What’s in a Language? How the English Language Changed Sri Lanka.
Our colourful seal, from Parampara
A kind person wrote recently to inform Derek and me that we misspelled ‘jewellery’ on our website. She even recommended tools that we could use to catch typos and spelling errors in the future. We thanked her for taking the time and effort to write to us and told her that ‘jewellery’ wasn’t a spelling mistake— it was a conscious choice as a part of our domain name.
Derek and I agonized over this decision for a while, debated back and forth, weighed the pros and cons of whether we should use ‘jewellery,’ the Canadian (and the British) variation or ‘jewelry,’ the American variation. In the end, we decided on ‘jewellery’ for several reasons. Firstly, as a Canadian, I was taught to use Canadian English, which contains elements of British and American English with unique regional characteristics (for example, in Canada, we call a knitted hat toque, as opposed to a beanie). Therefore, as a writer, my default is Canadian English. Second, though Derek and I understood that many of our fans and readers would be based in the US, we decided to use British English because that’s what Sri Lankans use. However, deconstructing our reasoning for using the word ‘jewellery’ as part of our brand name made me reflect on Sri Lankan history that I had not considered until now.
A 19th-century British map of Ceylon, from Wikipedia.
The implementation of the English language is a part of Sri Lanka’s colonial history that has a significant impact on the culture. Though the country’s official languages are Sinhala and Tamil, English is used as the connecting language. The English variation used by Sri Lankans is British English, which was introduced to the island nation when the British invaded and took control of the colony from the Dutch in the late 18th century.
Let’s be clear: The legacy of colonialism is ugly. There were many atrocities committed against the land and its people. Between 1815 to 1948, the British extracted resources from its colony of Ceylon (as Sri Lanka was known during British colonialism), exploited its citizens and harmed the country in many ways. The implementation of the English language, for example, certainly caused unintended consequences as it created a new caste system—or rather, attached itself to the existing caste system and reinforced its hierarchy.
A 19th-century tea plantation in Ceylon, from Wikipedia.
As early as 1796, the British taught the islanders English to convert locals to Christianity and assist with the day-to-day administration of coffee plantations (which eventually turned into tea plantations in the early 19th century). In 1833, English became the official administrative language of the colony, and a few English medium schools were established in Colombo, Galle, and Kandy. From this point forward, a separation of knowledge was created: English was for selected communities of Sri Lankans living in urban settings. The masses in rural parts of the country continued to operate in their native tongues of Sinhala or Tamil. Soon, English became the language of the elite, as its proficiency enabled people to land better-paying positions in the colonial offices or work with businesses associated with the colonizers. The English language became a symbol of social mobility. There was an integrative attachment for people to perfect it to be more like their colonial masters.
In Sri Lanka, a metaphor illustrates the power of the English language: A sword (kaduna in Sinhala). If grasped firmly in one’s hands, it wields power, enabling the holder to be free and live with dignity. In someone else’s hands, it is an instrument of oppression and the means of subjugation. This metaphor still applies in Sri Lanka today. Even though Sri Lanka had gained its independence in 1948, its colonial values are still evident. For example, friends of ours who identify as Burghers (Christian Sri Lankans from European ancestry, often considered ‘elite’ due to their association with Europeans) or Moors (Muslim Sri Lankans from Arab trader ancestry, stereotypically known to be business and money-oriented) claim English as their first language. They are often proud that they have limited proficiency in Sinhala or Tamil. Subconsciously, their preference for the English language is influenced by Sri Lanka’s colonial history, leading to a generation of Sri Lankans who do not have proficiency in their native languages.
Though the English language represents a system of oppression and an unfair hierarchy in Sri Lanka, it is a part of its history, regardless. Therefore, our conscious decision to use ‘jewellery’ has been an excellent lesson to further understand Sri Lanka’s history and culture.
All prices are in USD.
size: 7 cm x 7 cmx 1.5 cm; weight: 33 g; silver with handmade filigree with 13 garnet stones; ~ 1940s; 485-word short story; A5 illustrated print (single-edition)
Ever since she was a child, Layoni knew that she was different than the other children in the village. On the day she became a woman, she received a gift from the mysterious lady living up in the hills.
Handmade in Sri Lanka, ‘Layoni’ is a gorgeous mid-20th century bracelet that complements any outfit. Add ‘Layoni’ to your personal collection or get her as a gift to learn about “the big girl” party in Sri Lankan culture.
‘Layoni’ is a pre-loved item with imperfections. Please read Parampara’s Value Statement on how your purchase can make a difference in sustainable consumption and the preservation of cultures.
As ‘Layoni’ is the featured piece of the inaugural capsule collection, she is accompanied by a one-of-a-kind illustrated print by the award-winning artist, Chaaya Prabhat.