This is a list of Sinhala words of Dutch origin. 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 regard 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/, , 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

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.

Sinhala සිංහල Meaning Dutch Meaning Typeadministrāsiya අද්මිනිස්ත්‍රාසිය Administration Administratie Administration Administrationadvakāt අද්වකාත් Lawyer, advocate Advocaat Lawyer Administrationagasti අගස්ති Agate Agate Agate Dailyamanda, amandæl අමන්ද, අමන්දැල් Almond Amandel Almond Foodambila අම්බිල Anvil Aambeeld Anvil Dailyartāpal අර්තාපල් Potato Aardappel Potato Foodæpǣla ඇපෑල corporation Appel Appeal Administrationāsiyā ආසිය Ace Aas Ace Dailyavagāraya අවගාරය Auger Avegaar Auger Constructionbācciya බාච්චිය Jacket Baadje Jacket Clothingbakkiya බක්කිය small trough or box Bakje Small trough or box Constructionbalansa බලන්ස balance Balans Balance Dailybāliya බාලිය Tub Balie Tub Dailybalkona බල්කොන balcony Balkon Balcony Constructionbālkaya බාල්කය Beam/Rafter Balk Beam Constructionbanketa බන්කෙත Banquette Banket Banquette Constructionbānsiya බාන්සිය Berth Baantje Berth Constructionbās බාස් Mason Baas Boss, leader Constructionbavusa බවුස Tube Buis Tube Dailybelek බෙලෙක් Tin Blikje Tin Dailybeliyata බෙලියත Placard, Notice of Sale Bericht Notice Dailybōkkuva බෝක්කුව Arch Boog Arch Dailybōṁci බෝංචි Bean(s) Boontje Bean Foodbōrdaya බෝර්දය Border Boord Edge, Border Dailybūdalaya බූදලය Estate/Property Boerderij Estate Administrationbūndala බූන්දල Bundle Bundel Bundle Dailybūruvā බුරුවා Jack/Knave Boer Farmer Dailydāṁ දාං Draughts Dammen Draughts Dailydāsiya දාසිය Tie Das Tie Clothingdǣla දෑල Dale Dal Dale Dailydusima දුසිම Dozen Dozijn Dozen Dailyhākkaya හාක්කය Hook Haak Hook Dailyhārnāla හාර්නාල Hairpin Haarnaald Hairpin Dailyhārata හාරත Hearts Harten Hearts Dailyhērā හේරා King Heer Mister, Sir Dailyhundā හුන්දා Hound Hond Dog Dailyjasa, jæsa ජස, ජැස Jacket Jas Jacket Clothingisnibonchi ඉස්නිබෝංචි Green beans Snijboontjes Green bean foodistirikkaya ඉස්තිරික්කය Iron Strijkijzer Iron Dailyiskōppa ඉස්කෝප්ප Spades Schoppen Spades Dailyistālaya ඉස්තාලය Stall, Stable Stal Stall Constructionistōppuva ඉස්තෝප්පුව Veranda Stoep Side Walk Constructionkakkussiya කක්කුස්සිය Toilet Kakhuisje kak "feces" + huisje "small house" Dailykalābara කලාබර Clubs Klaveren Clubs Dailykāmaraya කාමරය Room Kamer Room Constructionkanāla කනාල Canal Kanaal Canal Constructionkantōruva කන්තෝරුව Office Kantoor Office Administrationkalukumā කලුකුමා Turkey Kalkoen Turkey Foodkanoma කනොම Cannon Kanon Cannon Militarykapōti කපෝති Broken, exhausted Kapot Broken, exhausted Dailykarāmaya කරාමය Tap Kraan Tap Dailykāsiya කාසිය Coin kwartje Quarter Dailykastan කස්තන් Chestnut kastanje Chestnut Dailykompæniya කොම්පැනිය Company Compagnie Company Administrationkārtuva කාර්තුව Card kaartje Card Dailykærakōppuva කැරකෝප්පුව Cemetery Kerkhof Cemetery Dailykētalaya කේතලය Kettle Ketel Kettle Foodklavīra ක්ලාවීර