Randika Jayakody and Jerome Perera Archives

The Portuguese Connection to Ceilão By Randika Jayakody and Jerome Perera Source:Brisbane 4EB Sri Lankan Newsletter – Dæhæna – December 2021 The arrival of the Portuguese changed the culinary, ethnic, cultural, and linguistic landscape of Sri Lanka. The first wave of Portuguese seafarers arrived in 1505, and by 1640 Portuguese parishes and convents existed in Colombo, Galle and across the island. The establishment of the Portuguese community in Sri Lanka promulgated Portuguese cultural traditions to the local population. This led to significant contributions which are evident in the formation of the creole language and culture that now forms an intrinsic part of the lives of all Sri Lankans. An openness to ethnic intermixing with the local communities on the island produced a vast number of Mestizos, or mixed people. A result of this extensive intermixing is evident in the proliferation of Portuguese names such as Don, Singno, Dona, and ...