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" ([æː] ) 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 bālkaya because Sinhala inanimate nouns (see grammatical gender ) need to end with /a/, [ə ] , 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 > rāmuva ).
With a /ya/ added to words ending in /a/ or /e/ or /i/ (e.g. bakje > bakkiya ).
With the animate ending /yā/ added to Dutch words signifying living beings or (e.g. tolk > tōlkayā ).
Initial /s/ preceding a consonant usually forms an additional syllable (e.g. school > iskōlaya ).
Nouns and Adjectives
[ 1] [ 2] [ 3]
Sinhala
සිංහල
Meaning
Dutch
Meaning
Type
administrāsiya
අද්මිනිස්ත්රාසිය
Administration
Administratie
Administration
Administration
advakāt
අද්වකාත්
Lawyer, advocate
Advocaat
Lawyer
Administration
agasti
අගස්ති
Agate
Agate
Agate
Daily
amanda, amandäl
අමන්ද, අමන්දැල්
Almond
Amandel
Almond
Food
ambila
අම්බිල
Anvil
Aambeeld
Anvil
Daily
artāpal
අර්තාපල්
Potato
Aardappel
Potato
Food
äpääla
ඇපෑල
corporation
Appel
Appeal
Administration
āsiyā
ආසිය
Ace
Aas
Ace
Daily
avagāraya
අවගාරය
Auger
Avegaar
Auger
Construction
bācciya
බාච්චිය
Jacket
Baadje
Jacket
Clothing
bakkiya
බක්කිය
small trough or box
Bakje
Small trough or box
Construction
balansa
බලන්ස
balance
Balans
Balance
Daily
bāliya
බාලිය
Tub
Balie
Tub
Daily
balkona
බල්කොන
balcony
Balkon
Balcony
Construction
bālkaya
බාල්කය
Beam/Rafter
Balk
Beam
Construction
banketa
බාන්සිය
Banquette
Banket
Banquette
Construction
bānsiya
බාන්සිය
Berth
Baantje
Berth
Construction
bās
බාස්
Mason
Baas
Boss, leader
Construction
bavusa
බවුස
Tube
Buis
Tube
Daily
belek
බෙලෙක්
Tin
Blikje
Tin
Daily
beliyata
බෙලියත
Placard, Notice of Sale
Bericht
Notice
Daily
bōkkuva
බෝක්කුව
Arch
Boog
Arch
Daily
bōnci
බෝංචි
Bean(s)
Boontje
Bean
Food
bōrdaya
බෝර්දය
Border
Boord
Edge, Border
Daily
būdalaya
බූදලය
Estate/Property
Boerderij
Estate
Administration
būndala
බූන්දල
Bundle
Bundel
Bundle
Daily
būruvā
බුරුවා
Jack/Knave
Boer
Farmer
Daily
dān
දාං
Draughts
Dammen
Draughts
Daily
dāsiya
දාසිය
Tie
Das
Tie
Clothing
dääla
දෑල
Dale
Dal
Dale
Daily
dusima
දුසිම
Dozen
Dozijn
Dozen
Daily
hākkaya
හාක්කය
Hook
Haak
Hook
Daily
hārnāla
හාර්නාල
Hairpin
Haarnaald
Hairpin
Daily
hārata
හාරත
Hearts
Harten
Hearts
Daily
hēra
හේරා
King
Heer
Mister, Sir
Daily
hundā
හුන්දා
Hound
Hond
Dog
Daily
jasa, jäsa
ජස, ජැස
Jacket
Jas
Jacket
Clothing
isnibonchi
Green beans
Snijboontjes
Green bean
food
istirikkaya
ඉස්තිරික්කය
Iron
Strijkijzer
Iron
Daily
iskōppa
ඉස්කෝප්ප
Spades
Schoppen
Spades
Daily
istālaya
ඉස්තාලය
Stall, Stable
Stal
Stall
Construction
istōppuva
ඉස්තෝප්පුව
Veranda
Stoep
Side Walk
Construction
kakkussiya
කක්කුස්සිය
Toilet
Kakhuisje
kak "feces" + huisje "small house"
Daily
kalābara
කලාබර
Clubs
Klaveren
Clubs
Daily
kāmaraya
කාමරය
Room
Kamer
Room
Construction
kanāla
කනාල
Canal
Kanaal
Canal
Construction
kantōruva
කන්තෝරුව
Office
Kantoor
Office
Administration
kaḷukumā
කලුකුමා
Turkey
Kalkoen
Turkey
Food
kanoma
කනොම
Cannon
Kanon
Cannon
Military
kapōti
කපෝති
Broken, exhausted
Kapot
Broken, exhausted
Daily
karāmaya
කරාමය
Tap
Kraan
Tap
Daily
kāsiya
කාසිය
Coin
kwartje
Quarter
Daily
kastan
කස්තන්
Chestnut
kastanje
Chestnut
Daily
kompäniya
කොම්පැනිය
Company
Compagnie
Company
Administration
kārtuva
කාර්තුව
Card
kaartje
Card
Daily
kärakōppuva
කැරකෝප්පුව
Cemetery
Kerkhof
Cemetery
Daily
