List of Words
In the following list, Tamil words are romanized in accordance with Tamil spelling. This results in seeming discrepancies in voicing between Sinhala words and their Tamil counterparts. Sinhala borrowing however has taken place on the basis of the sound of the Tamil words; thus, the word ampalam, logically results in the Sinhala spelling ambalama, and so forth. However, the Tamil language used here for comparison is Tamil as spoken in Sri Lanka.
Note: For information on the transcription used, see National Library at Calcutta romanization and Tamil script. Exceptions from the standard are the romanization of Sinhala long "ä" as "ää", and the non-marking of prenasalized stops.
| Sinhala | Meaning | Tamil | Meaning | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ādāyama | Income | ādāyam | Profit | Trade |
| akkā | Elder sister | akkā | Elder sister | Kinship |
| ambalama | Way-side rest | ambalam | Public place | Daily |
| ämbäṭṭayā | Barber | ampaṭṭaṉ | Barber | Trade |
| āṃgāṇiya | Stall (in a market) | aṅgāṭi | Market | Trade |
| ānā | Man | ān | Man | Daily |
| āṇḍuva | Government | āṇṭāṉ | Rich man with many slaves | Administration |
| appā | Father (regional/colloquial) | appā | Father (Originally from Syriac word Aba) | Kinship |
| āppa | Hoppers | āppam | Hoppers (Originally from Malayalam word Appam) | Food |
| araliya | Oleander | araḷi | Oleander | Botany |
| avariya | Indigo plant | avuri | Indigo plant | Botany |
| ayyā | Elder brother | aiyā (see also Ayya) | Sir, father | Kinship |
| bā | Come | vā | Come | Daily |
| caṇḍiyā | Bandit, rowdy | saṇdiyar | Bandit | Daily |
| cīttaya | Chintz | cīttai | Chintz | Trade |
| ediriya | Opposition, hostility | edhiri | Opponent, enemy | Military |
| galkaṇḍuva | Sugar-candy | kaṟkaṇdu | Sugar-candy | Food |
| iccāva | Flattery | iccakam | Flattery | Daily |
| iḍama | Site, land | idam | Place, site | Construction |
| īḷa | Asthma | īḷai | Asthma | Daily |
| ilakkaya | Target | ilakku | Target | Military |
| ilakkama | Number | ilakkam | Number | Trade |
| iḷandāriyā | Young man | iḷandāri | Young man | Daily |
| iḷavuva | Death, funeral | iḻavu | Death | Daily |
| iraṭṭa | Double, even number | iraṭṭai | Double, even number | Trade |
| īyam | Lead | īyam | Lead | Daily |
| jāḍiya | Jar | cāṭi | Jar | Daily |
| jōḍuva | Pair | jōdi/cōdi | Pair | Daily |
| hodi | Gravy | Daily | ||
| kaḍalē | Chickpea | kadalai (paruppu) | Chickpea | Food |
| kaḍasarakkuva | Spice, curry stuffs | kadai + sarakku | Shop + Goods | Trade |
| kaḍaya | Shop | kadai | Shop | Trade |
| kaḍinama | Haste | kadiṉam | Difficulty | Daily |
| kaḍiyāḷama | Bridle | kadivāḷam | Bridle | Military |
| kaṃkāṇiyā | Overseer | kaṅkāṇi | Foreman | Administration |
| kalanda | A small measure of weight | kaḻañcu | Weight of 1.77 grams | Trade |
| kalavama | Mixture, blend | kalavai | Mixture | Daily |
| kālaya | Quarter | kāl | Quarter | Trade |
| kaḷudäävā | Donkey | kaḻudai | Donkey | Daily |
| kambiya | Wire | kambi | Wire | Trade |
| kāndama | Magnet | kāandam | Magnet | Trade |
| kaṇisama | Size | kaṇisam | Size, amount | Daily |
| kaṇṇāḍiya | Mirror, spectacles | kaṇṇāadi | Mirror, spectacles | Daily |
| kappama | Tribute | kappam | Tribute | Military |
| kappara | Small ship | kappal | Ship | Trade |
| kappi | Grit, bruised grain | kappi | Coarse grits in flour | Daily |
