Sinhala
/sɪŋˈhɑːlə/noun
Sinhala is the principal language of Sri Lanka and the language of the Sinhalese people.
Did you know?The traditional lion connection appears in the Sinhalese origin legend of Prince Vijaya, whose ancestor is said to have been born from a lion, although scholars debate whether this is the word’s true linguistic origin.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Siṃhala
“The traditional Sanskrit form associated with Sri Lanka and the Sinhalese; often interpreted as “lion-land,” though the derivation is uncertain.”
Early Middle Indo-Aryan
Pali
Sīhaḷa
“The Pali name for Sri Lanka and its people, corresponding to Sanskrit Siṃhala.”
Ancient Sri Lanka
Prakrit
Sīhala
“An inscriptional and literary form referring to Sri Lanka or the Sinhalese population.”
Medieval Sri Lanka
Old Sinhala
Hela / Sīhala
“Indigenous forms used in Sinhala literary and historical traditions for the island and its people.”
16th Century
Portuguese
Cingala
“A Portuguese rendering of the island’s ethnonym and language name.”
19th Century
English
Singhalese
“An English form used for the people, language, and culture of Sri Lanka.”
Modern English
English
Sinhala
“The standard modern English name for Sri Lanka’s major national language.”