Page 78 of Her Soul for a Crown

aluwa (?-lu-wah)

a Sri Lankan sweet made from roasted rice flour with boiled treacle, cashews, and cardamon, served as a cookie

amma (?m-mah)

mom

bulbul (bul-bul)

a songbird

dolla (doh-lah)

offerings given in a tovil ceremony

guruthuma (gu-ru-thu-mah)

the formal reference of a teacher

hak gediya (ha-k geh-di-yuh)

type of conch shell that is used as a kind of trumpet in the traditional ritualistic music of Sri Lanka

hakuru (ha-ku-ru)

raw palm sugar

hatte (hatt-té)

a blouse worn with a sari

hopper (hop-per)

fermented rice flour and coconut milk batter made into a bowl-shaped pancake with a crispy edge and a soft, spongy center

kahapana (kah-hah-pah-nu)

currency in early Sri Lankan kingdoms (third century BC)

Kattadiya (kat-tah-di-yaah)

a witch doctor, exorcist, or mediator between the worlds of humans and devils

kiribath (ki-ri-buth)

milk rice

maha (mah-hah)

bigger

Makara (ma-kuh-ruh)

a legendary sea creature

mandala (man-duh-luh)

various ritualistic geometric designs symbolic of the universe

mehendhi (meh-he-n-dih)

ancient art of decorating the skin using henna paste; a word of North Indian origin that has influenced the Sri Lankan culture over the years

pani walalu (páni w?l-luh-lu)

a sweet made by deep-frying vigna mungo, or urad bean, flour batter in a circular flower shape, then soaking in sugar syrup

raejina (rá-jih-na)

queen

raban (ra-baa-nuh)

one-sided traditional drum

raja (ra-juh)

king

saaluwa (saah-lu-wuh)

a shawl-like scarf

sari (sah-ri)

fabric arranged over the body as a robe, with one end attached to the waist, while the other end rests over one shoulder, sometimes baring a part of the midriff

sari pota (s??ri-potuh)

the loose end of a sari

sarong (sá-rong)

a large length of fabric wrapped around the waist and typically worn by men

seeni sambal (see-ni sam-bhal)

a caramelized onion chutney or relish, with flavors that are spicy, sweet, and aromatic

stupa (stoo-puh)

a dome-shaped structure containing relics that is used as a place of meditation

thaththa (thah-th-thah)

dad

tovil (toe-vil)

healing ritual

yak berayuh (yak-be-ruh-yuh)

cylindrical drum used to accompany dance sequences

Yakka (yah-kah)

demons of Sri Lankan folklore

yala (yah-luh)

lesser