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Sri Lankan English - Updates and Corrections
This section contains updates to the dictionary, based
partly on comments from readers. The pages are ordered alphabetically, and each page is divided into 2 parts: New Entries,
and Comments and Corrections. Click on the
initial letter to view each set of entries.
These pages are updated regularly; please contact
me if you have any suggestions or feedback which can be included.
Scroll down for a list of books from which citations have been taken.
Latest update: September 2018. This is the last update planned before the publication of the second edition of the Dictionary of Sri Lankan English. All the entries on these pages will be included in that edition, as well as substantial changes to the entries in the first edition.
NEW ENTRIES:
A |
abstain, abuses, accident ward, addl., adhi poya, Adivasi, after liquor, agency house, Ahikuntika, airlift, Airmen, aiye, ala dosi, ala hodi, all-island, already, amawaka poya, ambula, ambun, Amdan, amuredi, Anandian, ... and give, annexed, appam, arahat, arecanut cutter, arid zone, arrack cocktail, arrack farming, arrack renter, arrack tavern, aru, as, atawaka poya, attiyal, auspicious time, auto, avail, ayurvedic, ayurvedic physician |
B |
babul beeda, backhoe, bahirawaya, baila (2), bake house, Balangoda man, bali, Bamba, bambara, bana maduwa, talk bana, bandura, bank holiday, bare-bodied, Basnayake Nilame, batana, Batticaloa Tamil, Battle of the Blues, bees' honey, Benedictine (Ben), berava, betel box, bhakthi gee, Bharatha, bhootaya, birth anniversary, Bishopian, biso kotuwa, Black July, black pork curry, blue magpie, Blues, body wash, bonda, booruwa, boru karaya, boru show, bothal karaya, the boys, Brahmin, break (a house), break (cobwebs), breather, Bridgeteen, brinjal moju, buckled, budu amme!, budu ge, buffalo, buggalow, Burgomaster chair, Burma teak, bus route board, bystander |
C |
C, caddish, Calicut tiles, cane chair, carrom ball, carrom board, carromite, carrom men, carry tales, car wash, cash plucking, cast (a horoscope), caste, casual leave, cat, cattish, CBK, cent, Ceylonese, Ceylon Tamil, Ceylon tea, Ceylon tiles, chakgudu, chank (shell), chapter, charmist, chatty roast, chusfy, Cinnamon Gardens, cinnamon peeler, coconut flower, coconut garden, coconut honey, coconut husker, coconut shell, coconut shell spoon, coconut water, coloury, coming-of-age ceremony/party, condole, conductor, conner, cooling glasses, cop, Cops, court mudaliyar, cover, CR book, creeping, CTC, curry, cut-out |
D |
D, damn good, dasasil matha, dash coconuts, Dayaka Sabha, death donation society, death fast, deffa, de-gazette, del chips, delist, Demala, deva, devil dancer, devil mask, deviyane!, dewa, dhammapada, dhamma school, dhobi mark, dhobi woman, dhoni, dhool, Dilscoop, disavani, District Secretary, disturb, Divisional Secretary, doctor Sunny, dolphin (kottu), domiciled, dosha, I doubt, dress (a sari), drivers' quarters, DS, duwe, Dy. |
E |
eating-drinking, Eelamist, EGB, elders' home, elephant corridor, elephant gathering, Elu, end of the day, English day, enlarge on bail, erashtaka, estate Tamil, ex-estate |
| fags, Familian, favouration, FBOP, fellow, fine one, fine thing, fish bun, fit-on room, fogging, food cover, footboard traveller, foreigner, foreign liquor, fujigraph, full option, fully worth | |
G |
gaduguda, gaja muthu, gala, gal siyambala, gamsabhava, ganga, garment factory, Gate Mudaliyar, gazetted, gazette notification, gem pit, gini sapu, give sb to do sth, give to see, go down, goda, gon part, gopuram, GOSL, graduate teacher, gram cart, gravet, grease yaka/devil, Greens, grinding stone, Guru, gurunnanse |
