caught a man beast in his net. The man-beast couldn't walk, so the king taught him. The man-beast married the king's daughter, but he made political trouble in Sri Lanka, so was forced into exile. He and the princess arrived in Rasgetheemu and lived there for some time, where the locals there asked them to rule them. Maloney reported this from Manadhoo, Noonu Atoll. A hunter king of India
10403-414: Was hunting with a net. He saw a creature that looked human but walked on all fours, and that disturbed the people. This creature would steal the hunters' nets and prey, upsetting the king. The king made large weights for his net, to heavy for ordinary humans to lift, preventing the creature from stealing it. One day, the king, with the help of many men, put the net over the creature, trapping it. The king took
10506-423: Was seen by many as the effective demise of the Thaana script. Clarence Maloney, an American anthropologist who was in the Maldives at the time of the change, lamented the inconsistencies of the "Dhivehi Latin" which ignored all previous linguistic research on the Maldivian language done by H.C.P. Bell and Wilhelm Geiger. He wondered why the modern Standard Indic transliteration had not been considered. Standard Indic
10609-512: Was widespread relief in certain places, especially rural areas, where the introduction of Latin had been regarded with suspicion. However, the Latin transcription of 1976 continues to be widely used. The 412-page hard-back English–Maldivian dictionary, A Maldivian Dictionary , written by Christopher Hanby Baillie Reynolds , was published on 22 July 2003 by Routledge and contains about 5000 individual entries. Different islands due to distance have
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