21 MAY 1937, Page 20

THE " VILE " CINGHALESE

[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.] Sit,—It used to be said that the change of Ceylon to Java was forced upon the author because the British Public refused to recognise Ceylon as paroxytone. The original metre demands the pronunciation Sailan, not Silent.

Salim is correct. For the old forms of the name, Sihala, Sarandib, Sailan, Zeilam, Zeloan, Zelone, &c., see Yule and Burnell's Hobson Dobson. S.v.—Yours truly, 85 Milton Road, Cambridge.

HERBERT LOEWE.