H |
hackery race, hadu, hakka patas, half, halmilla, hammer, handalla, har' par' six fellow, hathmaluwa, hatti mutti, Havies, hearth (from the frying pan to the hearth), Heartian, hell of a thing!, here and there, higher studies, Hikka, hill capital, hill country Tamil, homecoming sari, home people, Hony., hoowa, hopper mixture, hopper pan, hot butter cuttlefish, how-do-you-do, how many, hubby, human-elephant conflict |
I |
idda, idiappam, ilapotha, Indian Tamil, interpreter mudaliyar, invitation card, IP, ipil-ipil, issaraha kaema, isso vadai |
J |
jacket piece, Jaffnaite, Jaffna man, Jaffna Tamil, Jaffnese, jam bottle, jaramara, jilmart, jingbang, joker, Josephian (Joe), JR, JT, in (his/her) jungies, junthu, just go! |
K |
kabala, kachchaal, kadala gotu, kade appan, kade paan, kade tea, kadu faculty, kadupul, Kaffir, kaffrinha, kahata, Kali Yuga, kallathoni, kalu, kalu coat karaya, Kandyan chief, Kandyan drummer, Kandyan hospitality, Kandyan law, kankun, kapati suit, kapha, karachchal, karaiyar, kasa karaya, kasippu den, kasthane, katina pinkama, katty, katussa, kavadi, kaviya, keeri samba, kehel kana, kekka, kenda, kerosene oil, keththa, Kili, kindify, kirala, kiri aappa, kiribath structure, kitul piti, kitul tapper, KKS, knock off, koholla, kota uda, kottamba, kumarihamy, kunkumam, kuppi, kuppi lamp, kurakkan satakaya, kutti |
L |
lamp-post, Landmaster, land phone, lanket/lunket, leafy, learners, lemon puff, less/lesser number of, Lion Lager, the Lions, liquor, liquoring, LKR, lobaya, loku, loku (aiya/akka/duwa/putha), loku hamuduruwo, loku maama/nenda, long cut, long whistle, low-grown, lunumidella |
M |
machal, maendiya, Maha Mudaliyar, mala batha, malkoha, mana grass, manel, Marie biscuit, masala vadai, mee haraka, mid-country, mid-grown, milk wine, mohottala, mother tongue, moulavi, movement, MR, Mrs B, MS, mudaliyar, muhurath, mulgedera, mulligatawny, murunga leaves, Musaeite, Muslim law, muster shed, must-ma, Mw |
N |
nadaswaran, nadu (rice), Naga, nai miris, navandanna, Necto, nephew/niece, nice, nidikumba, nightingale, nil manel, Nittaewo, niyara, no any, non-a/c, non-vellala, notice, now itself, nuga tree, nut loose |
O |
odiyal, odiyal flour, odiyal kool, ohe, old crock, olinda, olu, Orange Barley, orthodox, oruwa, osari pota, our boys, our one, our ones, outstations, overlook |
P |
paan baage, paappa, pada show, paddy lands, paddy tax, palayakat sarong, Pali, pallang, palmyrah arrack, palmyrah fence, palmyrah flour, palmyrah jaggery, panchayudha, pandan karaya, pandithaya, pani valalu, pan kola, paraiyar, parana coat man, paraya, para Demala, parinirvana, pasaloswaka poya, patabendi, patana, pax, pearl fishery, peel cinnamon, perethaya, perethi, Peterite (Pete), PHI, photo catcher, pick balls, pila, pilimage, pin, pinattu, pirith mandapaya, pitiya, pitta, pitta bird, plantation Tamil, pocket meeting, pocket out, podi (malli/nangi/duwa/putha), podi hamuduruwo, Point Pedro vadai, pol adi, pol dosi, polkatu accent, polkatu handa, pol toffee, polos mallung, poojafy, poriyal, Portuguese Burgher, pot arrack, pothering, potta shot, POW, Prep, Prepite, pre-poya, production, PTK, public holiday, punt, pus vedilla, put, put on, put to fall, puthe |
R |
rack, railway warrant, rainda rala, rajakariya, Rajarata, rakshasa, ralahamy, rasa kevili, rasavalli pudding, rathu sahodaraya, raw curry powder, raw filth, refuse tea, rehabilitee, reload, renter, reputed, residencies, RH, RHK, rice hound, rice pounder, rilawa, ring cut, roasted curry powder, roll, roofing sheets, rowdies, Ruhuna, run and catchers, rustify |
