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Do you know how many words have been borrowed from Sinhalese to English? This is an interesting territory to explore. Though many of you may not know the exact answer to this question, probably say that there is at least a single word which English has borrowed from Sinhalese. That is the word 'Asweddumise'. In a cruder sense this is a word meaning the process of preparation of paddy land to make them suitable for growing paddy. I heard this word when I was knee-high to a grasshopper. This is the word that most Sri Lankans are aware of, especially the people of the old school. Most of them have not seen wood for the trees I should say, if they think that there is such a recognised word. I tried
to find the so called 'Asweddumise' of which even spelling was unsure, ransacking most of the uthoritative dictionaries mainly the dictionaries in the Oxford and Chambers family. My efforts proved to be a wild goose chase. There is no such word in English language borrowed from Sinhalese, as 'Asweddumise', according to Dr. Philip N.R.Durkin, the senior Assistant Editor of the 'Oxford Dictionary Word and Language Service (OWLS) - information direct from the horse's mouth. 

Though there are many other words, which had been borrowed to English way back in late 17th century, the lurking word 'Asweddumire' is not among them. Some with an air of authority say that this is the very first word borrowed to English, which is not true any more. 

Strangely even one of the professors who is an expert is Sinhala colloquialisms, who is currently writing a popular Sinhala weeklies too thinks that this word exists. He once had told a friend of mine that there is such a word in the Oxford English Dictionary. When my friend expressed his misgivings about this word he had even jotted down the spellings of it in a piece of paper. 

Conceding that there is no such word as 'Asweddumise', still then OWLS is willing to know about its usage if we favour them with our opinion about this word. This is indicated in the replies to the letters which I wrote to OWLS in the quest of this word. 

Going by one of the stories I have heard though I don't possess cogent facts to prove this, this word has first originated by no less a person than Mr. S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike, the honey tongued orator, during one of his speeches for want of better word to describe the process of preparation of paddy land. 

Since this word had not entered the word-land of the Oxford Dictionary of much prestige and authority, it is about the time we enlightened the Oxford Dictionary about its use with firsthand information. So this request is to all linguaphilies, authorities of Sinhalese and English, the language departments of all our universities and their heads, the Department of State Language etc to come out with facts to buttress up the existence and the use of 'Asweddumise' with source of information. 

Now let us see what other words, for whatever they are worth, which Oxford Dictionary has recognised as of Sinhalese origin. 

• Anaconda - Early 18th century, - A large non-poisonous snake. Sinhalese henakandaya. 
• Bo-tree - The sacred bo-gasa. 
• Beri-beri - Early 18th century. - A disease - Sinhalese beri weakness. 
• Talipot - Late 17th century. - Sinhala talapatra - Palmyrah Palm. 
• Vedda - Late 17th century. - Sinhala aboriginal Sinhalese vedda. 
• Tourmaline - Mid 18th century. - A mineral - Sinhalese toramalli. 
• Wanderoo - Late 17th century. - A languor of Sri Lanka. Sinhalese wanduru. 
• Chena - A place where vegetable etc, are grown after clearing the jungle. (Sinhlese hena). 
• Dissava - Kandyan chieftain. (Eg. The famous Keppitipola dissava). 
• Nelumbium, Nelumbo - Any water lily of the genus nelumbo. Sinhalese nelum. 
• Pansala - Temple. Sinhalese pansala. 
• Pathana - A glade in the jungle covered mountainous districts of Sri Lanka. Sinhalese patana. 
• Parangi - Portuguese. Sinhalese parangi. 
• Poonac - A type of food given to cattle Sinhalese punnakku. 
• Poya - Full moon. Sinhalese poya. 
• Rilawa - A type of languor in Sri Lanka Sinhala rilawa. 
• Tic-Polanga - A type of viper with daples found here. Sinhalese thithpolanga. 
• Vesak - Sinhalese Vesak (A festival) 
• Dagoba - A type for Buddhist relies (Sinhalese dagaba).

All of the following are plant species. 

• Illuk. Kittul, Kumbuk, Kurakkan, Calmander (Sinhalese kalumediriya). 
• Pothes (Sinhalese Pota - A genus of climbing shrubs). 
• Taccada (Sinhalese takkada - The Indo-pacific rice paper plant). 
• Murunga (Sinhalese murunga-murumsticks). 

'Peraherea' - Procession. 'Sinhalese perahera'. 
It is interesting to see the following entries given for it in the Full Oxford Dictionary. 

'That they may honour these Gods and procure their aid and assistance. They do yearly in the month of June or July at a new moon, observe a solemn feast and general meeting called Peraher'' Robert Ktox 1681. 

'Perahera is a very ancient ceremony'..R. Peris - Sinhalese Social Organization (1817). 

'Last night we took him in the Perahera' ...Leonard Woolf - Village in the jungle. (1913). 

..but best the best is the Pera-hera at mid-night under tropical stars...the pera-hera procession flambeaux aloft in the tropical night. D. H. Lawrence - Birds Beasts and Flowers (1923). 

He will be taken in a perahera to the avasa where a felicitation meeting is to be held. - Ceylon Daily News 17 Sept 1974. 

Words thus borrowed from one language to another are called loan-words; a paradoxical inisnomer. Words once taken are never returned, instead they are retained forever. English is not a language emanated by itself. It has lavish borrowings from a repertoire of other languages. So it has not spread Sinhalese too. 

If possible please channel them to me for I have already corresponded with OWLS. 
(Tel 822811, Fax 647470). 

Anura Jayantha Ranwala <priyasha@sltnet.lk> 
Curtesy of Daily News and Anura Jayantha Ranwala.