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This information was kindly supplied by Lieven Soenens (from Brussel Bruxelles). (Thanks, Lieven)

Some explanation to this new list may be useful: I didn’t purchase all the listed books of course, but only some of them, others I have purchased for other people. Some books are already listed in your Webpage, but I found some new editions or newer reprints. The differences (except for the title) are in printed in bold. Those books described with much details are those I have bought, of them I have placed some personal comments (in italic). Of the books where no details are described, I only know the existence of it, because their titles are printed on the back cover of other books I bought. 

I hope I can attribute in this way to the quality of the information, available from your Sinhala Website-page.

Lieven Soenens
5 September 1999

Textbooks (listed chronologically according to the year of publication): 

Say it in Sinhala by J.B. Disanayaka. 
Colombo: Lake House Investments Ltd., 
4th revised edition 1993, 319 pp. 
(good short form book)

An Introduction to spoken Sinhala by W.S. Karunatillake. 
Colombo: M.D. Gunasena & Co. 
2nd ed. 1998, 472pp, LKRs. 550/-
Looks indeed very good.

A Comprehensive Grammar of the Sinhalese language by Abraham Mendis Gunasekara. First Published: Colombo 1891. 
Colombo : Sri Lanka Sahitya Mandalaya. 516 pp. This is an old grammar book. 
First Asian Educational Services Reprint : New Delhi, 1986
Second Asian Educational Services Reprint : New Delhi, 1999; 516pp,Rs 395/- (Lakehouse Bookshop charged me LKRs. 745/-)

Sinhala - English grammar and exercise book by S. De S.
The Public Instruction Department, Colombo
Asian Educational Services Reprint : New Delhi, 1999; 82pp, Rs 195/-
(Lakehouse Bookshop charged me LKRs. 370/-)
This book aims at teaching Sinhalese children in Anglo-Vernacular schools, who already know how to read and write easy English words.”

Dictionaries (listed chronologically according to the year of publication): 

English-Sinhalese Dictionary by G.P. Malalasekera. 
Colombo: M.D. Gunasena. First published 1948. 
3d edition 1997. 1049pp, LKRs. 375/-
In my opinion not complete enough.

A Sinhala - English pocket Dictionary by M.D. Gunasena & Co.Ltd.
Compiled by Sirisena Maitipe. Edition 1998, 468 pp, LKRs. 142,5
Very small, but looks practical as travel companion.

A Sinhalese English dictionary by Rev. Charles Carter
Asian Educational Services New Dehli*Madras* 1996 
First Published: Colombo 1924.
AES Reprint: New Dehli, 1996. 806pp. Rs. 495/- (Lakehouse Bookshop charged me LKRs. 900/-) 
First AES Low Cost Student Edition for Sri Lanka: 1999. 806pp. Rs. 495/- (Lakehouse Bookshop charged me LKRs. 495/-). This is a very good dictionary and the newest Low Cost edition looks exactly the same as the AES Reprint in 1996. 

English-Sinhalese Dictionary by Charles Carter
Asian Educational Services

An English-Sinhalese pocket Dictionary by A.M. Gunasekara
Asian Educational Services

An English-Sinhalese Dictionary by De Silva & Rev Moscrop - Nicholson’s
Asian Educational Services

An English-Sinhalese Dictionary by J. Nicholson edited by Moscrop
Asian Educational Services

An English-Sinhala Dictionary by Sri Sudharman D. de Zylva Walisinghe
Printed & Published by M.D. Gunasena & Co Ltd. Edition 1999, 1332pp, LKRs.1300/- (there is a version with binder, but more expensive)
This monstruous Dictionary looks the most complete I have ever seen. The author has tried to make it as complete as possible by gathering materials from several works and dictionaries (such as those by Charles Carter) 


For more books, go to "Sinhala Language Material from Cornell University". 

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