| kappiya | Pulley | kappi | Pulley | |
| kāvala | Protection | |||
| kayippu | Catechu | |||
| kayitālama | A small type if cymbal | |||
| kāppuva | Bracelet | kāappu | Bangle | Daily |
| kärapottā | Cockroach | karappaāṉ | Cockroach (SL) | Daily |
| karavaḷa | Dried fish | karuvāadu | Dried fish | Food |
| kāsiya | Coin | kāasu | Small change, coin | Trade |
| kasippu | Illicit liquor | kacippu | Illicit liquor | Trade |
| kaṭṭumarama | Catamaran | kaṭṭumaram | Catamaran | Trade |
| kayiyeliya | Cloth with coloured border | kaili | Multicoloured cloth worn by Muslims | Daily |
| keṇḍa | Calf | keṇdai(kkāl) | Calf | Daily |
| keṇḍiya | Pitcher | keṇṭi | Pitcher | Daily |
| kiṭṭu | Close, near | kiṭṭa | Close, near | Daily |
| koḍiya | Flag | kodi | Flag | Administration |
| kollaya | Plunder, pillage | koḷḷai | Plunder | Military |
| kombuva | Name of the sign ෙ | kombu (lakaram) | Name of the sign ள | Daily |
| kōn | Part of a name | kōṉ(ar) | Name pertaining to members of the Iṭaiyar caste ("shepherd, king") | Personal name |
| kōṇama | A loin cloth for men | kōvaṇam | A loin cloth for men | Daily |
| koṇḍaya | Plait/bun of hair | koṇdai | Bun/plait of hair | Daily |
| kottamalli | Coriander | koṭhamalli | Coriander | Botany |
| koṭṭaya | Pillow | koṭṭai | Nut, round shape, pillow | Daily |
| kōvila | Hindu temple | kōyil | Temple | Daily |
| kūḍama | Shed, Resthouse | Daily | ||
| kuḍaya | Umbrella | kudai | Umbrella | Daily |
| kūḍaya | Basket | koodai | Basket | Daily |
| kūḍuva | Nest, cage | koodu | Nest, small box | Daily |
| kulala/kuḷala | Pipe | kuḻal | Tube, musical pipe | Daily |
| kulappuva | Confusion | kuḻappu- | to confuse | Military |
| kūlama | Pond | kulam- | Pond | Agricultural Term |
| kurumbā | Young coconut | kurumbai | Young coconut | Food |
| kuliya | Rent | kooli | Rent, pay | Administration |
| kuṭṭama | A Pair | Daily | ||
| macan | Term of endearment along males | Daily | ||
| malaya | Hill country | malai | Hill | Place name |
| māmā. | Maternal uncle | māmā | Maternal uncle | Kinship |
| marakkalaya | Boat, Ethnic Moor, Sampan | marakkalam | (Sailing) Boat | Fishing |
| massinā | Brother-in-law | machiṉaṉ | Brother-in-law | Kinship |
| mayil | Fur, any hair other than on the head/face | Daily | ||
| mella | Gentle, tame, obedient | Daily | ||
| mudala | Money | mudhal | Capital | Trade |
| mudalāli | Merchant, owner of a shop | mudhalāḷi | Merchant | Trade |
| mudali | Part of a name | mudhaliyār | Name of a caste | Personal name |
| muḍukkuva | Narrow street, slum | Daily | ||
| mulu | whole, entire | Daily | ||
| muranḍu | Obstinate, wanting to fight | Daily | ||
| muruṃgā | "Drumsticks", the edible fruits of the Drumstick tree (Moringa pterygosperma ?) | muruṅgai | Horse-radish tree | Food |
| mūḍiya | lid | Daily | ||
| mūṭṭi | Earthen cooking pot | Daily | ||
| mūṭṭuva | bale/bagful | Daily | ||
| nāḍagama | Stage-play | naādagam | Drama, stage-play | Culture |
| nōṃjal, nōṃcal | feeble, unsteady | Daily | ||
| naṃgī | Younger sister | naṅgai | Young girl | Kinship |
| nōnḍi, nonḍi | lame | Daily | ||
| nūla | String/Thread | Daily | ||
| oppuva | Proof | oppu | Administration | |
| ottē | Odd number | otṟai | Odd number | Trade |
| ottuva | Espionage | otṟu | Espionage | Administration |
| padakkama | Medal | padhakkam | Medal | Administration |
| pāḍama | Lesson | pāadam | Lesson | Culture |
