SIN ISO 639-3
Sinhala
සිංහල (Siṃhāla) Autonym
A language of Sri Lanka
- ISO 639
- sin
- Alternate Names
- Cingalese, Singhala, Singhalese, Sinhalese
- Autonym
- සිංහල (Siṃhāla)
- Population
- 17,000,000 in Sri Lanka, all users. L1 users: 15,000,000 in Sri Lanka (2019). L2 users: 2,000,000 (1997). Total users in all countries: 17,504,670 (as L1: 15,504,670; as L2: 2,000,000).
- Location:
- Widespread.
- Language Status
- 1 (National). Statutory national language (1987, Constitution (amended), Article 18).
- Classification
- Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Outer Languages, Southern, Sinhalese-Maldivian
- Dialects
- Rodiya. Great differences exist between literary and colloquial language. Rodiya dialect is spoken by low caste Rodiya people.
- Typology
- SOV; postpositions; noun head final; gender (masculine/feminine/neuter); indefinite article suffix; case-marking (5 cases); tense and aspect; causatives; 23 consonants and 13 vowels; non-tonal.
- Language Development
- Fully developed. Bible: 1823–1982.
- Language Resources
- OLAC resources in and about Sinhala
- Writing
- Braille script [Brai]. Sinhala script [Sinh], primary usage.
- Other Comments
- Buddhist.
Also Spoken in
- Location
- Scattered.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of United Arab Emirates
Language Name
Sinhala
User Population
129,000 in United Arab Emirates (2020).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Australia
Language Name
Sinhala
User Population
64,600 in Australia (2016 census).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Canada
Language Name
Sinhala
User Population
16,300 in Canada (2016 census).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Cyprus
Language Name
Sinhala
User Population
7,160 in Cyprus (2013 UNSD).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Germany
Language Name
Sinhala
User Population
25,800 in Germany (2020 census). , based on nationality.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Denmark
Language Name
Sinhala
User Population
7,000 in Denmark (2020 census). , based on nationality.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of United Kingdom
Language Name
Sinhala
User Population
14,700 in United Kingdom (2011 census).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Libya
Language Name
Sinhala
User Population
16,400 in Libya (2020).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Maldives
Language Name
Sinhala
User Population
2,500 in Maldives (2017).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Malaysia
Language Name
Sinhala
User Population
4,400 in Malaysia (2021 Joshua Project). , based on ethnicity.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Norway
Language Name
Sinhala
User Population
15,800 in Norway (2021 census). , based on nationality.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of New Zealand
Language Name
Sinhala
User Population
5,220 in New Zealand (2013 census).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Oman
Language Name
Sinhala
User Population
35,700 in Oman (2020).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Qatar
Language Name
Sinhala
User Population
57,000 in Qatar (2019).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Sweden
Language Name
Sinhala
User Population
1,250 in Sweden (2020 census). , based on nationality.
- Location
- Scattered.
- Language Status
- 6b (Threatened)
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. Great difference between the literary and colloquial language. Buddhist. View other languages of Singapore
Language Name
Sinhala
User Population
3,140 in Singapore (2010 census). Ethnic population: 16,000 (2018 J. Leclerc).
- Location
- Bangkok area.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Thailand
Language Name
Sinhala
User Population
72,000 in Thailand (Leclerc 2019a).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of United States
Language Name
Sinhala
User Population
26,700 in United States (2015 census).
Map
Location: Widespread.
Size and Vitality
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