Piano Klavier Dailyklāsiya ක්ලාසිය Class Klasse Class Dailykokis කොකිස් Type of fried traditional food Koekjes Biscuit Foodkondēsiya කොන්දේසිය Condition Conditie Condition Dailykōkiyā කෝකියා Cook Kokin Cook Dailykōpi කෝපි Coffee Koffie Coffee Dailykōppaya කෝප්පය Cup Kop Cup Dailykoroma කොරොම Crown Kroon Crown Dailykuluna කුලුන Colonne Column Dailykuyitansiya කුයිතන්සිය Receipt Kwitantie Receipt Administrationlanta ලන්ත Land Land Land, Country Administrationlappiya ලප්පිය Patch Lapje Lap Clothinglæyin ලැයින් Glue Lijm Glue Dailylavandel ලවන්දෙල් Lavender Lavendel Lavender Botanicalleyi leyi ලෙයි ලෙයි Mixed Allerlei All kinds of Dailylonda ලොන්ද Blond Blond Blond Botanicallūpa ලූප Gun Barrel Loop Barrel Militarymīla මීල Meal Meel Meal Dailymiṁci මිංචි Mint Muntje Mint Foodnǣla නෑල Needle Naald Needle Dailynotāris නොතාරිස් Notary Notaris Notary Administrationoralōsuva ඔරලෝසුව Clock Horloge (from French) Wrist Watch Dailypanīla පනීල Panel Paneel Panel Dailypelsa පෙල්ස Fur Pels Fur Dailypetora පෙතොර Cartride Patroon Cartridge Militarypiṭasæli පිටසැලි Parsley Peterselie Parsley Foodplā ප්ලා Custard Vla Custard Foodporoppaya පොරොප්පය Cork Prop, Kurk Plug, Cork Dailyporova පොරොව Queen Vrouw Lady Dailyproklamāsiya ප්‍රොක්ලමාසිය Proclamation Proclamatie Proclamation Administrationpūli පූලි Mace Foelie Mace Foodpūsā පූසා Cat Poes Cat Animalpuyar පුයර් Powder Poeier Powder Dailyrākkaya රාක්කය Rack Rek Rack Dailyrāmuva රාමුව Frame Raam Frame Dailyrikat රිකත් Richard Rikkert Richard Proper Nameruhita රුවිත Diamonds Ruiten Diamonds Dailysældiri සැල්දිරි Celery Selderij Celery Foodsǣdala සෑදල Saddle Zadel Saddle Dailyselduk සෙල්දුක් Canvas Zeildoek Canvas Dailysipiri, sipiyā සිපිරි, සිපියා Jailer, Warden Cipier Jailer Administrationsōppiya සෝප්පිය Shot Schop Shot Dailytarappuva තරප්පුව Stairs Trap Stairs Constructiontēpōcciyaතේපෝච්චිය Teapot Theepot Tea pot Dailytintal තින්තල් Tinder Tintel Tinder Dailytisāla තිසාල Tile Tegel Tile Dailytestamēntuva තෙස්තමේන්තුව Testament Testament Testament Administrationtōlkayā තෝල්කයා Interpreter Tolk Interpreter Administrationvāpana වාපන Coat of Arms Wapen Insignia Dailyvatal වතල් Carrot Wortel Carrot foodvendēsiya වෙන්දේසිය Auction Vendutie Auction Administrationvinkala වින්කල Workshop Winkel Shop Dailyviyalti වියල්ති Violet Viooltje Violet Dailyvul වුල් Wool Wol Wool Daily

Verbs

Sinhala සිංහල Meaning Dutch Meaning bikel karanavā බිකෙල් කරනවා to Engrave Bickelen to Engravekēvala karanavā කේවල කරනවා to Haggle kibbelen to Haggleployit karanavā ප්ලෝයිත් කරනවා to Whistle Fluiten to Whistletaksēru karanavā තක්සේරු කරනවා to Appraise taxeren to Appraise tisal gahanavā තිසල් ගහනවා to Tile tegelen to Tiletōlka karanavā තෝල්ක කරනවා to Interpret vertolken To Interprettrānslāt karanavā ත්‍රාන්ස්ලාත් කරනවා to Translate translateren To Translatevendēsi karanavā වෙන්දේසි කරනවා to Auction vendutie to Auction

See also English loanwords in Sinhala Portuguese loanwords in Sinhala Tamil loanwords in Sinhala

References