Sinhala words of Tamil origin
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This article is about Sinhala words of Tamil origin.
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[edit] Introduction
The Sinhala language has borrowed a great many loanwords from Tamil during the more than 2000 years of coexistence of the Sinhala and Tamil communities on the island of Ceylon. The high number of these loanwords bears witness to the fact that--despite the present widespread animosity--the two groups lived peacefully together over long periods of time.
[edit] Different kinds of loanwords
The words pertaining to the fields of commerce, administration, botany, food and military are the most numerous; this is to be expected because
- new innovations and goods usually reached the Sinhalese via the Tamils whose area of settlement separates them from the rest of South Asia and
- Tamil-speaking Muslims ("Moors") conducted most of the island's foreign trade since the 10th century CE.
However it is important to note that the range of borrowings goes beyond the scope to be expected for a situation where two neighbouring peoples exchange material goods: Firstly, there are many Tamil loanwords pertaining to everyday and social life (kinship terms, body parts, ordinary activities etc.); secondly, not only lexical words (nouns, adjectives and verbs) but also at least one function word (ōnē) has been borrowed. This--along with the deep impact Tamil has had on Sinhala syntax (e.g. the use of a verbal adjective of "to say" as a subordinating conjunction meaning "whether" and "that")--is the result of not only close coexistence but the existence of large numbers of bilinguals and a high degree of mixing, intermarriage, etc.
[edit] The borrowing process
Tamil loanwords in Sinhala can appear in the same form as the original word (e.g. akkā), but this is quite rare. Usually, a word has undergone some kind of modification to fit into the Sinhala phonological (e.g. paḻi becomes paḷi(ya) because the sound of /ḻ/, IPA: [ɻ], does not exist in the Sinhala phoneme inventory) or morphological system (e.g. ilakkam becomes ilakkama because Sinhala inanimate nouns (see grammatical gender) need to end with /a/, IPA: [ə], in order to be declineable).
These are the main ways Tamil words are incorporated into the Sinhala lexicon with different endings:
- With an /a/ added to Tamil words ending in /m/ and other consonants (e.g. pālam > pālama).
- With a /ya/ or /va/ added to words ending in vowels (e.g. araḷi > araliya).
- With the Tamil ending /ai/ represented as /ē/, commonly spelt /aya/.
- With the animate ending /yā/ added to Tamil words signifying living beings or /yā/ replacing the Tamil endings /aṉ/, /ar/, etc. (e.g. caṇṭiyar > caṇḍiyā).
It can be observed that the Tamil phonemes /ḷ/ and /ḻ/ do not coherently appear as /ḷ/ in Sinhala but sometimes as /l/ as well. This is due to the fact that in Sinhala pronunciation there is no distinction between /ḷ/ and /l/; the letter /ḷ/ is merely maintained as an etymological spelling.
[edit] Time of borrowing
In many cases, the appearance of a loanword in a language indicates whether the borrowing is old or more recent: The more a word deviates from the "original" one, the longer it must have been a part of the respective lexicon, because while being used, a word can undergo changes (sometimes regular sound changes along with the native words). The inversion of this argument is not possible since loanwords already matching the linguistic requirements of the target language may remain unchanged. Thus, the word täpäl (Tamil tapāl) gives away its old age because the respective umlaut processes took place before the 8th century CE; iḍama (Tamil iṭam) however needn't be a recent borrowing, because no sound changes that could have affected this word have taken place in Sinhala since at least the 13th century CE.
[edit] Tamil spelling
In the following list, Tamil words are romanized in accordance with Tamil spelling. This results in seeming discrepancies in voicing between Sinhala words and their Tamil counterparts. Sinhala borrowing however has taken place on the basis of the sound of the Tamil words; thus, the word ampalam, IPA: [ambalam], logically results in the Sinhala spelling ambalama, and so forth.
[edit] List of words
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Note: For information on the transcription used, see National Library at Calcutta romanization and Tamil script. Exceptions from the standard are the romanization of Sinhala long "ä" ([æː]) as "ää", and the non-marking of prenasalized stops.
