Loan words in Sri Lankan Tamil

Loan words 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, Kerala and other states of 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 by Sri Lankan Moors has been strongly influnced by Arabic.Words that are peculiar to Sri Lankan Tamil dialects are marked with an asterisk (*).

Portuguese

Most Portuguese loan words are for item the native population lacked when the encounter happened circa 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.

Civil conflict terminology

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

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.

ee also

*Sri Lanka Indo-Portuguese language
*List of borrowed words in Indonesian

References

* [http://www.lusotopie.sciencespobordeaux.fr/jayasuriya.pdf Portuguese cultural imprint in Sri Lanka]
* [http://www.tamilar.org/tamil-history.asp Tamil - A historical and linguistic perspective]
* [http://www.lankachronicle.com/history.html Portuguese words in Sinhala]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Sri Lankan Tamil people — Sri Lankan Tamils ஈழத் தமிழர் …   Wikipedia

  • Sri Lankan Tamil slang — used by the Tamil minority of Sri Lanka and in the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora. ri Lankan Tamil dialectsSri Lankan Tamil dialects is a group of dialects that are distinct from Tamil dialects used in Tamil Nadu and Kerala states of India. Within Sri …   Wikipedia

  • Sri Lankan Tamil dialects — The Sri Lankan Tamil dialects or Ceylon Tamil dialects form a group of Tamil dialects used in the modern country of Sri Lanka by Sri Lankan Tamils that is distinct from the dialects of modern Tamil Tamil Nadu and Kerala states of India. Tamil… …   Wikipedia

  • Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora — The Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora refers to the global diaspora of the people of Sri Lankan Tamil origin. It can be said to be a subset of the larger Tamil diaspora.Like other diasporas, Sri Lankan Tamils are scattered and dispersed across the globe …   Wikipedia

  • List of loan words in Indonesian — The Indonesian language has absorbed many loanwords from other languages: * Early Hindu and Buddhist influence from India results in many Sanskrit words in Indonesian (and especially Javanese). Indian traders may have contributed words as well,… …   Wikipedia

  • Tamil language — Tamil தமிழ் tamiḻ Pronunciation [t̪ɐmɨɻ] Spoken in India, Sri Lanka, Singapore, where it has offi …   Wikipedia

  • Sri Lankan Portuguese Creole — Spoken in Sri Lanka Native speakers 3,406[1]  (date missing) Language family Portuguese Creole Indo Portugu …   Wikipedia

  • Sri Lankan place name etymology — is characterized by the linguistic and ethnic diversity of the island of Sri Lanka through the ages and the position of the country in the centre of ancient and medieval sea trade routes. While typical Sri Lankan placenames of Sinhalese origin… …   Wikipedia

  • Islam in Sri Lanka — is practised by a group of minorities who make up approximately 10% of the population [ [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5249.htm Background Note: Sri Lanka US department of State)] ] [ [http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2006/71444.htm Sri… …   Wikipedia

  • Portuguese language — Portuguese português Pronunciation [purtuˈɣeʃ] (EP) [poʁtuˈges][1] (BP) [poɾtu …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”