List of Sinhala words of Dutch origin
This is a list of Sinhala words of Dutch origin.
Note: For information on the transcription used, see National Library at Calcutta romanization. An exception from the standard is the romanization of Sinhala long "ä" ([æË]) as "ää".
Sinhala words of Dutch origin came about during the period of Dutch colonial rule in Sri Lanka between 1658 and 1798. This period saw absorption of several Dutch words into the local language brought about by the interaction between Dutch colonials and the Sinhalese people, mainly in the coastal areas of the island. The Dutch replaced the Portuguese as the catalyst of change with regards to the social and cultural life of the people. A wide variety of words were adopted from administrative terms to military terms, which reveals several points of contact between the two groups.
Types of loanwords
- Borrowings
The words pertaining to the fields of daily life, administration, food and military are the most numerous; this is to be expected because of many new innovations and goods that reached Sri Lanka via the Dutch.
The borrowing process
Dutch loanwords in Sinhala rarely appear in the same form as the original word. Usually, a word has undergone some kind of modification to fit into the Sinhala phonological or morphological system (e.g. balk becomes bÄlkaya because Sinhala inanimate nouns (see grammatical gender) need to end with /a/, [É™], in order to be declineable).
These are the main ways Dutch words are incorporated into the Sinhala lexicon with different endings:
- With an /aya/ or /uva/ added to Dutch words ending in consonants (e.g. raam > rÄmuva).
- With a /ya/ added to words ending in /a/ or /e/ or /i/ (e.g. bakje > bakkiya).
- With the animate ending /yÄ/ added to Dutch words signifying living beings or (e.g. tolk > tÅlkayÄ).
- Initial /s/ preceding a consonant usually forms an additional syllable (e.g. school > iskÅlaya).
Nouns and Adjectives
Sinhala | සිංහල | Meaning | Dutch | Meaning | Type |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
administrÄsiya | අද්මිනිස්à¶à·Šâ€à¶»à·à·ƒà·’ය | Administration | Administratie | Administration | Administration |
advakÄt | අද්වකà·à¶à·Š | Lawyer, advocate | Advocaat | Lawyer | Administration |
agasti | අගස්à¶à·’ | Agate | Agate | Agate | Daily |
amanda, amandäl | අමන්ද, අමන්දà·à¶½à·Š | Almond | Amandel | Almond | Food |
ambila | අම්බිල | Anvil | Aambeeld | Anvil | Daily |
artÄpal | අර්à¶à·à¶´à¶½à·Š | Potato | Aardappel | Potato | Food |
äpääla | ඇපෑල | Appeal | Appel | Appeal | Administration |
ÄsiyÄ | ආසිය | Ace | Aas | Ace | Daily |
avagÄraya | අවගà·à¶»à¶º | Auger | Avegaar | Auger | Construction |
bÄcciya | බà·à¶ ්චිය | Jacket | Baadje | Jacket | Clothing |
bakkiya | බක්කිය | small trough or box | Bakje | Small trough or box | Construction |
balansa | බලන්ස | balance | Balans | Balance | Daily |
bÄliya | බà·à¶½à·’ය | Tub | Balie | Tub | Daily |
balkona | බල්කොන | balcony | Balkon | Balcony | Construction |
bÄlkaya | බà·à¶½à·Šà¶šà¶º | Beam/Rafter | Balk | Beam | Construction |
banketa | බà·à¶±à·Šà·ƒà·’ය | Banquette | Banket | Banquette | Construction |
bÄnsiya | බà·à¶±à·Šà·ƒà·’ය | Berth | Baantje | Berth | Construction |
bÄs | බà·à·ƒà·Š | Mason | Baas | Boss, leader | Construction |
bavusa | බවුස | Tube | Buis | Tube | Daily |
