Tamil is the second official language in Sri Lanka. Powered By. A number of languages are spoken in Sri Lanka within the Austronesian, Dravidian, and Indo-Aryan families. The country has, however, given official status to Tamil and Sinhalese languages. Lanka. IOLPS Campus. The perceived inequality between Tamils and Sinhalese led to the 1983 to 2009 civil war between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. Sri Lanka is a South Asian island nation located off the southeast coast of India. It is also an official language in Sri Lanka and Singapore and has additional speakers in … All the languages spoken in the country have been influenced a lot by the languages of neighboring countries such as Malaysia, the Maldives, and India. Sinhala and Tamil are the official languages of Sri Lanka. Tamil Language Rights in Sri Lanka. Tamil language, member of the Dravidian language family, spoken primarily in India. The languages spoken on the island nation are deeply influenced by the various languages in India, Europe and Southeast Asia. Tamil: தமிழ் Tamil is Sri Lanka’s other official language, spoken by about five million people in Sri Lanka, which is about 15 percent of the population. Other minority languages are spoken by about 8% of Sri Lankans. Tamil Language (Special Provisions) Act, No. The population here is diverse and represents a multitude of cultures, including those from other countries. It is spoken by around 10% of the population. The Tamil rebels’ organization, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, continued their insurgency into the 21st century. Apart from the two official languages there are indo-Portuguese, English, Arabic, Sri Lankan Creole, Veddah and sign languages. Several languages are spoken in Sri Lanka within the Indo-Aryan, Dravidian and Austronesian families. Sri Lanka. The language belongs to the Dravidian language family and is one of the oldest continuously spoken classical languages in the world. Under this accord the Sri Lankan government made a number of concessions to Tamil demands, including devolution of power to the provinces, a merger—subject to later referendum—of the northern and eastern provinces into a single province, and official status for the Tamil language (this was enacted as the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka). It is still widely used by the aborigines of Central and Eastern India to mean an island and especially an islet in a river. The language originally developed with the arrival of Malay immigrants, who came as laborers, soldiers, and exiles of the Dutch and British colonizers during the 1200’s. The Official Language Act of Pondicherry stipulated that Tamil shall be used for all official purposes in the territory. The Tamil rebels’ organization, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, continued their insurgency into the 21st century. It is the Sinhalese people's native language, who total approximately 16 million. Tamil language, member of the Dravidian language family, spoken primarily in India. Types Of Crimes By Number Of Offenses In The US. Tamil is spoken by about 75 million Tamil native speakers worldwide. This Ministry is busily at work, to create a trilingual society in Sri Lanka .The annual report for 2016 records its activities. 33 of 1956. Colonial powers of Britain, the Netherlands, and Portugal, and Arab settlers have also had an influence on the development of the languages spoken in Sri Lanka. An additional 4 million speak Sinhalese as a second language. 2. Within Sri Lanka, there are thought to be approximately 4.7 million Tamil speakers; although worldwide, there are 70 million. Official Language Act, No. In India, it is also the official language of the Union Territory of Puducherry. Tamil is spoken by significant minorities in the four other South Indian states of Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and the Union Territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. This article takes a look at the languages of the country. What Do The Colors And Symbols Of The Flag Of Sri Lanka Mean? Sri Lanka’s current constitution lists Sinhala and Tamil as official languages, with English being given the status of a ‘link language’. 100 Hours - Rs.5,000 150 Hours - Rs.10,000 ... Pay Online. The Rodiya community within Sri Lanka speaks a dialect of Sinhalese called Rodiya. Next. English in Sri Lanka is fluently spoken by approximately 23.8%[3] of the population, and widely used for official and commercial purposes. It is written with the Sinhalese alphabet which descends from the ancient Indian Brahmi writing. Sri Lanka provide excuses for not implementing of the Official Language Policy at UN CESCR 61 Sri Lanka Brief - 09/06/2017 0 Image: Members of the CESCR at the briefing by Sri … Tamil is a Dravidian language that's spoken by about 18 percent of the island nation's population. Tamil is an official language in two countries: Sri Lanka and Singapore. Tamil is spoken as the first language by Sri Lankan Tamils, but also Moors (the country’s third biggest ethnic group) and by Indian Tamils, who mainly live in the centre of the country. The majority of Tamil speakers- about 70 million- live in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu (meaning: country). Within that category, is part of the Indo-Aryan branch. Entity Continent Population Status Notes Haryana: Asia … It is considered an indication of belonging to a lower-caste in the society. However, its use has been relegated to areas in which Tamil-speakers make up the majority of the