Attributes of personal names in Jaffna society: Then and now

Abstract

The present paper examines the features of attributes of personal names in Jaffna society. One of the goals of a socio linguistic study is to find the patterns of attributes in the usage of personal names. As the value and significance of names differ from country to country or even from region to region, the variations in the naming customs need to be noted. Personal names have much significance in Jaffna society. Each generation has different types of names. The society is very conscious of the pattern of names. This study investigates the characteristics of the naming system found among Jaffna Tamils.