 The term 'Moor' was chosen because of the Islamic faith of these people and was not a reflection of their origin.The Tamil term for Moors is "Sonakar", which is thought to be derived from the word "Sunnah".The Tamil term "Sonakar" along with the Sinhalese term "Yonaka", has been thought to have been derived from the term "Yona", a term originally applied to Greeks, but sometimes also Arabs.