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Sinhalese Proverbs


The Sinhalese are an Indo-Aryan speaking ethnic group native to the island of Sri Lanka. They constitute about 75% of the Sri Lankan population and number greater than 15 million.  The Sinhalese identity is based on language, historical heritage and religion. The Sinhalese people speak the Sinhalese language, an Indo-Aryan language, and are predominantly Theravada Buddhists,  although a small percentage of Sinhalese follow branches of Christianity. The Sinhalese are mostly found in North central, Central, South, and West Sri Lanka.

Sinhalese is the native language of the Sinhalese people spoken as a second language by other ethnic groups in Sri Lanka.  Sinhalese is written using the Sinhalese script, which is one of the Brahmic scripts, a descendant of the ancient Indian Brahmi script closely related to the Kadamba alphabet.

Sinhalese is one of the official and national languages of Sri Lanka. Sinhalese, along with Pali, played a major role in the development of Theravada Buddhist literature.

The Sinhalese Kingdom refers to the successive Sinhalese kingdoms that existed in what is today Sri Lanka.


Sayings of Sinhalese origin

You cannot swallow medicine pills without letting the throat know.

When the blacksmith finds a malleable iron, he leaps (with pleasure) to bring his hammer down.

When in haste, one cannot put his hand even in a crock pot.

What goes up, must come down.

Water flows down the lowest point.

The man who has been beaten by a fire-brand dreads the light of even a firefly.

The man who fell into the pit at night, does not fall into it again in broad daylight.

The bird that jumps from branch to branch to avoid the rain, dies (from the cold).

One cannot drink porridge without getting some on his moustache.

Of what use is a lamp to a blind man?

Every kind of bird resorts to a fruitful tree.

Defeat is three-legged.

A vessel filled with water does not make a noise when shaken.

The Sinhalese are an Indo-Aryan speaking ethnic group native to the island of Sri Lanka. They constitute about 75% of the Sri Lankan population and number greater than 15 million.  The Sinhalese identity is based on language, historical heritage and religion. The Sinhalese people speak the Sinhalese language, an Indo-Aryan language, and are predominantly Theravada Buddhists,  although a small percentage of Sinhalese follow branches of Christianity. The Sinhalese are mostly found in North central, Central, South, and West Sri Lanka.

Sinhalese is the native language of the Sinhalese people spoken as a second language by other ethnic groups in Sri Lanka.  Sinhalese is written using the Sinhalese script, which is one of the Brahmic scripts, a descendant of the ancient Indian Brahmi script closely related to the Kadamba alphabet.

Sinhalese is one of the official and national languages of Sri Lanka. Sinhalese, along with Pali, played a major role in the development of Theravada Buddhist literature.

The Sinhalese Kingdom refers to the successive Sinhalese kingdoms that existed in what is today Sri Lanka.