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Glite Dictionary
Sinhala language

Sinhala language

1 7.3
The official language of Sri Lanka spoken by most people
  • noun
: idioma sinhala
  • The Sinhala language is spoken by millions in Sri Lanka.

Examples

  • She is studying the Sinhala language at university.

  • The official documents are translated into both Tamil and Sinhala language.

  • Many Sri Lankans speak Sinhala language as their mother tongue.

  • Is Sinhala language difficult to learn?

  • The Sinhala language is known for its unique script and rich literature.

  • Many children in Sri Lanka learn the Sinhala language in school.

  • The government provides resources to promote the Sinhala language among its citizens.

Synonyms

Sinhala
vsSinhala language
1 7.9

Main language spoken by most people in Sri Lanka

is the official form of that Indo-Aryan language rather than just common use
Sinhalese
vsSinhala language
1 9.3

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

is the country's official language rather than only an ethnic language
Singhalese
vsSinhala language
  • UK
1 9.8

A language spoken by the Sinhalese people in Sri Lanka

is the official national language beyond being a community language
Sinhalese language
vsSinhala language
1 6.7

The main language spoken by the Sinhalese people of Sri Lanka

is the official state language in the same Indo-Aryan family
Singhalese language
vsSinhala language
  • UK
8.4

A language most people in Sri Lanka speak

is the official national language, not only the commonly spoken tongue

Surface Forms

Sinhala language singular
Sinhala languages plural

Morphology

Sinhala + language

The phrase is a straightforward compound of a proper name 'Sinhala' and the noun 'language', so its meaning — the language called Sinhala — is directly derivable from the parts. This noun+language naming pattern is cross-linguistically common and would be clear to a B1 learner who knows both constituents.

Etymology

Sinhala language comes from the word Sinhala, which originally meant 'lion' and links to an old story about the island's first king. That's why the name is used for the people of Sri Lanka and their language today.