Dr. T.B. Jayah Archives

The Origins of Burgher & Malay Surnames in Colonial Ceylon-by Michael Roberts Source:Thuppahis Author Unknown … sent to Thuppahi by Kodi Kodituwakku of Chandos St, Fort, Galle The Ceylon Burgher Community is the finest exponent of this European onoma-tology in Sri Lanka, as the members of the community carry some of the world’s rarest surnames which at present verge on extinction. The ancestors of the Dutch Burghers were not necessaril.y Dutch by ethnic origin as the Dutch East India Company [recruited] hundreds of mercenaries from all parts of Europe who later reached the shores of Lanka to strengthen the Dutch garrisons on the Island. These Europeans later espoused local women and paved the way for the Lankan Eurasian Community, which later came to be known as ‘Dutch Burghers’ meaning ‘Town Dwellers’. The Dutch surnames can be recognised by the ‘tussenvoegsel‘ referring to the words positioned between the forename and last name similar to ...

PRESIDENT AND PRIME MINISTER PRAISE ROLE MALAYS PLAYED IN NATION BUILDING OF SRI LANKA First copy of the book presented to Her Excellency Dewi Gustina Tobing, The Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Sri Lanka by Deshabandu M.R. Latiff, Senior DIG (retired), Chair of the Book Committee of the Colombo Malay Cricket Club. Source:Dailynews 01st December, Thursday, 2022:President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena have applauded the role the Malays have played and continue to perform in the countryas part of their congratulatory messages in the ‘Malays of Sri Lanka’. The ‘Malays of Sri Lanka’ coffee table book, which was launched on November 29, 2022 at the Shangri-La Hotel, Colombo, contained laudatory messages from the President and Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, acclaiming the role of the small Malay community. “The Sri Lankan Malays are an important segment of this country’s social fabric and have played a vital ...