belek | බෙලෙක් | Tin | Blikje | Tin | Daily |
beliyata | බෙලියච| Placard, Notice of Sale | Bericht | Notice | Daily |
bÅkkuva | බà·à¶šà·Šà¶šà·”à·€ | Arch | Boog | Arch | Daily |
bÅnci | බà·à¶‚චි | Bean(s) | Boontje | Bean | Food |
bÅrdaya | බà·à¶»à·Šà¶¯à¶º | Border | Boorde | Edge, Border | Daily |
būdalaya | බූදලය | Estate/Property | Boerderij | Estate | Administration |
būndala | බූන්දල | Bundle | Bundel | Bundle | Daily |
bÅ«ruvÄ | බුරුව෠| Jack/Knave | Boer | Farmer | Daily |
dÄn | දà·à¶‚ | Draughts | Dammen | Draughts | Daily |
dÄsiya | දà·à·ƒà·’ය | Tie | Das | Tie | Clothing |
dääla | දෑල | Dale | Dal | Dale | Daily |
dusima | දුසිම | Dozen | Dozijn | Dozen | Daily |
hÄkkaya | à·„à·à¶šà·Šà¶šà¶º | Hook | Haak | Hook | Daily |
hÄrnÄla | à·„à·à¶»à·Šà¶±à·à¶½ | Hairpin | Haarnaald | Hairpin | Daily |
hÄrata | à·„à·à¶»à¶ | Hearts | Harten | Hearts | Daily |
hēra | හේර෠| King | Heer | Mister, Sir | Daily |
hundÄ | හුන්ද෠| Hound | Hond | Dog | Daily |
jasa, jäsa | ජස, ජà·à·ƒ | Jacket | Jas | Jacket | Clothing |
isnibonchi | Green beans | Snijboontjes | Green bean | food | |
istirikkaya | ඉස්à¶à·’රික්කය | Iron | Strijkijzer | Iron | Daily |
iskÅppa | ඉස්කà·à¶´à·Šà¶´ | Spades | Schoppen | Spades | Daily |
istÄlaya | ඉස්à¶à·à¶½à¶º | Stall, Stable | Stal | Stall | Construction |
istÅppuva | ඉස්à¶à·à¶´à·Šà¶´à·”à·€ | Veranda | Stoep | Side Walk | Construction |
kakkussiya | කක්කුස්සිය | Toilet | Kakhuisje | kak "feces" + huisje "small house" | Daily |
kalÄbara | කලà·à¶¶à¶» | Clubs | Klaveren | Clubs | Daily |
kÄmaraya | කà·à¶¸à¶»à¶º | Room | Kamer | Room | Construction |
kanÄla | කනà·à¶½ | Canal | Kanaal | Canal | Construction |
kantÅruva | කන්à¶à·à¶»à·”à·€ | Office | Kantoor | Office | Administration |
kaḷukumÄ | කලුකුම෠| Turkey | Kalkoen | Turkey | Food |
kanoma | කනොම | Cannon | Kanon | Cannon | Military |
kapÅti | කපà·à¶à·’ | Broken, exhausted | Kapot | Broken, exhausted | Daily |
karÄmaya | කරà·à¶¸à¶º | Tap | Kraan | Tap | Daily |
kÄsiya | කà·à·ƒà·’ය | Coin | kwartje | Quarter | Daily |
kastan | කස්à¶à¶±à·Š | Chestnut | kastanje | Chestnut | Daily |
kompäniya | කොම්පà·à¶±à·’ය | Company | Compagnie | Company | Administration |
kÄrtuva | කà·à¶»à·Šà¶à·”à·€ | Card | kaartje | Card | Daily |
kärakÅppuva | කà·à¶»à¶šà·à¶´à·Šà¶´à·”à·€ | Cemetery | Kerkhof | Cemetery | Daily |
kÄ“talaya | කේà¶à¶½à¶º | Kettle | Ketel | Kettle | Food |
klavÄ«ra | ක්ලà·à·€à·’ර | Piano | Klavier | Daily | |
klääsiya | ක්ලà·à·ƒà·’ය | Class | Klasse | Class | Daily |
kokis | කොකිස් | Type of fried traditional food | Koekjes | Biscuit | Food |
kondēsiya | කොන්දේසිය | Condition | Conditie | Condition | Daily |
kÅkiyÄ | කà·à¶šà·’ය෠| Cook | Kokin | Cook | Daily |
kÅpi | කà·à¶´à·’ | Coffee | Koffie | Coffee | Daily |
kÅppaya | කà·à¶´à·Šà¶´à¶º | Cup | Kop | Cup | Daily |
koroma | කොරොම | Crown | Kroon | Crown | Daily |
kuluna | Column | Colonne | Column | Daily | |
kuyitansiya | කුයිà¶à¶±à·Šà·ƒà·’ය | Receipt | Kwitantie | Receipt | Administration |
lanta | ලන්ච| Land | Landt | Land, Country | Administration |
lappiya | ලප්පිය | Patch | Lapje | Lap | Clothing |
läin | ලà·à¶ºà·’න් | Glue | Lijm | Glue | Daily |
lavandäl, lavandel | ලවන්දෙල් | Lavender | Lavendel | Lavender | Botanical |
lei lei | ලෙයි ලෙයි | Mixed | Allerlei | All kinds of | Daily |
londa | ලොන්ද | Blond | Blond | Blond | Botanical |
