A man of letters par excellence

Professor J. B. Dissanayake felicitated

- BY IFHAM NIZAM

In a ceremony marked by deep emotion, intellectual admiration, and cultural pride, Sri Lanka paid homage to one of its most treasured scholars — Emeritus Professor J.B. Dissanayake — for his monumental contribution to the Sinhala language, linguistics, and national identity. The felicitation, held at the Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies (BCIS), was not merely an event. It was a reckoning — a nation honouring a man who made its language not only intelligible but inspirational.

A Life in Language

Born in 1937, Professor J.B. Dissanayake grew up during a transformative era in Sri Lankan history. His early fascination with language was nurtured by his mother, who would recite Sinhala poetry in their home in Hanguranketha. This early influence planted the seeds of a lifelong devotion to the Sinhala language.

After completing his studies at Ananda College, he entered the University of Ceylon in 1959, graduating with a degree in Sinhala. His academic journey took him beyond Sri Lanka, earning a PhD in linguistics from the University of California, Berkeley where his exposure to structuralism and semiotics deepened his understanding of Sinhala's unique grammatical and cultural contours.

He would go on to become the Head of the Department of Sinhala at the University of Colombo, later serving as the Sri Lankan Ambassador to Thailand, even as he continued writing prolifically on language, culture, and identity.

Prime Minister's Tribute: "The People's Linguist"

At the felicitation, Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya delivered a powerful tribute. "Professor J. B. Dissanayake has not only preserved the essence of our language but has made it sing to each generation anew," she said. "In every society, there are a handful of people who define its intellectual soul. He is one of them."