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A Sinhalese name or Sinhala name may contain two or three parts: a patronymic, one or more given names, and sometimes a surname, which was often absent in the past. [1] Full names can be rather long, and hence are often shortened, by omitting or abbreviating the family name and one of the given names, as in R. M. S. Ariyaratna.
Most Sindhi tribes, clans and surnames are a modified form of a patronymic and typically end with the suffix - ani, Ja/Jo, or Potra/Pota, which is used to denote descent from a common male ancestor. One explanation states that the -ani suffix is a Sindhi variant of 'anshi', derived from the Sanskrit word 'ansh', which means 'descended from'.
Govigama is derived from the Sinhala word Goyigama meaning farm-land, in reference to their traditional occupation as farmers and land owners. [ 9 ] [ 10 ] Early Sinhalese texts such as the 13th century Pujavaliya mention a caste system of the Sinhalese society; the Raja (rulers), Bamunu ( Brahmins ), Velanda (traders) and the Govi (Farmers).
At given times, they were exempted from this duty. Yet, in case it was not stated down in the lekampotha (the secretarial book), the exemption was only temporary. For each of the duggannarala, a village and a man was allocated. The villagers did the cultivation work for free in his fields.
[10] [11] The Chetties of Northern Sri Lanka especially in Jaffna were mainly absorbed by the Vellalar caste, although, some still remain separate. [5] A high number of Chetties still live in Nallur , which is known for the inhabitation of high castes, whereas even a road is commemorated for them.
A large number of these Karava flags have survived the ravages of time and many are illustrated in E. W. Perera's book Sinhalese Banners and Standards. [43] The sacred usage of conch shell and tying of Nalapata (royal forehead plate) was a common practice among Karavas, also mentioned in the Rajaveliya.
The Coast Veddas, found mainly in Eastern Sri Lanka are considered a Tamil caste among the Sri Lankan Tamils. [52] The village deities of the Sri Lankan Tamils are also shaped by the caste structure. The Sri Lankan Moors don't practice the caste system, however, follow a matriclan system which is an extension of Tamil tradition. [53]