| Sinhala | Meaning | Tamil | Meaning | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ādāyama | Income | ātāyam | Profit | Trade |
| akkā | Elder sister | akkā | Elder sister | Kinship |
| ambalama | Way-side rest | ampalam | Public place | Daily |
| ämbäṭṭayā | Barber | ampaṭṭaṉ | Barber | Trade |
| āṃgāṇiya | Stall (in a market) | aṅkāṭi | Market | Trade |
| āṇḍuva | Government | āṇṭāṉ | Rich man with many slaves | Administration |
| appā | Father (regional/colloquial) | appā | Father | Kinship |
| āppa | Hoppers | āppam | Hoppers | Food |
| araliya | Oleander | araḷi | Oleander | Botany |
| avariya | Indigo plant | avuri | Indigo plant | Botany |
| ayyā | Elder brother | aiyā (see also Ayya) | Sir, father | Kinship |
| caṇḍiyā | Bandit, rowdy | caṇṭiyar | Bandit | Daily |
| cīttaya | Chintz | cīttai | Chintz | Trade |
| ediriya | Opposition, hostility | etiri | Opponent, enemy | Military |
| galkaṇḍuva | Sugar-candy | kaṟkaṇṭu | Sugar-candy | Food |
| iccāva | Flattery | iccakam | Flattery | Daily |
| iḍama | Site, land | iṭam | Place, site | Construction |
| īḷa | Asthma | īḷai | Asthma | Daily |
| ilakkaya | Target | ilakku | Target | Military |
| ilakkama | Number | ilakkam | Number | Trade |
| iḷandāriyā | Young man | iḷantāri | Young man | Daily |
| iḷavuva | Death, funeral | iḻavu | Death | Daily |
| iranavā | To saw, to tear | iṟu- | To break, to destroy | Trade |
| iraṭṭa | Double, even number | iraṭṭai | Double, even number | Trade |
| jāḍiya | Jar | cāṭi | Jar | Daily |
| jōḍuva | Pair | jōṭi/cōṭi | Pair | Daily |
| kaḍadāsiya | Paper | kaṭutāsi | Letter, paper | Daily |
| kaḍalē | Chickpea | kaṭalai (paruppu) | Chickpea | Food |
| kaḍasarakkuva | Spice, curry stuffs | kaṭai + sarakku | Shop + Goods | Trade |
| kaḍaya | Shop | kaṭai | Shop | Trade |
| kaḍinama | Haste | kaṭiṉam | Difficulty | Daily |
| kaḍiyāḷama | Bridle | kaṭivāḷam | Bridle | Military |
| kaṃkāṇiyā | Overseer | kaṅkāṇi | Foreman | Administration |
| kalanda | A small measure of weight | kaḻañcu | Weight of 1.77 grams | Trade |
| kalavama | Mixture, blend | kalavai | Mixture | Daily |
| kālaya | Quarter | kāl | Quarter | Trade |
| kaḷudäävā | Donkey | kaḻutai | Donkey | Daily |
| kambiya | Wire | kampi | Wire | Trade |
| kāndama | Magnet | kāntam | Magnet | Trade |
| kaṇisama | Size | kaṇisam | Size, amount | Daily |
| kaṇṇāḍiya | Mirror, spectacles | kaṇṇāṭi | Mirror, spectacles | Daily |
| kappama | Tribute | kappam | Tribute | Military |
| kappara | Small ship | kappal | Ship | Trade |
| kappi | Grit, bruised grain | kappi | Coarse grits in flour | Daily |
| kāppuva | Bracelet | kāppu | Bangle | Daily |
| kärapottā | Cockroach | karappottāṉ | Cockroach (SL) | Daily |
| karavaḷa | Dried fish | karuvāṭu | Dried fish | Food |
| kāsiya | Coin | kācu | Small change, coin | Trade |
| kasippu | Illicit liquor | kacippu | Illicit liqour | Trade |
| kaṭṭumarama | Catamaran | kaṭṭumaram | Catamaran | Trade |
| kayiyeliya | Cloth with coloured border | kayili | Multicoloured cloth worn by Muslims | Daily |
| keṇḍa | Calf | keṇṭai(kkāl) | Calf | Daily |
| keṇḍiya | Pitcher | keṇṭi | Pitcher | Daily |
| kiṭṭu | Close, near | kiṭṭa | Close, near | Daily |
| koḍiya | Flag | koṭi | Flag | Administration |
| kollaya | Plunder, pillage | koḷḷai | Plunder | Military |
| kombuva | Name of the sign ෙ | kompu (lakaram) | Name of the sign ள | Daily |
| kōn | Part of a name | kōṉ(ar) | Name pertaining to members of the Iṭaiyar caste ("shepherd, king") | Personal name |
| kōṇama | A loin cloth for men | kōvaṇam | A loin cloth for men | Daily |
| koṇḍaya | Plait/bun of hair | koṇṭai | Bun/plait of hair | Daily |
| koṭṭamalli | Coriander | koṭṭamalli | Coriander | Botany |
| koṭṭaya | Pillow | koṭṭai | Nut, round shape, pillow | Daily |
| kōvila | Hindu temple | kōyil | Temple | Daily |