population. Its primary use is for business purposes. View Exam Result. Sri Lankan Creole Malay is the native language of around 46,000 speakers. Another creole language spoken in Sri Lanka is Sri Lankan Portuguese Creole, spoken by only 30 of the 3,400 people of Portuguese descent. The official language of Sri Lanka is Sinhala. Various public institutions conduct most of their functions in English, but their official documents are drafted in Tamil, Malay or Chinese. While this diversity leads to the richness of life in Sri Lanka, it also leads to complications in maintaining peace. Tamil Language (Special Provisions) Act Certified on 4 September 1958 [see also Enactment of Sinhala Only Law] An Act to Provide for the Use of the Tamil Language and to Provide for Matters connected therewith or incidental thereto 1. [4] The Muslim community in Sri Lanka widely uses Arabic for religious purposes. The Muslim community in Sri Lanka widely uses Arabic for religious purposes. The news about the exclusion of Tamil, one of the two official languages in Sri Lanka, at the forthcoming national freedom day celebrations began … Besides the two official languages in Sri Lanka, several minority languages are also spoken. Tamil is an official language in two countries: Sri Lanka and Singapore. Sinhalese is widely spoken in the western, southern, and central parts of the island. Tamil shall also be an official language. This language was the lingua franca of the country between the 16th and 19th centuries. 33 of 1956. The word is considered as belonging to Austro-asiatic languages. The Constitution of Sri Lanka gives equal place to the official languages of Sri Lanka, namely Sinhala and Tamil. Senanayake – Chelvanayakam Pact of 1965 120 11. Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka accords official status to Sinhala and Tamil.The languages spoken on the island nation are deeply influenced by the various languages in India, Europe and Southeast Asia. Sri Lanka’s new government declined to sing the national anthem in Tamil, the country’s second national language, during the island’s independence day celebrations. Tamil is spoken by the Tamil people of India, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, Mauritius, South Africa and by the Tamil diaspora. Most Tamil speakers consist of Tamil people and those of the Muslim faith. I retired in April 1995, a few years after the passage of the 13th and 16th Ammendments to the Constitution, which introduced Tamil also as an Official Language. Som… A road sign in Sinhala, Tamil and English, Ministry of National Languages and Social Integration, Sri Lanka, Department of Official Languages, Sri Lanka, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Languages_of_Sri_Lanka&oldid=984114833, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 18 October 2020, at 07:54. The 13th Amendment in 1987 to Article 18 of the 1978 Constitution stated that “the official language of Sri Lanka is Sinhala” while “Tamil shall also be an official language,” with English as a … Seldom used nowadays is Arwi, a written register of Tamil that uses the Arabic script and has extensive lexical influences from Arabic. Categories: Book. What Are The Major Natural Resources Of Sri Lanka? SRI LANKA'S LAWS. ... not long after Sinhala was made the only Official Language. Official Language Act Certified on 7 July 1956. The Veddas, the aborigines of Sri Lanka who are Austro-Asiatic in origin, might have rendered the name Lanka to the island. Tamil speakers number around 4.7 million. English is the government and business language. Both Sinhala and Tamil are considered national languages; only about 18% of the population speaks Tamil as a mother tongue, however. This Act may be cited as the Tamil Language (Special Provisions) Act, No. In the 1980s, growing tensions between the Ceylon Tamil and the Sinhalese Buddhist majority in Sri Lanka prompted Tamil militants to undertake a guerrilla war against the central government in hopes of creating a separate Tamil state for themselves in the north and northeast. A handful of the 3,400 people of Portuguese descent speak Sri Lankan Portuguese creole. Sri Lanka is home to diverse ethnicities, languages, and cultures with a considerable percentage of the minorities being the Tamil speakers. Today, however, its use is mainly oral and has been declining as younger Sri Lankan Malays have begun relying on Sinhalese, Tamil, and English for communication. The Institute of Official Languages & Professional Studies (IOLPS) trains the youth in Sri Lanka to develop their language skills so that they can face the personal challenge ahead of them successfully. Copyright © 2018 Department of Official Languages, All Rights Reserved. Sri Lanka accords official status to Sinhala and Tamil. Written Sri Lankan Malay from the 19th century utilized the Gundul alphabet. In the 1980s, growing tensions between the Ceylon Tamil and the Sinhalese Buddhist majority in Sri Lanka prompted Tamil militants to undertake a guerrilla war against the central government in hopes of creating a separate Tamil state for themselves in the north and northeast. 1.This Act may be cited as the Official Language Act, No. This suggests that Tamil was added as an afterthought, or a later addition – … Sri Lanka Island two official languages: Tamil and Sinhalese. The wording of the constitution, however, is problematic. dependent entities where Tamil was an official language. Languages . It is the native language of approximately 74,000 people, mainly in urban areas. [1], As per 2016, the Sinhala language is mostly spoken by the Sinhalese people, who constitute approximately 74.9% of the national population and total about 16.6 million. Claiming sovereignty over the North and Eastern Sri Lanka and Puttalam district as: Karaikal: Claiming for a separate union territory in India. 