Sri Lanka Language

Sri Lanka is a South Asian island nation. And it is located off the southeast coast of India. The country of Sri Lanka covers an area of 25,332 square miles and has a population of 20,277,597. Its population here is diverse and represents a multitude of cultures, including those from other countries from all over the World. While this cultural diversity leads to the richness of life in the country of Sri Lanka, it also leads to complications in maintaining the peace. This difficulty is rooted in disagreements among the people of differing ethnicities. These ethnicities can be recognized and identified by the languages spoken in the country. This article specially takes a look at the languages spoken in the country.

Sinhalese, One Of The Official Languages Of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Official Language

Sinhalese is one of the official languages of Sri Lanka. It is the native language of Sinhalese people, approximately who are in total 16 million. An additional four million people speak Sinhalese as a 2nd language. Sinhalese language belongs to the Indo-European language family. Within that category, is part of Indo-Aryan branch. It is written with the Sinhalese alphabet which descends from the ancient Indian Brahmi writing. Modern-Sinhalese is traced to the Dravidian language as well as medieval and the Pali version of Sinhalese. And it has also borrowed words from Portuguese, Tamil, Dutch, and English. The Rodiya community within country of Sri Lanka speaks a dialect of Sinhalese called Rodiya. It is considered an indication of belonging to a lower caste in the society.

Tamil, The Second Official Language Of Sri Lanka

What is the Second Official Language of Sri Lanka?

Within the country of Sri Lanka, approximately there are thought to be 4.7 million Tamil speakers; although worldwide, there are 70 million. The language belongs to the Dravidian language family and is one of the ancient continuously spoken classical languages in all over the world. Researchers have discovered writings that date back to around 500 BC and its literary works date back to over 2000 years. Tamil is the 2nd official language spoken in Sri Lanka. However, its use has been decreased to the areas in which Tamil language speakers make up the majority of the population. The perceived inequality between Sinhalese and Tamils led to the 1983 to 2009 civil war between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and the Sri Lankan government. For those Tamil speakers who do not speak Sinhalese, finding jobs or even doing the government paperwork can be difficult.

Creole Languages, Minority Languages Spoken In Sri Lanka

How many Minority Languages Spoken in Sri Lanka?

Besides the 2 official languages in Sri Lanka, There are several minority languages are spoken in Sri Lanka. Creole Malay Sri Lankan language is the native language of around 46,000 speakers. Creole is considered an Austronesian language and it is made up of a mix of Sinhalese, Malay and Tamil. With the arrival of Malay community this language originally developed in Sri Lanka, who came as laborers, soldiers, and British colonizers and exiles of the Dutch during the 1200’s. From the 19^th century written Sri Lankan Malay utilized the Gundul alphabet. Today, however, it has been declining as younger Sri Lankan Malays have begun relying on Sinhalese, Tamil and English for communication. And its use is mainly oral in the country.

Sri Lankan Portuguese Creole is another creole language spoken in Sri Lanka, spoken by only 30 of the 3,400 people of Portuguese descent. These individuals are descendants of the Casados, Topazes, and Portuguese Burgher. Between the 16^th and 19^th centuries this language was the lingua franca of the country.

How many Foreign Languages Spoken in Sri Lanka?Foreign Languages Of Sri Lanka

On this island nation the principal foreign language spoken is English. It is spoken by around 10 percent of the population. Its primary use is for business purposes.

What Languages Are Spoken In Sri Lanka?

How Many Languages Are Spoken in Sri Lanka?

Rank	Categories Of Language	Languages
1	Sri Lankan Official languages	Sinhalese, Tamil
2	Sri Lankan Main foreign languages	English
3	Sri Lankan Sign languages	Multiple Sign Languages