# Sinhala/Tamil: Ancient name of Sri Lanka



## Lotfi MA

Hello Everyone!

Srindeeb, Sri endeeb, or Sarandeeb. These are 3 possibilities of a name used to be given to present Sri Lanka by ancient Arab traders as a transliteration to a real word(s) in Sinhala or likely tamil.

Could someone, please, specify me that word(s) and tell me its meaning in its own language (Sinhala or tamil)?​
Thanks in advance.


----------



## starsiege

Hi

This is a tricky question. Both Sinhala and Tamil people of this island claim different names as the original name of the island. even when they agree on some name they have trouble agreeing to which community coined that name first. i will try to give you the tamil perspective , but i put the disclaimer on the previous sentences so as to let everyone know that i am not claiming that the answer i provide in this post is not necessarily an answer another srilankan might agree with; especially if he is sinhala.

Tamils call srilanka by various names

the most common ones being "Ilangai" (similar to the "Lanka" from the Indian Epic the Ramayan)

Tamils also use the name "Ealem" 
the usage of the world Ealam is first found in the sangam literature of Tamil Nadhu(India). (3rd cent Bc-3rd Century Ad)

there is a reference to a poet from this island and he is called "Ealathu Poothanthevanar" . it means he is "Poothathevanar from Ealem"

So from the Tamil perspective, the earliest known name to this island is Ealem


----------



## mimi1997

What are the meaning of the 3 ancient names?


----------



## Lugubert

In Hobson-Jobson you'll find, for example,


			
				Yule & Burnell said:
			
		

> CEYLON , n.p. This name, as applied to the great island which hangs from India like a dependent jewel, becomes usual about the 13th century. But it can be traced much earlier. For it appears undoubtedly to be formed from _Sinhala_ or _Sihala_, 'lions' abode,' the name adopted in the island itself at an early date. This, with the addition of 'Island,' _Sihala-dvīpa_, comes down to us in Cosmas as *SIELEDI/BA. There was a Pali form _Sihalan_, which, at an early date, must have been colloquially shortened to _Silan_, as appears from the old Tamil name _Ilam_ (the Tamil having no proper sibilant), and probably from this was formed the _Sarandīp_ and _Sarandīb_ which was long the name in use by mariners of the Persian Gulf.


The discussion continues, and quotations are offered.


----------



## starsiege

Very informative!

 The earliest recorded name for the island most probably would be the one found on the "sangam" literature which is dated from anyware between the 3rd century BC and the 3rd century AD.

i found a very good article by  Professor Peter Schalk of Norway

groups.yahoo.com/group/agathiyar/message/4727

Copy and past the above given link after the usual http .I am not able to post the link itself because i do not have those privileges in this forum yet.


> The Words Ilam and Ilavar in Pre-Colonial Tamilakam
> As indicated above, the word Ilam has several lexical
> meanings. One possible meaning is "toddy" or "arrack".
> Another is "gold". The island Ilam sent famous poets
> to South India. One of them went under the name of
> Ila-ttu-putam-tevanar, "Putam tevanar from Ilam",
> mentioned in the Akananuru and the Kuruntokai. We have
> to connect this information with a Tamil Brahmi
> inscription not later than 1st century AD. This
> inscription from Tirupparankunram in Tamilakam, which
> is written on a stone-bed, runs: erukatur
> ilakutumpikan polalaiyan "Polalaiyan, (resident of)
> Erukatur, the husbandman (householder) from Ilam."
> This may be the oldest now available reference to the
> word Ilam.


----------