lūpa | ලූප | Gun Barrel | Loop | Barrel | Military |
maá¸a | මඩ | Mud | Modder | Mud | Daily |
mīla | මීල | Meal | Meel | Meal | Daily |
minci | මිංචි | Mint | Muntje | Mint | Food |
mÅla | මà·à¶½ | Mill | Molen | Mill | Trade |
nääla | නෑල | Needle | Naald | Needle | Daily |
notÄris | නොà¶à·à¶»à·’ස් | Notary | Notaris | Notary | Administration |
oralÅsuva | ඔරලà·à·ƒà·”à·€ | Clock | Horloge (from French) | Wrist Watch | Daily |
panīla | පනීල | Panel | Paneel | Panel | Daily |
pelsa | පෙල්ස | Fur | Pels | Fur | Daily |
petora | පෙà¶à·œà¶» | Cartride | Patroon | Cartridge | Military |
pispontuva | පිටසà·à¶½à·’ | Backstich | Backstich | Daily | |
piá¹asäli | පිටසà·à¶½à·’ | Parsley | Peterselie | Parsley | Food |
plÄ | ප්ල෠| Custard | Vla | Custard | Food |
poroppaya | පොරොප්පය | Cork | Prop, Kurk | Plug, Cork | Daily |
porova | පොරොව | Queen | Vrouw | Lady | Daily |
proklamÄsiya | ප්â€à¶»à·œà¶šà·Šà¶½à¶¸à·à·ƒà·’ය | Proclamation | Proclamatie | Proclamation | Administration |
pūli | පූලි | Mace | Foelie | Mace | Food |
pÅ«sÄ | පූස෠| Cat | Poes | Cat | Animal |
puyar | පුයර් | Powder | Poeier | Powder | Daily |
rÄkkaya | රà·à¶šà·Šà¶šà¶º | Rack | Rek | Rack | Daily |
rÄmuva | රà·à¶¸à·”à·€ | Frame | Raam | Frame | Daily |
rikat | රිකà¶à·Š | Richard | Rikkert | Richard | Proper Name |
ruhita | රිකà¶à·Š | Diamonds | Ruiten | Diamonds | Daily |
säldiri | à·ƒà·à¶½à·Šà¶¯à·’රි | Celery | Selderij | Celery | Food |
säädala | සෑදල | Saddle | Zadel | Saddle | Daily |
selduk | සෙල්දුක් | Canvas | Zeilduk | Canvas | Daily |
sipiri, sipiyÄ | සිපිරි, සිපිය෠| Jailer, Warden | Cipier | Jailer | Administration |
sÅppiya | à·ƒà·à¶´à·Šà¶´à·’ය | Shot | Schop | Shot | Daily |
tarappuva | à¶à¶»à¶´à·Šà¶´à·”à·€ | Stairs | Trap | Stairs | Construction |
tÄ“pÅcciya | à¶à·šà¶´à·à¶ ්චිය | Teapot | Theepot | Tea pot | Daily |
tintal | à¶à·’න්à¶à¶½à·Š | Tinder | Tintel | Tinder | Daily |
tisÄla | à¶à·’à·ƒà·à¶½ | Tile | Tichel | Tile | Daily |
testamÄ“ntuva | à¶à·™à·ƒà·Šà¶à¶¸à·šà¶±à·Šà¶à·”à·€ | Testament | Testament | Testament | Administration |
tÅlkayÄ | à¶à·à¶½à·Šà¶šà¶ºà· | Interpreter | Tolk | Interpreter | Administration |
vÄpana | à·€à·à¶´à¶± | Coat of Arms | Wapen | Insignia | Daily |
vatal | à·€à¶à¶½à·Š | Carrot | Wortel | Carrot | food |
vatura | à·€à¶à·”ර | Water | Water | Water | Daily |
vendēsiya | වෙන්දේසිය | Auction | Vendutie | Auction | Administration |
vinkala | වින්කල | Workshop | Winkel | Shop | Daily |
viyalti | වියල්à¶à·’ | Violet | Violtje | Violet | Daily |
vul | වුල් | Wool | Wol | Wool | Daily |
Verbs
Sinhala | සිංහල | Meaning | Dutch | Meaning |
---|---|---|---|---|
bikel karanavÄ | බිකෙල් කරනව෠| to Engrave | Bickelen | to Engrave |
kÄ“vel karanavÄ | කේවල කරනව෠| to Haggle | kibbelen | to Haggle |
ploit karanavÄ | ප්ලà·à¶ºà·’à¶à·Š කරනව෠| to Whistle | Fluiten | to Whistle |
taksÄ“ru karanavÄ | à¶à¶šà·Šà·ƒà·šà¶»à·” කරනව෠| to Appraise | taxeren | to Appraise |
tisal gahanavÄ | à¶à·’සල් ගහනව෠| to Tile | tegelen | to Tile |
tÅlka karanavÄ | à¶à·à¶½à·Šà¶š කරනව෠| to Interpret | vertolken | To Interpret |
trÄnslÄt karanavÄ | à¶à·Šâ€à¶»à·à¶±à·Šà·ƒà·Šà¶½à·à¶à·Š කරනව෠| to Translate | translateren | To Translate |
vendÄ“si karanavÄ | වෙන්දේසි කරනව෠| to Auction | vendutie | to Auction |
See also
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