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Glite Dictionary
Sinhalese language

Sinhalese language

1 6.7
The main language spoken by the Sinhalese people of Sri Lanka
  • noun
: idioma sinhala
  • She is fluent in both English and the Sinhalese language, which she learned from her family.

Examples

  • The constitution of Sri Lanka recognizes both Sinhalese language and Tamil as official languages.

  • The Sinhalese language has a unique script that is different from other languages spoken in Sri Lanka.

  • Students at the university can choose to study the Sinhalese language as part of their curriculum.

  • The Sinhalese language is rich in literature.

  • Many people in Sri Lanka speak the Sinhalese language.

  • Students at the university can choose to study the Sinhalese language as part of their curriculum.

  • Many people in Sri Lanka speak the Sinhalese language fluently.

Synonyms

Sinhala
vsSinhalese language
1 7.9

Main language spoken by most people in Sri Lanka

is the same but highlights ethnic identity over general population
Sinhalese
vsSinhalese language
1 9.3

The language spoken by Sri Lanka's largest group, called Sinhala

is the general term for that majority group's language
Sinhala language
vsSinhalese language
1 7.3

The official language of Sri Lanka spoken by most people

is the island majority's Indo-Aryan language rather than its official label
Singhalese
vsSinhalese language
  • UK
1 9.8

A language spoken by the Sinhalese people in Sri Lanka

is broader and refers to the language as a whole not just principal use
Singhalese language
vsSinhalese language
  • UK
8.4

A language most people in Sri Lanka speak

is the same language but the key highlights ethnic origin rather than label

Surface Forms

Sinhalese language singular
Sinhalese languages plural

Morphology

Sinhalese + language

The phrase is fully compositional: 'Sinhalese' identifies the ethnic/language name and 'language' denotes a speech system, so together they directly mean the language of the Sinhalese people. This is a standard, cross-linguistically common noun + language construction that a B1 learner who knows both constituents would immediately understand.

Etymology

Sinhalese language gets its name from Sinhala, a word that may come from an old word for 'lion'. One popular story says the people called themselves 'sons of the lion', so the language of those people became known as the Sinhalese language, the main language of Sri Lanka.