S |
S, saffronisation, Sailors, salmal, santhosam, sardine, sari pallu, sari pleats, saronged, satakaya, sauce, scrape, scraper, screw loose, scrub jungle, Sebastianite (Seb), Secy, to see, see will you!, selalihiniya, semi-luxury bus, servants' toilet, sesatha, seth pirith, shape!, Shepherdian, short of hearing, short whistle, shot (of arrack), shotty, show, show cause, SI, sick note campaign, sil maeni, sil redi, silver tip, Sinhala Buddhist, Sinhalafy, Sinhala hound, Sinhalaness, Sinhala only, Sinhalaya, Sinhalisation, slice, slipper cut, sloth bear, small days, smore, sodi, so how?, Soldiers, something, son of the soil, sort, South, spare wheel, sports meet, squirrel, Sri Lankan hound, Sri Lankanised, Sri Lankanism, Sri Lankan Tamil, star tortoise, stepmotherly treatment, still for all, stringhopper mould, strings, suddhi, suduru samba, sugar bun, supdt., surrendee, sutra, suwandel, sweepings |
T |
tak tik tuk, tale-carrier, tale-carrying, talipot, Tamil Eelam, Tamilian, Tamilisation, Tamil man, Tamilness, Tamil New Year, Tamil of Indian origin, Tamil Tiger, Tathagatha, tavern renter, tea auction, tea broker, tea bun, tea garden, tea kiosk, tea planter, tea taster, thada, thadang, Thalaivar, thaththa (2), thaththi, that one, thebu, thelijja, then only, ther, this/that much of, thisthingfy, thombu, thoplan sambol, thottam, three-wheeler driver, thundering slap, thundu, thuththiri, thuttu deke, tic-polonga, tie and coat, Tigress, time to time, tinkering, tin ticket, tippy, today itself, tommy rot, tooth relic, traffic block, trained teacher, treacle, tri-forces/tri-services, Trinitian, Tripitaka, trishaw driver, trouser Johnny, tuk-tuk |
U |
Udarata, u'grad, Una, unroasted curry powder, unspool, upcountry Tamil, updation, uplift, upliftment |
V |
VA, vahumpura, valance board, vambatu moju, vambatu pahi, vannam, vas, vastu, vata, vatti amma, velithalapa, vernacular school, ves, Vesak (to see Vesak), vesmuhuna, vidane, Viharadhipathi, vinaya, Visakhian, visiting agent, VSOA, VVIP, VVT |
W |
waive off, Wakf Board, wala, wallapatta, wandura, washed off, water cut, wathu sudu, Wayamba, wear a sari, weera, well sweep, Wesleyite, wetakeiya, what for..., wheel cup, which and which, white vanning, whole day, wounded, WPB, a wrong thing |
| yahapalanite, yaka bus, yakkini, younger to |
These pages include citations taken from the following books, in addition to the books listed in the Bibliography of the dictionary:
The Broken Palmyrah, by Rajan Hoole et al (Sri Lanka Studies Institute, California, revised edition 1990)
All is Burning, by Jean Arasanayagam (Penguin 1995)
Colombo, by Carl Muller (Penguin 1995)
Spit and Polish, by Carl Muller (Penguin 1998)
Fifteen, by Ameena Hussein (ICES 1999)
The Flower Boy, by Karen Roberts (Phoenix 1999)
Shrapnel, by Neil Fernandopulle (Sarasavi 2000)
Nobodies to Somebodies, by Kumari Jayawardena (SSA and Sanjiva Books 2000)
Sam’s Story, by Elmo Jayawardena (Vijitha Yapa 2001)
Press with the Toes in the Grass, by Barbara Sansoni (Barefoot 2003)
Distant Warriors, by Channa Wickremesekera (Perera Hussein 2005)
The Good Little Ceylonese Girl, by Ashok Ferrey (author publication 2006)
The Banana Tree Crisis, by Isankya Kodithuwakku (Vijitha Yapa 2006)
The Sweet and Simple Kind, by Yasmine Gooneratne (Perera Hussein 2006)
A Nice Burgher Girl, by Jean Arasanayagam (SSA 2006)
Can You Hear me Running, by Lal Medawattegedara (Zeus 2007)