kētalaya
කේතලය
Kettle
Ketel
Kettle
Food
klavīra
ක්ලාවිර
Piano
Klavier
Daily
klääsiya
ක්ලාසිය
Class
Klasse
Class
Daily
kokis
කොකිස්
Type of fried traditional food
Koekjes
Biscuit
Food
kondēsiya
කොන්දේසිය
Condition
Conditie
Condition
Daily
kōkiyā
කෝකියා
Cook
Kokin
Cook
Daily
kōpi
කෝපි
Coffee
Koffie
Coffee
Daily
kōppaya
කෝප්පය
Cup
Kop
Cup
Daily
koroma
කොරොම
Crown
Kroon
Crown
Daily
kuluna
Column
Colonne
Column
Daily
kuyitansiya
කුයිතන්සිය
Receipt
Kwitantie
Receipt
Administration
lanta
ලන්ත
Land
Land
Land, Country
Administration
lappiya
ලප්පිය
Patch
Lapje
Lap
Clothing
läin
ලැයින්
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
maḍa
මඩ
Mud
Modder
Mud
Daily
mīla
මීල
Meal
Meel
Meal
Daily
minci
මිංචි
Mint
Muntje
Mint
Food
mōla
මෝල
Mill
Molen
Mill
Trade
nääla
නෑල
Needle
Naald
Needle
Daily
notāris
නොතාරිස්
Notary
Notaris
Notary
Administration
oralōsuva
ඔරලෝසුව
Clock
Horloge (from French )
Wrist Watch
Daily
panīla
පනීල
Panel
Paneel
Panel
Daily
pelsa
පෙල්ස
Fur
Pels
Fur
Daily
petora
පෙතොර
Cartride
Patroon
Cartridge
Military
pispontuva
පිටසැලි
Backstich
Backstich
Daily
piṭasäli
පිටසැලි
Parsley
Peterselie
Parsley
Food
plā
ප්ලා
Custard
Vla
Custard
Food
poroppaya
පොරොප්පය
Cork
Prop, Kurk
Plug, Cork
Daily
porova
පොරොව
Queen
Vrouw
Lady
Daily
proklamāsiya
ප්රොක්ලමාසිය
Proclamation
Proclamatie
Proclamation
Administration
pūli
පූලි
Mace
Foelie
Mace
Food
pūsā
පූසා
Cat
Poes
Cat
Animal
puyar
පුයර්
Powder
Poeier
Powder
Daily
rākkaya
රාක්කය
Rack
Rek
Rack
Daily
rāmuva
රාමුව
Frame
Raam
Frame
Daily
rikat
රිකත්
Richard
Rikkert
Richard
Proper Name
ruhita
රිකත්
Diamonds
Ruiten
Diamonds
Daily
säldiri
සැල්දිරි
Celery
Selderij
Celery
Food
säädala
සෑදල
Saddle
Zadel
Saddle
Daily
selduk
සෙල්දුක්
Canvas
Zeildoek
Canvas
Daily
sipiri, sipiyā
සිපිරි, සිපියා
Jailer, Warden
Cipier
Jailer
Administration
sōppiya
සෝප්පිය
Shot
Schop
Shot
Daily
tarappuva
තරප්පුව
Stairs
Trap
Stairs
Construction
tēpōcciya
තේපෝච්චිය
Teapot
Theepot
Tea pot
Daily
tintal
තින්තල්
Tinder
Tintel
Tinder
Daily
tisāla
තිසාල
Tile
Tegel
Tile
Daily
testamēntuva
තෙස්තමේන්තුව
Testament
Testament
Testament
Administration
tōlkayā
තෝල්කයා
Interpreter
Tolk
Interpreter
Administration
vāpana
වාපන
Coat of Arms
Wapen
Insignia
Daily
vatal
වතල්
Carrot
Wortel
Carrot
food
vatura
වතුර
Water
Water
Water
Daily
vendēsiya
වෙන්දේසිය
Auction
Vendutie
Auction
Administration
vinkala
වින්කල
Workshop
Winkel
Shop
Daily
viyalti
වියල්ති
Violet
Viooltje
Violet
Daily
vul
වුල්
Wool
Wol
Wool
Daily
Verbs
Sinhala
සිංහල
Meaning
Dutch
Meaning
bikel karanavā
බිකෙල් කරනවා
to Engrave
Bickelen
to Engrave
kēvel karanavā
කේවල කරනවා
to Haggle
kibbelen
to Haggle
ploit karanavā
ප්ලෝයිත් කරනවා
to Whistle
Fluiten
to Whistle
taksēru karanavā
තක්සේරු කරනවා
to Appraise
taxeren
to Appraise
tisal gahanavā
තිසල් ගහනවා
to Tile
tegelen
to Tile
tōlka karanavā
තෝල්ක කරනවා
to Interpret
vertolken
To Interpret
trānslāt karanavā
ත්රාන්ස්ලාත් කරනවා
to Translate
translateren
To Translate
vendēsi karanavā
වෙන්දේසි කරනවා
to Auction
vendutie
to Auction
See also
References
^ Carter, Charles (1924). A Sinhalese-English Dictionary. Asian Educational Services.
^ Sannasgala, Punci Baṇdara (1976). A Study of Sinhala Vocables of Dutch Origin.
^ Meyler, Michael (2007). A Dictionary of Sri Lankan English. Samayawardhana Printers.
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