Comments on: A-Z of Sri Lankan English: C is for cousin brother

By: DMG

DMG — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 03:53:38 +0000

what about ‘anti’?

By: justitia

justitia — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 14:05:06 +0000

Muslims have their own versions of tamil terms. Mother’s or father’s sister is ‘mynee’. Father is ‘vaapa’. Mother is ‘umma’.Elder brother is ‘kaaka’. There are many others – I cannot remember.

By: magerata

magerata — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 15:32:54 +0000

Thank you Michael for the lesson! I see such parallels in the languages yet people keep them so apart.. Languages can break barriers and I hope policy makers are thinking of possible ways to reduce apathy using languages.
I use Uncle and Aunt very sparingly! 🙂 But two uncles I do not forget, or always in my mind are not related to me. One is my Jaffna .Uncle, who is our neighbor, is partly responsible for making me a better Sri Lankan. The other is Candy (not K) Uncle who brought us sesame seed candies when ever he visited us!
Cousins, I call them by name.

By: Suresh

Suresh — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 12:58:43 +0000

I’m totally confuddled…!!

By: Pearl Thevanayagam

Pearl Thevanayagam — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 10:31:38 +0000

How about the way we call aunty and uncle even if they are not related to us?

Also, it is again according to social class or urbanity we tend to say anty, Uncle Edward or Edward Uncle for neighbours or family friends.

One level up we call neighbours and family friends Mr & Mrs so and so.

Whereas those who work for the middle classes used to say amma, nona, mahathaya now (particularly the younger generation) now call their masters unlce and anty.

Which brings to my mind what my sister told the lad who comes to chop firewood when he called her ,’anty’. She asked him whether she ever married his uncle.

The bus conductors also refer to us endearingly as anty, akka, aiye, mame.