248 Terms of address in use 



priests and laymen. epcg^SbE)^ is also the form of saluta- 

 tion amongst us, and in the sense of wishing one f Good 

 morning ' in English, the Singhalese greet one another — 

 Ayiiboican ( Long life,' This is a salutation which has no 

 distinction as to rank, caste, or class. It is used by all 

 indiscriminately, by the highest to the lowest, et vice versa. 



It is not a little curious to observe that dwuso (which is 

 simply a vocative)* has the signification of the English term, 

 ( I say :' this is however an accidental similarity ; and the 

 words are no more derived from the same source, than 

 gargat dyana vela, (53O"Jk)d5ce<£3d£;0 (in Milindapprasne) from 

 " gurgling rill;" or coka coke ©£»3<253®<33;feJ from cocra coax. 

 Speaking of the resemblance in the sounds of words in 

 different languages, I may here observe that although the 

 word ebittaya " the attendant of the priest," bears a great 

 resemblance to the ebitikos of the Greeks, " a bit boy " 

 or a ( stripling,' as stated by Mr, Stark at p. 76 ; yet that 

 the word itself is derived from ep^3 ( before,' 6 front,' or 

 ( opposite,' and c§<355<5) c who or which is ;' whence it means 

 "a person who is ever before you;" a "page." I may also 

 here intimate my belief that the Hebrew term Tirshatha, 

 applied as a title to the Governor of Judea under the Per- 

 sians, and mentioned in Ezra ; ii. 63. Neh vii. 65 ; viii. 9 : 

 lias no connection with -63^<2» Tirthaka, as hinted by Mr. 

 Stark. (See Note p. 75.) The former is believed by some 

 to have been derived from the Persian word signifying harsh, 

 and by others from a different word meaning s fear '; and 

 thence applied to a Ruler or Governor as the " dreaded one." 

 But the latter term e Tirthaka 7 is from -63«2> ( to ferry 

 over;' thence applied to a "Religious teacher," f from his 

 being a person who helps mankind to ford the troublous 

 waters of life. In Ceylon Bhudhistical works, it is used to 



* See Clough's Balawatara, p. 70. 

 f Bombay Asiatic Society's Journal for July 1857, p. 401. et seq. 