Rainbows in Braille, by Elmo Jayawardena (author publication 2007)
The(ir) (Au)topsy, by Vihanga Perera (author publication 2007)
The Mango Tree, by Anthea Senaratna (author publication 2008)
Learning to Fly, by Shehani Gomes (Perera Hussein 2008)
Stable Horses, by Vihanga Perera (author publication 2008)
The Nature of Sri Lanka, by Luxshmanan Nadaraja (Wildlight 2008)
Facets of Wewala, by Seneka Abeyratne (author publication 2008)
The Nature of Sri Lanka, by Luxshmanan Nadaraja (Wildlight 2008)
The Moon in the Water, by Ameena Hussein (Perera Hussein 2009)
Theravada Man, by Manuka Wijesinghe (Bay Owl 2009)
Serendipity, by Ashok Ferrey (author publication 2009)
Mythil’s Secret, by Prashani Rambukwella (Perera Hussein 2009)
Eternally Yours, by Sybil Wettasinghe (author publication 2009)
Love Marriage, by V.V. Ganeshananthan (Phoenix 2009)
Zeylanica: a study of the peoples and languages of Sri Lanka, by Asiff Hussein (Neptune 2009) Maudiegirl and the von Bloss Kitchen, by Carl Muller (Penguin 2009)
Arathi, by Nihal de Silva (Vijitha Yapa 2010)
Unplugged Quarter, by Vihanga Perera (author publication 2010)
Chucking the Dragon, by Mark Wilde (Sri Serendipity 2010)
The Lament of the Dhobi Woman, by Karen Roberts (Perera Hussein 2010)
The Mirror of Paradise, by Asgar Hussein (Vijitha Yapa 2010)
The Whirlwind, by Ayathurai Santhan (VUS Pathippagam, India 2010)
Homesick, by Roshi Fernando (Impress Books 2010)
Chinaman: the Legend of Pradeep Mathew, by Shehan Karunatilaka (1st edition 2010)
The Cat’s Table, by Michael Ondaatje (Jonathan Cape 2011)
Beggar's Feast, by Randy Boyagoda (Perera Hussein 2011)
The Fear of Gambling, by Vihanga Perera (author publication 2011)
Island of a Thousand Mirrors, by Nayomi Munaweera (Perera Hussein 2012)
Questions of Travel, by Michelle de Kretser (Allen & Unwin 2012)
The Hungry Ghosts, by Shyam Selvadurai (Penguin 2013)
The Professional, by Ashok Ferrey (Random House 2013)
Somewhere, by Vijita Fernando (author publication 2013)
Playing Pillow Politics at MGK, by Lal Medawattegedara (Akna 2013)
No Return, by Rajitha Dissanayake, translated by Hasini Haputhanthri and Gihan de Chickera (Winranga 2013)
Wild Sri Lanka, by Gehan de Silva Wijeyeratne (John Beaufoy 2013)
Strange Fruit, by Afdhel Aziz (Serendipity Unlimited 2014)
A Little Dust on the Eyes, by Minoli Salgado (Peepal Tree 2014)
Sinhala Only, by Manuka Wijesinghe (Vijitha Yapa 2014)
Time Will Write a Song for You: Contemporary Tamil writing from Sri Lanka (Penguin 2014)
(extracts cited by Malliappu Santhi Thilakar, translated by D. Senthil Babu)
Accha House and Umma House, by Asiff Hussein (Neptune 2014)
On Sal Mal Lane, by Ru Freeman (Penguin 2014)
Postcards to Bentham, by Vihanga Perera (author publication 2014)
Rails Run Parallel, by Ayathurai Santhan (PawPrint 2015)
Palmyra Fallen: from Rajani to War’s End, by Rajan Hoole (University Teachers for Human Rights, Jaffna, 2015)
Sigiriya & Beyond, by Neranjana Gunetilleke et al (Back of Beyond 2016)
What Lies Between Us, by Nayomi Munaweera (Perera Hussein 2016)
A Long Watch, by Ajith Boyagoda and Sunila Galappatti (Hurst 2016)
Rannygazoo, by Yasmine Gooneratne (unpublished novel 2016)
The Ceaseless Chatter of Demons, by Ashok Ferrey (Penguin 2016)
Song of the Sun God, by Shankari Chandran (Perera-Hussein 2017)
Sri Lanka: The Island from Above, by Richard Simon (Sansoni Warehouse 2017)
Ceylon Tea: The Trade that Made a Nation, by Richard Simon (Colombo Tea Traders’ Association 2017)
The Story of a Brief Marriage, by Anuk Arudpragasam (Fourth Estate 2016)
The Line of Lanka, by Sunela Jayewardene (Sailfish 2017)