Personal Names of Tamil and Muslim Communities in Jaffna Region: A Comparative Socio Linguistic Study

Abstract

The main objective of this paper is to bring out the semantics of the personal names of the two communities. Personal names play a main role in both communities, in identifying each and every one in society. The people in Jaffna society fall into several groups on the basis of religious beliefs and practices, namely Hindus , Christians (Protestants) , Christians (Catholic) and Muslims. Tamil and Muslim communities have the same language but different cultures. These several groups are marked by distinctive features of their own. Arabic influence and religious beliefs play a vital role in Muslim personal names. At present, the Tamil community does not pay much regard to religious concepts. This study involves comparative and descriptive methodology .The primary data is collected through the direct observation method and personal interview method. The secondary data is from the relevant articles, books and magazines. This work and analysis undertaken in this paper significantly contribute to identifying the cultural pattern of Jaffna society.