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List of loanwords in Sri Lankan Tamil

Loan words in Sri Lankan Tamil came about mostly due contact between colonial powers and the native population. Linguists study a language's lexicon for a number of reasons. Languages such as Tamil with centuries of literature and multi-cultural contact offer the chance to compare the various processes of lexical change. The words of foreign origin or loanwords illustrate those processes: calques, loanwords, the distinction between function words and content words.

Note: For information on the transcription used, see National Library at Calcutta romanization and Tamil script.

European contribution

Sri Lankan Tamil dialects are distinct from the Tamil dialects used in Tamil Nadu, India. They are used in Sri Lanka and in the Tamil diaspora. Linguistic borrowings from European colonizers such as the Portuguese, English and the Dutch have also contributed to a unique vocabulary that is distinct from the colloquial usage of Tamil in the Indian mainland. Furthermore, a form of Tamil spoken exclusively by Sri Lankan Moors has been strongly influenced by Arabic. Words that are peculiar to Sri Lankan Tamil dialects are marked with an asterisk (*).

Portuguese

Most Portuguese loan words are for items the native population lacked when the encounter happened c. 1505. Some are administrative terms, others are personal usage terms as well as items directly introduced from South America via the Portuguese traders. Most of these words are also shared with Sinhalese language users.

Word Meaning Original form
alumāri cupboard armário
annāsi pineapple ananás
alavangu iron lever alavanca
alupunethi safety pin alfinete
alugosu executioner algoz
baila dance baile or bailar
chuppu suck chupar or chupo
rothai wheel roda
savei key chave
jaṉṉal window janela
kathirai chair cadeira
kaju cashew caju
kalusan* trousers calção
kamicai* shirt camisa
kaṭatāsi* paper carta
koiappalam guava goiaba
kōppai drinking glass copo
kusini* kitchen cozinha
mēcai table mesa
pān* bread pão
pappāḷi/papā paḻam papaya papaia
pēnā pen pena (old type)
piṅkāṉ* plate palangana
pīppa wooden cask, barrel pipa
sapāttu shoe sapato
selvam wood silva
thavaranai tavern taverna
tācci* metal pan tacho
tompu* title tombo
tuvāy* towel toalha
vaṅki bench banco[dubious ]
veethuru glass vidro
veranta verandah varanda
viskottu biscuit biscoito

Dutch

Word Meaning Original form
kakkūs Toilet kakhuis
kāmara* (rarely used) Room kamer
kantōr* Office kantoor
Thapal Post Tapal
kokkis Cookies koekjes
piaskōpu (rarely used) Cinema bioscoop
tē(ttaṇṇīr)* Tea thee

English

Sri Lankan Tamil dialects use countless number of English words; following are some of the unique ones.

Word Meaning Original form
kōfii* Coffee coffee
pattīx* A kind of fried potato snack patties
blows Worn with Sari blouse
rōlls* A kind of fried meat snack rolls
dakuthar* Doctor doctor

Civil conflict terminology

Black July induced civil conflict has introduced number of English and international words to the native population.

Word Meaning Original form
Claymore* Land or aerial mine Claymore
Heli* Helicopter Helicopter
Kafir* Bomber Kfir Bomber
Shell* Mortar or artillery shells Shell

Sinhalese

Loanwords from the neighbouring Indo-European Sinhala are quite sparse in Sri Lankan Tamil (as opposed to the large number of Tamil loan words in Sinhala), which is most likely due to the relative isolation of the exclusively Tamil-speaking settlements in the North and East of the island.

Word Meaning Original form
kirāma cēvakaṉ* Village Leader grāma sēvakayā
(mālu) panis* (fish) buns (mālu) banis
mahattayā* Sir, mister mahattayā
piratēciya sapā* Council pradeśiya sabhāva
sarvōtayam * Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement sarvōdaya
Tuvaku Gun Tuvakuva
vitānayar* Village headman vidāna (muhandirama)

Malay

There are also a few words from the Malay language. Malay words for edible fruits were introduced during the colonial period by traders[citation needed]. The same terminology is shared with Sinhalese.

Word Meaning Original form
maṅkostīn* Type of Fruit Mangosteen
ramputan* A type of fruit Rambutan
rempa* (rarely used) Curry mix Rempa
totol * A type of sweetmeat dodol
tūriyan* Type of Fruit Durian
kaccān * Peanuts kacang

Arabic

The Arabic language contributes a large number of words into a dialect form of Tamil that is spoken exclusively by ethnic Sri Lankan Moors.

