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Terms of Address and modes of Salutation in use amongst the 

 Singhalese. By James Alwis, Esq., Assistant Secretary. 



There is not perhaps a greater difficulty experienced by- 

 Europeans* in their intercourse with the Natives of this 

 country, than that of correctly applying the forms of saluta- 

 tion and address known amongst them. Often have we sup- 

 pressed a smile forced upon us, on hearing European autho- 

 rities address a peon or other servant thus : " Pion ara pota 

 gen'-ewta," "Mudians^<2 andagahapan." " Aratchita kiyapan," 

 &c. Frequently, too, have we heard Europeans enquire with 

 indignation, whether certain terms as applied by their Inter- 

 preters to witnesses were not insulting or offensive. Not 

 long ago the native portion of an entire Court was much 

 amused on hearing counsel in his address to the Court, apply 

 the term Walawua to indicate the residence of a poor low 

 caste person, his client. The difficulty of acquiring the 

 proper use and application of terms of address, so as on the 

 one hand not to offend, and on the other not to give too much 

 respect, to the person addressed, seems to have been so 

 greatly felt by Mr. Justice Stark, that he has devoted con- 

 siderable attention to the study of the subject. The interest- 

 ing information which he acquired, he has embodied in a 

 paper which is found published in the Ceylon Asiatic So- 

 ciety's Journal for 1853. That paper, gives the reader an 

 imperfect account of the numerous forms of salutation and 

 address used by the Singhalese. As the topics, however, 

 upon which he has dwelt are very interesting, the writer has 

 in his observations followed the order of the subjects treated 

 therein. 



* " No people of the East are more critical as to style, or more fastidious as to terms, 

 the natives of Ceylon." — Tmnenfs Christianity in Ceylon, p. 265. 



