Punchi Bandara Sannasgala (known as Professor P. B. Sannasgala or Professor Sannasgala) (15 June 1915 - 22 March 1997) was a

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

n academic and linguist. Noted

oriental scholar Oriental studies is the academic field that studies Near Eastern and Far Eastern societies and cultures, languages, peoples, history and archaeology. In recent years, the subject has often been turned into the newer terms of Middle Eastern studie ...

, he was a researcher on Sinhala language, Sinhala literature, Pali and Sanskrit. He is the author of `Sinhala Saahithya Wanshaya' in the 1960s.

Early life and education

Born in Ambagasdowegedara, Ambawela, Uva Province of Ceylon, he was the eldest of eight siblings which included three brothers and four sisters. Receiving is primary education at the local school, he then studied at the Pravacanodaya

Pirivena A pirivena (plural: piriven) is a monastic college for the education of monks in Sri Lanka. In ancient time, they were also centers of secondary and higher education for lay people. As of 2018, 753 piriven have been founded and maintained by the Mi ...

gaining many awards before entering

St. John's College, Panadura St John's College is a school in Panadura, Sri Lanka, that was founded in 1876. It is a National school with a student population of 2500 and staff of about 100. History St. John's College was initially known as 'Primary State English School' w ...

for his secondary education. He entered Ceylon University College. Having graduated with a BA (Honours) in Sinhala, he went on to gained a masters and Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Ceylon. His submission for a Doctor of Letters degree from the Vidyalankara Campus (University of Kelaniya) in 1976 was not carried out by the university although the examiners approved the granting of the degree on his thesis "Sinhala Vocables of Dutch Origin".

Academic career

Starting on his academic career in 1947, he joined the Sinhala Dictionary project in the 1950s. He authored may books and was member of the faculty of the University of Colombo and the

University of Kelaniya Pannaya Parisujjhati , mottoeng = Self-purification is by insight , established = 1875 Vidyalankara Pirivena1959 Vidyalankara University , type = Public , endowment = , adminis ...

Family

He married Nalini Ratnayaka, daughter of

Abeyratne Ratnayaka Ratnayake Wasala Mudiyanselage Abeyratne Ratnayaka (7 January 1900 - 1977) was a Sri Lankan politician. He was the first Cabinet Minister of Food, Co-operatives; Minister of Home Affairs in independent Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and the last Presi ...

, first Cabinet Minister of Food, Co-operatives and later Minister of Home Affairs. They had five daughters, including Professor

Kshanika Hirimburegama Sannas Mudiyanselage Kshanika Kumari Hirimburegama (known as Kshanika Hirimburegama) (born 1 January 1958) is a Sri Lankan academic. She was the 17th Vice-Chancellor of the University of Colombo. Prior to the appointment she was Head of the Depar ...

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sannasgala, P. B. Academic staff of the University of Kelaniya Sinhalese academics Alumni of St. John's College, Panadura Alumni of the Ceylon University College Alumni of the University of Ceylon (Peradeniya) Academic staff of the University of Colombo 1915 births 1997 deaths People from British Ceylon