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JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. XIV. 



576. «5i0S©<5 (nachchire) , a term used in addressing Moorwomen 

 and females of the Blacksmith caste. 



765. This is undoubtedly §}di«o (muruta) ; Tamil hadalipuwa. 



A manuscript communication was read from F. W. de Silva, 

 Mudaliyar. 



Mr. C. M. Fernando wished only to make one remark : that was 

 to correct Mr. Ferguson in his assumption that the word e)^d 

 (watura) was derived from the Dutch and English "water." This is 

 wrong. Sinhalese grammarians classify Sinhalese words into three 

 divisions : (1) words purely Sinhalese, or nispanna ; (2) words which 

 are identical with their Sanskrit and Pali equivalents ; (3) words 

 which are Sanskrit and Pali derivatives. Watura is of the first kind. 

 Its relationship to English cannot be traced through the cognate 

 languages, as in the case of the words like ndma (name), &c. It is 

 however a purely Sinhalese word, and known to the language in pre- 

 Dutch times. It occurs in the Namaivaliya (1421 a.d.) ; and the Sidat- 

 sangardwa, which we have reason to believe was published about a 

 century earlier, contains a quotation of a book called Amd-watura 

 (" sweet water "), a word which is used as a synonym of Nirwdna. The 

 word watura literally means flowing water. A similar nispanna word 

 bearing resemblance to its English equivalent is ®sD, mada, mud. 



7. A vote of thanks was accorded to the writers of the Papers 

 read, on a motion proposed by Mr. 0. M. Fernando and seconded by 

 Mr. F. Lewis. 



8. A vote of thanks to the Chair terminated the Proceedings of 

 the Meeting. 



COUNCIL MEETING. 



Colombo Museum, October 28, 1896. 

 Present : 



The Lord Bishop of Colombo, President, in the Chair. 



Mr. P. Freiidenberg. 

 Mr. Justice A. C. Lawrie. 

 Mr. F. Lewis. 



Mr. W. P. Ranasinha. 

 Mr. E. S. W. Senathi Raja. 

 Dr. W. G. Vandort. 



Mr. J. Harward and Mr. G. A. Joseph, Honorary Secretaries. 



Business. 



1. Read and confirmed Minutes of Meeting held on September 10, 

 1896. 