| paḍiya | Wage | paṭi | Extra pay | Administration |
| pālama | Bridge | pāalam | Bridge | Construction |
| paḷiya | Revenge | paḻi | Guilt, revenge | Daily |
| palliya | Church/Mosque | palli | Church/Mosque | Daily |
| pandalama | Bower, shady place | pandhal | Bower, shady place | Daily |
| pandama | Torch | pandham | Torch | Religious |
| peruṃkāyam | Asafoetida | Asafoetida | Daily | |
| parippu | Lentils | paruppu | Lentils | Food |
| piṭṭu | A rice dish | piṭṭu | A rice dish | Food |
| poḍi | Small, little | Daily | ||
| poṭṭuva | Bindi | Daily | ||
| poraya | Fight | pōr | Fight | Military |
| poronduva | Agreement, promise | porundhu- | To fit, to agree | Daily |
| porottuva | Delay, waiting | poṟutthu | Having waited | Daily |
| pūccama | Boast, brag | Daily | ||
| pullē | Part of a name | Pillai | Part of a name (originally a Hindu title) | Personal name |
| pūṇa nūla | Sacred string/cord that Brahmins wear over their shoulder | Daily | ||
| saiva, sāiva | Shivaite | Daily | ||
| salli | Money | salli | Coin | Trade |
| saṇḍuva | Fight | saṇdai | Fight | Military |
| sekkuva | Oil mill | Daily | ||
| sembuva | Small metal pot | Daily | ||
| seṃkamālaya | jaundice | Daily | ||
| sereppuva | Sandals | seruppu | Sandals | Daily |
| sotti | Crippled, deformed | sothhai | Emaciated person, defect | Daily |
| suli | whirl, vortical | Daily | ||
| suruṭṭuva | Cigar | suruṭṭu | Cigar | Daily |
| takkāli | Tomato | thakkaāḷi | Tomato | Food |
| talluva | A push | thaḷḷu- | To push | Daily |
| tambiyā | Derogatory term for a Muslim man | tambi | Younger brother | Daily |
| tani | Alone | thaṉi | Alone | Daily |
| täpäl | Postal | tabaāl | Postal, mail | Administration |
| tarama | Size, position, quantity | tharam | Quality, sort | Trade |
| taṭṭa | Bald | thaṭṭai | Baldness | Daily |
| tāliya | A necklace signifying marriage | Daily | ||
| tāttā | Father | thāathaā | Grandfather | Kinship |
| taṭṭuva | A knock | thaṭṭu- | To knock | Daily |
| tōḍuva | A hollow cylindrical earring | Daily | ||
| tunḍuva | bit/scrap | Daily | ||
| uḍäkkiya | A narrow drum | udukkai | A narrow drum | Daily |
| udavva | Help | udhavi | Help | Daily |
| ulukkuva | Sprain (of a joint) | suḷukku | Sprain | Daily |
| ūḷiyama | Tax payable by foreigners | ooḻiyam | Service | Administration |
| uraya | Covering/Case | Daily | ||
| vaṭṭiya | Type of shallow basket | Daily | ||
| veri | Drunk | veṟi | intention, madness | Daily |
Read more about this topic: Tamil Loanwords In Sinhala
Famous quotes containing the words list of, list and/or words:
“Shea—they call him Scholar Jack—
Went down the list of the dead.
Officers, seamen, gunners, marines,
The crews of the gig and yawl,
The bearded man and the lad in his teens,
Carpenters, coal-passers—all.”
—Joseph I. C. Clarke (1846–1925)
“Every morning I woke in dread, waiting for the day nurse to go on her rounds and announce from the list of names in her hand whether or not I was for shock treatment, the new and fashionable means of quieting people and of making them realize that orders are to be obeyed and floors are to be polished without anyone protesting and faces are to be made to be fixed into smiles and weeping is a crime.”
—Janet Frame (b. 1924)
“One merit of poetry few persons will deny: it says more and in fewer words than prose.”
—Voltaire [François Marie Arouet] (1694–1778)