Sinhala

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A language of Sri Lanka

ISO 639-3
sin
Alternate Names
Cingalese, Singhala, Singhalese, Sinhalese
Autonym
සිංහල‎ (Siṃhāla)
Population

16,000,000 in Sri Lanka, all users. L1 users: 14,000,000 (2012). L2 users: 2,000,000 (1997). Total users in all countries: 16,210,660 (as L1: 14,210,660; as L2: 2,000,000).

Location

Widespread except some districts north, east, and center.

Language Maps
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:

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