| kuḍē | Umbrella | kuṭai | Umbrella | Daily |
| kūḍē | Basket | kūṭai | Basket | Daily |
| kūḍuva | Nest, cage | kūṭu | Nest, small box | Daily |
| kulala/kuḷala | Pipe | kuḻal | Tube, musical pipe | Daily |
| kulappuva | Confusion | kuḻappu- | to confuse | Military |
| kurumbā | Young coconut | kurumpai | Young coconut | Food |
| kuliya | Rent | kūli | Rent, pay | Administration |
| malaya | Hill country | malai | Hill | Place name |
| māmā | Maternal uncle | māmā | Maternal uncle | Kinship |
| marakkalaya | Boat, Sampan | marakkalam | (Sailing) Boat | Fishing |
| massinā | Brother-in-law | massiṉaṉ | Brother-in-law | Kinship |
| mōḍa | Foolish, ignorant | mōṭi | Stupidity | Daily |
| mudala | Money | mutal | Capital | Trade |
| mudalāli | Merchant, owner of a shop | mutalāḷi | Merchant | Trade |
| mudali | Part of a name | mutaliyār | Name of a caste | Personal name |
| muruṃgā | "Drumsticks", the edible roots of the horse-radish tree (Moringa pterygosperma) | muruṅkai | Horse-radish tree | Food |
| nāḍagama | Stage-play | nāṭakam | Drama, stage-play | Culture |
| naṃgī | Younger sister | naṅkai | Young girl | Kinship |
| ōna, ōnē | Necessary, must | vēṇum | Necessary, must | Daily |
| oppuva | Proof | oppu | Same | Administration |
| ottē | Odd number | oṟṟai | Odd number | Trade |
| ottuva | Espionage | oṟṟu | Espionage | Administration |
| padakkama | Medal | patakkam | Medal | Administration |
| pāḍama | Lesson | pāṭam | Lesson | Culture |
| paḍiya | Wage | paṭi | Extra pay | Administration |
| pālama | Bridge | pālam | Bridge | Construction |
| paḷiya | Revenge | paḻi | Guilt, revenge | Military |
| pandalama | Bower, shady place | pantal | Bower, shady place | Daily |
| pandama | Torch | pantam | Torch | Religious |
| parippu | Lentils | parippu | Lentils | Food |
| pattu karanavā | To light, to set on fire | paṟṟu- | To catch fire | Daily |
| pēru väṭenavā | To fall to someone by chance | pēṟu | Luck | Place name |
| piṭṭu | A rice dish | piṭṭu | A rice dish | Food |
| poraya | Fight | pōr | Fight | Military |
| poronduva | Agreement, promise | poruntu- | To fit, to agree | Daily |
| porottuva | Delay, waiting | poṟuttu | Having waited | Daily |
| pullē | Part of a name | Pillai | Part of a name (originally a Hindu title) | Personal name |
| salli | Money | salli | Coin | Trade |
| saṇḍuva | Fight | saṇṭai | Fight | Military |
| sereppuva | Sandals | seruppu | Sandals | Daily |
| sotti | Crippled, deformed | cottai | Emaciated person, defect | Daily |
| suruṭṭuva | Cigar | curuṭṭu | Cigar | Daily |
| takkāli | Tomato | takkāḷi | Tomato | Food |
| tallu karanavā | To push | taḷḷu- | To push | Daily |
| tambiyā | Moor, muslim | tampi | Younger brother | Daily |
| tani | Alone | taṉi | Alone | Daily |
| täpäl | Postal | tapāl | Postal, mail | Administration |
| tarama | Size, position, quantity | taram | Proportion, sort | Trade |
| taṭṭa | Bald | taṭṭai | Baldness | Daily |
| tāttā | Father | tāttā | Grandfather | Kinship |
| taṭṭu karanavā | To knock | taṭṭu- | To knock | Daily |
| uḍäkkiya | A narrow drum | uṭukkai | A narrow drum | Daily |
| udavva | Help | uṭavi | Help | Daily |
| ulukkuva | Sprain (of a joint) | cuḷukku | To sprain (a joint) | Daily |
| ūḷiyama | Tax payable by foreigners | ūḻiyam | Service | Administration |
| urumaya | Inheritance, ownership | urimai | Ownership, right | Administration |
| veḍi tiyanavā | To shoot, to fire | veṭi | Shot, dynamite | Military |
| veri | Drunk | veṟi | Drunkness, madness | Daily |
[edit] References
- Geiger, Wilhelm: Linguistic Character of Sinhalese, in: Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society (Ceylon), Vol. XXXIV
- Gunasekara, A.M.: A Comprehensive Grammar of the Sinhalese Language, Colombo 1891 (reprint New Delhi 1986), ISBN 81-206-0106-8 (§234: Naturalised and derived words from Tamil)
