Sinhalese
/ˌsɪŋhəˈliːz/noun
Relating to the Sinhalese people or their language, especially in Sri Lanka.
Did you know?Sinhalese ultimately comes from Sanskrit forms meaning “lion-people,” with the lion symbol tied to Sri Lankan royal myth and identity, not to any occult meaning but to a powerful origin story.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Sanskrit
Skt
siṃha
“lion”
Ancient Sanskrit
Skt
siṃhala
“Sinhala; Sri Lanka; the Sinhalese people”
Middle Indo-Aryan
Prakrit
sihala / sinhala
“Sinhala, the island and its people”
Medieval Portuguese
Pt
cingalês
“Sinhala; Sinhalese”
18th–19th Century
Eng
Sinhalese
“A member of the majority ethnic group of Sri Lanka; the Sinhalese language”