Sinhalese

American  

[sin-huh-leez, -lees] / ˌsɪn həˈliz, -ˈlis /

adjective

1. of or relating to Sri Lanka, its native people, or their language.

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noun

plural

Sinhalese

1. a member of the Sinhalese people.

2. an Indic language that is the language of the majority of the population of Sri Lanka, including Colombo.

Sinhalese British  

/ ˌsɪnhəˈliːz /

noun

1. a member of a people living chiefly in Sri Lanka, where they constitute the majority of the population

2. the language of this people, belonging to the Indic branch of the Indo-European family: the official language of Sri Lanka. It is written in a script of Indian origin

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adjective

1. of or relating to this people or their language

Example Sentences

Its name derives from a Sinhalese word, beri, meaning “weak” or “I cannot” — a term used by listless victims in what is now Sri Lanka, who were among the first patients studied by scientists.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 7, 2023

The barrel is decorated with the symbols of the King of Kandy: a sun, a half-moon and a Sinhalese lion.

From Washington Times • Jul. 6, 2023

Despite the past irritants, many from the majority Sinhalese community also appreciate India's help in recent months.

From BBC • Jul. 19, 2022

For months, these protesters have been at the forefront of the millions-strong Aragalaya movement - named after the Sinhalese word for "struggle" - calling for the resignation of reviled president Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

From BBC • Jul. 16, 2022

His teacher, Revata, induced him to go to Ceylon, where the commentaries on the scriptures had been preserved in the Sinhalese language, with the object of translating them into Pāli.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3 "Brescia" to "Bulgaria" by Various