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 gaining many awards before entering St. John's College, Panadura for his secondary education.
Having graduated with a BA (Honours) in Sinhala, he went on to gained a masters and Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Ceylon.
[1] 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".
[2] Starting on his academic career in 1947, he joined the Sinhala Dictionary project in the 1950s.