Hugo Schuchardt Archiv

Trincomalee Street
Kandy
Ceylon
25th June 1890

Dear Sir,

Since the receipt of your letter of the 29th October last I have been enquiring for the books you are in need of, but I have not been able to find out anyone who has them. I shall make further inquiries and shall let you know if my work turns out to be successful. The only publications I am able to send you are nos 7, 8, 9 and 10 of the Bruffador 1888. This paper was discontinued last year. I am not myself acquainted with the Portuguese language, either the genuine or the Ceylon, but Rev P Willenberg, the Editor of the Bruffador, tells me that of the words you mention the following are the correct |2| forms: “mintira” “cuidade”, “hoje”, “venca”, bate”, “persuade, “cumsa”, “torna”. I enclose 4 verses of a song with transliteration which I think will be intelligible.

P Willenberg tells me that M Moscof, European Wesleyan Missionary, has a copy of W B Fox’s Dictionary in Sinhalese, Portuguese and English languages and has promised to try his best to get you the loan of it. I will let you know the result as soon as it is communicated to me.

Yours very sincerely
W Goonetilleke
Ed. Orientalis
Dr Hugo Schuchardt
Graz
Germany

P.S.

About dialectical differences I shall write in my next or in the Orientalist.

The influence of the Sinhalese and Tamil on the Ceylon Portuguese is very palpable, not I think in phonetics, but in forms of syntax. I have written a notice of one of these for the next “Orientalist” Parts 3 & 4 of Vol. iv.

I shall reply to your other queries in my next.

WG