almirah
A cabinet or wardrobe
arrack
An alcoholic drink made from fermented coconut flowers, common in India and Sri Lanka
banyan
A garment similar to a robe or housecoat
cadjan
Parchment made from coconut palms
Ceylon
The British name for Sri Lanka
chandiya
Ruffian
concertina
An instrument similar to an accordion
conurbation
An urban sprawl; merged towns or suburbs
cortège
A solemn procession; a person's entourage
devatara
A "stern goddess"
fenugreek
An herb commonly used in Indian dishes
frangipani
A tropical flower
gonbass
Wicked
gurunanse
A spiritual teacher
haberdasher
A dealer in men's clothing and accessories
Indo-Sri Lanka Peace Accords
A 1987 negotiation between Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Sri Lankan President J. R. Jayewardene that attempted to resolve the Sri Lankan Civil War by establishing Tamil as an official language, recalling Sri Lankan troops, and calling the insurgents to surrender. The accords were unsuccessful, notably because Tamil groups were not involved in the process.
kavum
Coconut cakes
kolla
"boy"
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
A militant Tamil nationalist group who fought against the Sri Lankan government in the Sri Lankan Civil War. The group claimed responsibility for a number of high-profile terrorist attacks and political assassinations.
machang
A term for a brother-in-law, or an affectionate name for a friend
mahathaya
A term for "mister," or "man of the house"
Mahaweli Scheme
A 1961 Sri Lankan government development program that proposed making irrigation and hydroelectric power facilities
mahout
A person who tends to elephants
Marxism
An economic theory attributed to Karl Marx that critiques capitalism as inherently flawed and proposes communism, the abolition of private property, as its successor.
muhuda
man-made lakes
numinous
Possessing a religious or spiritual quality
palaver
A long, unproductive conversation
polypifer
An organism that forms in colonies, like coral
pol-sambol
A traditional Sri Lankan dish made from coconut
Poya
The Buddhist lunar holiday of Uposatha in Sri Lanka
sarong
A garment made from a long strip of fabric tied around the waist, worn in South and Southeast Asia
seeni-sambol
A Sri Lankan condiment made from carmelized onion chutney
Silavatturai
A coastal town in Northern Sri Lanka
Sinhala
One of the official languages of Sri Lanka
Sinhala Only Act
The controversial 1956 declaration that established Sinhala as the official language of the Dominion of Ceylon (later Sri Lanka)
Sri Lankan Civil War
The violent conflict between the Sri Lankan government and Tamil nationalists, fought from 1983-2009
su
Urine
Tamil
One of the official languages of Sri Lanka
Tamil Eelam
A proposed independent Tamil nation
The Tamil New Movement
An advocacy group founded by V. Prabhakaran to advocate for education equality that was later absorbed into The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
Tamil United Liberation Front
The Tamil nationalist opposition party that won influence in Sri Lanka's 1977 election
thosai
Savoury pancake made with rice flour
yakkhas
demons