28 of 1958. 9. Sinhala and Tamil are the national languages of Sri Lanka, according to Chapter IV of the 1978 constitution — which was amended in 1987 to give Tamil the status of an official language that was denied nine years earlier — and English was declared the link language. Tamil is the most widely used Indian dialect in the country. By Amber Pariona on April 25 2017 in Society. One Response to “THE TAMIL LANGUAGE IN SRI LANKA Part 8” dingiri bandara Says: February 27th, 2019 at 9:26 am. Tamil Language Rights in Sri Lanka. However the process of writing and publicising laws has mostly been carried out in English. 100 Hours - Rs.5,000 150 Hours - Rs.10,000 ... Pay Online. Seldom used nowadays is Arwi, a written register of Tamil that uses the Arabic script and has extensive lexical influences from Arabic. In 1956, the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK), the most dominant Tamil political party in Sri Lanka (then known as Ceylon), lobbied for a united state that would give the minority Tamils and majority Sinhalese equal rights, including recognition of two official languages—Tamil and Sinhala—and considerable autonomy for the Tamil regions of the country. Sri Lanka is home to many cultures, languages and ethnicities. AN ACT TO PRESCRIBE THE SINHALA LANGUAGE AS THE ONE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF CEYLON AND TO ENABLE CERTAIN TRANSITORY PROVISIONS TO BE MADE. Arab settlers and the colonial powers of Portugal, the Netherlands and Britain have also influenced the development of modern languages in Sri Lanka. ... not long after Sinhala was made the only Official Language. In India, it is the official language of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Pondicherry. There are more than 40,000 speakers of the Sri Lankan Malay language. Categories: Book. Tamil is a Dravidian language predominantly spoken by the Tamil people of India and Sri Lanka, and by the Tamil diaspora, Sri Lankan Moors, Chindians, and Douglas. Sinhala and Tamil are genetically unrelated languages. ...In the nation of Sri Lanka, English is officially designated the 'link language' between the two official national languages of Tamil and Sinhala. It is also an official language in Sri Lanka and Singapore and has significant numbers of speakers in Malaysia, Mauritius, Fiji, and South Africa. Modern-Sinhalese is traced to the Dravidian language as well as Pali and the medieval version of Sinhalese. Several languages are spoken in Sri Lanka within the Indo-Aryan, Dravidian and Austronesian families. It covers an area of 25,332 square miles and has a population of 20,277,597. Sinhala is widely spoken in the southern, western and central parts of the island, while Tamil is almost exclusively spoken in northern and eastern parts of the island. Tamil is the second official language in Sri Lanka. Sinhala is the native language of the Sinhalese people, who constitute approximately 70 percent of Sri Lanka’s population, which equals approximately 13 million people. Former territories resp. This language belongs to the Indo-European language family. English in Sri Lanka is fluently spoken by approximately 23.8% of the population, and widely used for official and commercial purposes. Researchers have discovered writings that date back to around 500 BC and its literary works date back to over 2,000 years. It uses the Sinhala abugida script, which is derived from the ancient Brahmi script. The Institute of Official Languages & Professional Studies (IOLPS) trains the youth in Sri Lanka to develop their language skills so that they can face the personal challenge ahead of them successfully. The Dravidian languages with the most speakers are (in descending order of number of speakers) Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam, all of which have long literary traditions. The principal foreign language spoken on this island nation is English. These ethnicities can be recognized and identified by the languages spoken. IOLPS Campus. The four official languages of Singaporeare English, Tamil, Mandarin Chinese, and Malay. 28 of 1958 117 10. It is the native language of approximately 74,000 people, mainly in urban areas. The Official Language of Sri Lanka shall be Sinhala. Funny Boy, Academy Award nominee Deepa Mehta‘s movie adaptation of Toronto-based author Shyam Selvadurai’s 1994 novel by the same name, has faced criticism from the Ilankai Tamil (the largest Tamil minority group in Sri Lanka) diaspora after the trailer of the film was released in October 2020. Sinhala is a language that traces to the Indo-Aryan family of languages. Previous. It is the official language of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the union territory of Puducherry (Pondicherry). Individuals of Tamil ancestry in Singapore make up about 58% of the India… See below for the most-spoken languages of Sri Lanka. The former belongs to the Indo-Aryan family and is spoken by about 74% of the … Tamil is the official language of the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, as well as two sovereign states, Sri Lanka and Singapore. Is still widely used Indian dialect in the country the minorities being the Tamil diasporafound in ma… Tamil language Special! 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