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Singhalese

Singhalese

1 7.7
A person who belongs to the Sinhalese people of Sri Lanka
  • noun
  • /sɪŋhəˈliːz/
  • UK
: sinhales
  • The Singhalese make up the majority population in Sri Lanka.

Examples

  • She studied the history and culture of the Singhalese people during her trip.

  • Many Singhalese celebrate the New Year with traditional festivals.

  • The Singhalese culture is rich and diverse.

  • Many Singhalese people celebrate the New Year in April.

  • Many Singhalese celebrate the New Year with traditional festivals.

  • She studied the history and culture of the Singhalese people during her trip.

  • The Singhalese make up the majority population in Sri Lanka.

Synonyms

Sinhalese
vsSinghalese
1 9.1

A person from Sri Lanka who belongs to the country's largest group and speaks Sinhala

is the same meaning but spelled with an extra g

Compounds

A language most people in Sri Lanka speak

Surface Forms

Singhalese singular
Singhalese plural

Morphology

Singhalese = Sinhala (semi-transparent) = Sinhala + ese

The noun is a regular demonym formed from the Sinhala base and the productive suffix '-ese', but the historical spelling and exact reference are not transparent to all learners.

Etymology

Singhalese comes from Sinhala, from the Sanskrit sinha 'lion', a name once used for the people of Sri Lanka. So a Singhalese is a person who belongs to that people.