Sarandb

Sarandb, also spelled Serendib or Serandib, is a historical exonym for the island nation now known as Sri Lanka. The name is chiefly encountered in medieval and early modern travel literature, navigational charts, and scholarly works that document the island under foreign transliterations rather than the modern Sri Lankan designation.

Etymology and usage: The term derives from the Arabic Sarandīb, used by Arab and Persian traders and sailors who engaged with the island’s coast and ports. Through successive linguistic transfers, variants such as Serendib and Serandib entered Western geographical and literary texts. In contemporary contexts, the exonym is largely obsolete in official usage, having been superseded by Sri Lanka, but it remains of interest in historical, linguistic, and archaeological discussions.

Historical significance: Serendib/Sarandb was a notable node in the Indian Ocean trade network, valued for spices and other commodities. Its historical references appear in travel narratives, trade records, and early cartography, reflecting cross-cultural contact among South Asia, the Arab world, and Europe. The term often appears in discussions of ancient and early modern perceptions of the island.

Legacy and science: The exonym has persisted in some scientific and cultural contexts, most notably in the mineral serendibite, which was named after Serendib (the island). This naming reflects the historical influence of the term in geology and mineralogy, even as modern reference frames favor Sri Lanka.

See also: Sri Lanka; Serendib; Serendibite.