SINHALESE LANGUAGE
Understanding The Sinhalese Language & Providing Professional Sinhalese Interpreters, Translators and Transcriptionists
American Language Services (AML-Global) understands the importance of working in the Sinhalese language. For over a Quarter of a Century, American Language Services has worked with the Sinhalese language as well as hundreds of others from around the world. We offer comprehensive language services 24 hours, 7 days a week worldwide by providing Sinhalese interpreting, translation and transcriptions services along with hundreds of other languages and dialects. Our linguists are native speakers and writers who are screened, credentialed, certified, field tested and experienced in a number of specific industry settings. The Sinhalese language is unique and has very specific origins and characteristics.
Sinhalese Culture and Sri Lanka
Sinhalese is the language of the Sinhalese, the largest ethnic group of Sri Lanka. It belongs to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is famous for the production and export of tea, coffee, coconuts and rubber. Sri Lanka boasts a progressive and modern industrial economy and the highest per capita income in South Asia. The natural beauty of Sri Lanka’s tropical forests, beaches and landscape, as well as its rich cultural heritage, make it a world famous tourist destination.
The Etymology of Sinhalese
Sinhala is actually a Sanskrit term; the corresponding Middle Indic word is Sihala, the actual Sinhala term. The Sanskrit and the Middle Indic words have as their first element the word “lion” in the respective languages. According to legend, Sinhabahu or Sihabahu, was the son of a Vanga princess and a lion. He killed his father and became king of Vanga. His son Vijaya would emigrate from North India to Lanka and become the progenitor of the Sinhala people.
Sinhalese Dialects
Sinhalese spoken in the Southern province of Sri Lanka (Galle, Matara and Hambantota districts) is highly divergent from that spoken in the Western and Central part. Often foreigners who learn the Western dialect (which is generally considered to be the standard language today) are unable to speak with people from the South. However, for native speakers both dialects are mutually intelligible, and they might not even realize that the differences are significant. The language of the Veddah resembles Sinhala to a great extent, although it has a large number of words, which cannot be traced to another language.
Who are You Going to Trust with Your Vital Sinhalese Language Needs?
The Sinhalese language is an important language worldwide. It is vital to understand the general nature and specific idiosyncrasies of Sinhalese. Since 1985, AML-Global has provided outstanding Sinhalese interpreters, translators and transcriptionsts worldwide.