See also

References

  • Portuguese cultural imprint in Sri Lanka
  • Tamil - A historical and linguistic perspective

list, loanwords, lankan, tamil, loan, words, lankan, tamil, came, about, mostly, contact, between, colonial, powers, native, population, linguists, study, language, lexicon, number, reasons, languages, such, tamil, with, centuries, literature, multi, cultural,. Loan words in Sri Lankan Tamil came about mostly due contact between colonial powers and the native population Linguists study a language s lexicon for a number of reasons Languages such as Tamil with centuries of literature and multi cultural contact offer the chance to compare the various processes of lexical change The words of foreign origin or loanwords illustrate those processes calques loanwords the distinction between function words and content words Note For information on the transcription used see National Library at Calcutta romanization and Tamil script Contents 1 European contribution 1 1 Portuguese 1 2 Dutch 1 3 English 1 3 1 Civil conflict terminology 2 Sinhalese 3 Malay 4 Arabic 5 See also 6 ReferencesEuropean contribution EditSri Lankan Tamil dialects are distinct from the Tamil dialects used in Tamil Nadu India They are used in Sri Lanka and in the Tamil diaspora Linguistic borrowings from European colonizers such as the Portuguese English and the Dutch have also contributed to a unique vocabulary that is distinct from the colloquial usage of Tamil in the Indian mainland Furthermore a form of Tamil spoken exclusively by Sri Lankan Moors has been strongly influenced by Arabic Words that are peculiar to Sri Lankan Tamil dialects are marked with an asterisk Portuguese Edit Most Portuguese loan words are for items the native population lacked when the encounter happened c 1505 Some are administrative terms others are personal usage terms as well as items directly introduced from South America via the Portuguese traders Most of these words are also shared with Sinhalese language users Word Meaning Original formalumari cupboard armarioannasi pineapple ananasalavangu iron lever alavancaalupunethi safety pin alfinetealugosu executioner algozbaila dance baile or bailarchuppu suck chupar or chuporothai wheel rodasavei key chavejaṉṉal window janelakathirai chair cadeirakaju cashew cajukalusan trousers calcaokamicai shirt camisakaṭatasi paper cartakoiappalam guava goiabakōppai drinking glass copokusini kitchen cozinhamecai table mesapan bread paopappaḷi papa paḻam papaya papaiapena pen pena old type piṅkaṉ plate palanganapippa wooden cask barrel pipasapattu shoe sapatoselvam wood silvathavaranai tavern tavernatacci metal pan tachotompu title tombotuvay towel toalhavaṅki bench banco dubious discuss veethuru glass vidroveranta verandah varandaviskottu biscuit biscoitoDutch Edit Word Meaning Original formkakkus Toilet kakhuiskamara rarely used Room kamerkantōr Office kantoorThapal Post Tapalkokkis Cookies koekjespiaskōpu rarely used Cinema bioscoopte ttaṇṇir Tea theeEnglish Edit Sri Lankan Tamil dialects use countless number of English words following are some of the unique ones Word Meaning Original formkōfii Coffee coffeepattix A kind of fried potato snack pattiesblows Worn with Sari blouserōlls A kind of fried meat snack rollsdakuthar Doctor doctorCivil conflict terminology Edit Black July induced civil conflict has introduced number of English and international words to the native population Word Meaning Original formClaymore Land or aerial mine ClaymoreHeli Helicopter HelicopterKafir Bomber Kfir BomberShell Mortar or artillery shells ShellSinhalese EditLoanwords from the neighbouring Indo European Sinhala are quite sparse in Sri Lankan Tamil as opposed to the large number of Tamil loan words in Sinhala which is most likely due to the relative isolation of the exclusively Tamil speaking settlements in the North and East of the island Word Meaning Original formkirama cevakaṉ Village Leader grama sevakaya malu panis fish buns malu banismahattaya Sir mister mahattayapirateciya sapa Council pradesiya sabhavasarvōtayam Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement sarvōdayaTuvaku Gun Tuvakuvavitanayar Village headman vidana muhandirama Malay EditThere are also a few words from the Malay language Malay words for edible fruits were introduced during the colonial period by traders citation needed The same terminology is shared with Sinhalese Word Meaning Original formmaṅkostin Type of Fruit Mangosteenramputan A type of fruit Rambutanrempa rarely used Curry mix Rempatotol A type of sweetmeat dodolturiyan Type of Fruit Duriankaccan Peanuts kacangArabic EditThe Arabic language contributes a large number of words into a dialect form of Tamil that is spoken exclusively by ethnic Sri Lankan Moors See also EditSri Lanka Indo Portuguese language List of borrowed words in IndonesianReferences EditPortuguese cultural imprint in Sri Lanka Tamil A historical and linguistic perspective Portuguese words in Sinhala Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title List of loanwords in Sri Lankan Tamil amp oldid 1109541138, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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