Countries
Sri Lanka
  
Malaysia, Mauritius, Puducherry, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu
  
National Language
Sri Lanka
  
Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu
  
Second Language
Sri Lanka
  
Andaman and Nicobar Islands, kerala, Puducherry
  
Speaking Continents
Asia
  
Asia
  
Minority Language
Not spoken in any of the countries
  
Canada, Malaysia, Mauritius, Reunion, Seychelles
  
Regulated By
Hela Havula (හෙළ හවුල)
  
Official language Commission of Government of Tamil Nadu, Thanjavur Tamil University
  
Interesting Facts
- In Sinhalese language, there are many loanwords from Dravidian languages mainly Tamil, Portuguese, Dutch and English.
- Sinhalese language has it own script/ writing system.
  
- Tamil is the oldest language in the world. Tamil was spoken in South India more than 5000 years ago.
- The first legally recognized Classical Language of India is Tamil.
Similar To
Maldivian Language
  
Malayalam
  
Derived From
Sanskrit Language
  
Not Available
  
Alphabets in
Sinhalese-Alphabets.jpg#200
  
Tamil-Alphabets.jpg#200
  
Phonology
  
  
Scripts
Sinhala alphabet
  
Tamil
  
Writing Direction
Left-To-Right, Horizontal
  
Left-To-Right, Horizontal
  
Hard to Learn
  
  
Hello
හලෝ (halō)
  
வணக்கம் (Vanakkam)
  
Thank You
ඔබට ස්තුතියි (obaṭa stutiyi)
  
நன்றி (Naṉṟi)
  
How Are You?
ඔබ කොහොමද (oba kohomada)
  
நீங்கள் எப்படி இருக்கிறீர்கள்? (Nīṅkaḷ eppaṭi irukkiṟīrkaḷ?)
  
Good Night
සුභ රාත්රියක් (subha rātriyak)
  
நல்ல இரவு (Good night) / irravu vanakkam (Good night)
  
Good Evening
සුබ සැන්දෑවක් (suba sændǣvak)
  
நல்ல மாலை (Nalla mālai)/ மாலை (irravu vanakkam)
  
Good Afternoon
සුභ සන්ධ්යාවක් (subha sandhyāvak)
  
பிற்பகல் வணக்கம் (perpagal vanakkam)
  
Good Morning
සුභ උදෑසනක් (subha udǣsanak)
  
காலை வணக்கம் (Kaalai Vanakkam)
  
Please
කරුණාකර (karuṇākara)
  
தயவு (Tayavu)
  
Sorry
සමාවන්න (samāvanna)
  
மன்னிக்கவும் (Maṉṉikkavum)
  
Bye
බායි (bāyi)
  
சென்று வருகிறேன் (Sendru Varukiren)
  
I Love You
මම ඔයාට ආදරෙයි (mama oyāṭa ādareyi)
  
நான் உன்னை காதலிக்கிறேன் (Naan Unnai Kadalikiren)
  
Excuse Me
මට සමාවෙන්න (maṭa samāvenna)
  
என்னை மன்னியுங்கள் (Eṉṉai maṉṉiyuṅkaḷ)
  
Dialect 1
Vedda
  
Kongu
  
Where They Speak
Sri Lanka
  
Kongu
  
Dialect 2
Not Available
  
Madurai Tamil
  
Where They Speak
Not Available
  
Madurai, South Tamil Nadu
  
Dialect 3
Not Available
  
Tirunelveli Tamil
  
Where They Speak
Not Available
  
South Tamil Nadu, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli
  
How Many People Speak?
16.00 million
  
99+
78.00 million
  
21
Native Speakers
16.00 million
  
39
70.00 million
  
15
Second Language Speakers
2.00 million
  
34
8.00 million
  
24
Native Name
සිංහල (sĩhala)
  
தமிழ்
  
Alternative Names
Cingalese, Singhala, Singhalese, Sinhala
  
Damulian, Tamal, Tamalsan, Tambul, Tamili
  
French Name
singhalais
  
tamoul
  
German Name
Singhalesisch
  
Tamil
  
Pronunciation
Not Available
  
[t̪ɐmɨɻ]
  
Ethnicity
Sinhalese people
  
Tamil people or Tamilans
  
Origin
3
  
300 BC
  
Language Family
Indo-European Family
  
Dravidian Family
  
Subgroup
Indo-Iranian
  
Not Available
  
Branch
Indic
  
Not Available
  
Language Forms
  
  
Early Forms
Sinhalese Prakrit
  
Old Tamil and Middle Tamil
  
Standard Forms
Modern Sinhalese
  
Modern Tamil
  
Signed Forms
Not Available
  
Signed Tamil
  
Scope
Individual
  
Individual
  
ISO 639 1
si
  
ta
  
ISO 639 2
  
  
ISO 639 2/T
sin
  
tam
  
ISO 639 2/B
sin
  
tam
  
ISO 639 3
sin
  
tam
  
ISO 639 6
Not Available
  
tam
  
Glottocode
sinh1246
  
tami1289, oldt1248
  
Linguasphere
No data available
  
tami1289
  
Types of Language
  
  
Language Type
Living
  
Living
  
Language Linguistic Typology
Subject-Object-Verb
  
Subject-Object-Verb
  
Language Morphological Typology
Fusional
  
Not Available