[fernando]

Originally Posted by Prasanna Weerakkody

... The possibility of the name Kasthana being influenced by the Portuguese is real as it is a word that does not seem to have a direct meaning in Sinhala or have too many similar words to accompany it. Curiously the only other similar term that (comes to my mind) that may also shed a little light on this is the “Patisthana” spears; being of the same class as the Partisans. The similarity between the terms “Kasthana” or “Patisthana” seem obvious. The only difference being the presence of a much more ancient form of spear known in literature as the “patissa” which is most probably ancestor to the “Patisthana”. It is known that the Sinhala elite of the era was quite conversant with Portuguese and the use of the language had become wide spread and stylish as a secondary language in the Country.


... even today there is a rather large number of words of Portuguese origin amalgamated within the Sinhala language.

Quite a few indeed:
Do you recognize some, Prasanna ?

abano, aia, alfinete, almoço, ama, armário, atalaia banco, baioneta, balde, bandeja, bastão, batata, bêbado, biscoito, bola, borra, botão, braçal, burro, caldeirão, calças, câmara, camisa, candelabro, capitão, carreta, casamento, chão, chinela, citação, contrato, copo, cozinha, cunha, curral, dado, dedal, diamante, doce, dona, escola, espírito, forro, garfo, gasto, gelosia, globo, janela, lança, lençol, lanterna, lenço, lestes, linguiça, lotaria, meia, mesa, mostra, numero, padre, pão, passaporte, pato, pedreiro, pena, pepino, palangana, picão, pintura, pipa, pistola, púcaro, renda, ripa, roda, rosa, saco, saia, sala, salada, sapato, sarampo, saúde (brinde), semana, sino, soldado, tacho, tenda, tinta, toalha, tombo' tranca. trigo, vidro, vinagre, etc.

But i don't find in all these words the path for the term Kasthana. This is a tough riddle; i have just read that another specialist in Sinhalese languages, Reverend Charles Carter, pretends that the term is Portuguese .
Has he already been mentioned here ?

http://archives.dailynews.lk/2012/06/28/fea02.asp