Wikijunior:Languages/Sinhalese

How many people speak this language?
About 15.6 million people.

Where is this language spoken?
Sri Lanka.

What is the history of this language?
It is believed that about the 5th century BC, settlers from north-eastern India reached the island of Sri Lanka. This group of settlers is referred to as prince Vijaya and his entourage in the chronicle Mahavamsa. These new settlers merged with the native Hela tribes known as Yakka, Naga who spoke Elu language, and a new nation called Sinhala came to exist.