256 Terms of address in use 



but it may be observed that it is a term more appropriate to 

 a female. 



In the Kandian Provinces <35£0o8e5X)§ is the highest title 

 of a lady of distinction, second only to a <35£®o8 or Royal 

 Princess. ©C53-55©®csJ, " Her Highness " is the feminine 

 form of ®&)<5j0c3D, which Mr. Stark says at p. 70, on 

 the authority of Clough, is equivalent to " Mr." The former 

 may therefore be regarded as equal to Mrs., and is only appli- 

 ed to a gentlewoman; whilst €><5)2oa is decidedly the 

 designation of the plebeian female. ©l^@^ which means, 

 literally, a " gem," is the term for " gentle lass" although 

 it is frequently used towards those who have attained a good 

 old age. This last term which had once fallen into disuse, 

 is again current throughout the low country, and it is 

 applied in the same manner in which it was originally done, 

 by being applied to the ladies amongst the Singhalese. 



The above are the honorary titles of the velldles, all other 

 castes being entitled to different other designations, such as 

 <253d&§@\& and >^X)€)S, the wife and daughter respectively 

 of a ( smith'; 8^ a c washer woman,' &c. &c. 



My limits forbid my entering more deeply into the subject 

 than I have done. I shall therefore proceed to notice a few 

 other matters of interest, to which Mr. Justice Stark alludes 

 in the essay to which I have so frequently referred. Of 

 these, the terms by which Kandians designate their children 

 as to size (p. 76.) demand attention here. Mr. Stark notices 

 only two, loku and tikiri, whilst there are no lees than five 

 words which convey the respective ages of children or 

 persons in a family. Thus, loku is the tf eldest ' of a family ; 

 madduma or 4 middle ' is the next in gradation or age ; kudd 

 indicates next e small ;•' tikiri e smaller ' still ; and punchi the 

 e smallest ' of all. In the maritime country, however, tikiri 

 is not used ; and ef fc^&S)^ 6 ebittan,' a term peculiar to the 

 low country, is a ' bit-boy,' as applied to baba or ( baby,' smaller 

 than puncha or ( little one.' 



