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

Sinhalese plural

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

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• Sinhalese
  plural

Example Sentences

It’s the first election since the mass protests - called the “aragalaya”, Sinhalese for struggle – which were sparked by Sri Lanka’s worst economic crisis.

From BBC • Sep. 17, 2024

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

Beginning on 9 April, daily demonstrations quickly grew into "GotaGoGama" - a word that combines the Sinhalese word for "village" with protesters' demand for Mr Rajapaksa to step down as president.

From BBC • Jan. 8, 2023

I hereby certify that I have carefully examined the Sinhalese version of the Catechism prepared by Colonel H. S. Olcott, and that the same is in agreement with the Canon of the Southern Buddhist Church.

From The Buddhist Catechism by Olcott, Henry Steel