sinhalese
sinhalese Lexical Profile
• adjective
Of or relating to the Sinhalese people, their culture, or their language in Sri Lanka.
"The museum features an extensive collection of classical Sinhalese literature and Buddhist art."
• noun
A member of the largest ethnic group native to the island country of Sri Lanka.
"The Sinhalese constitute the majority of the population in Sri Lanka."
The Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Sinhalese people, serving as one of the official and national languages of Sri Lanka.
"She is fluent in both Sinhalese and Tamil, the two official languages of Sri Lanka."
Word Nuance & Usage
'Sinhalese' and 'Sinhala' are often used interchangeably for both the people and their language, whereas 'Sri Lankan' refers broadly to any citizen of Sri Lanka regardless of ethnic background.
• Rhymes for sinhalese
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from Sanskrit 'Siṃhala' (literally 'dwelling of lions', from 'siṃha' meaning 'lion'), combined with the English suffix '-ese'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.