Regional Languages of Sri Lanka

Sinhala is the official language of Sri Lanka, spoken by the majority of the population.

Tamil is spoken by the Tamil minority in Sri Lanka, primarily in the northern and eastern parts of the country.

English is used as the lingua franca in Sri Lanka, due to its historical role as the language of administration and education.

Arabic is spoken by the Muslim community in Sri Lanka, particularly those of Arab descent.

Dutch is spoken by the Burgher community in Sri Lanka, descendants of Dutch colonists.

Malay is spoken by the Malay community in Sri Lanka, descendants of Malay traders and settlers.

Vedda is spoken by the Vedda community in Sri Lanka, an indigenous people group.

Sinhala-Tamil is spoken by the Batticaloa Moors in Sri Lanka, a unique blend of Sinhala and Tamil.

Jaffna Tamil is spoken by the Jaffna Tamils in Sri Lanka, a distinct dialect of Tamil.

Up-Country Tamil is spoken by the Up-Country Tamils in Sri Lanka, descendants of Tamil laborers brought to the country during British rule.

Sri Lankan Malay is spoken by the Sri Lankan Malays, descendants of Malay traders and settlers.

Chettiar is spoken by the Sri Lankan Chettiars, a Tamil-speaking community from South India.

Bohra is spoken by the Sri Lankan Bohras, a Muslim community from Gujarat, India.

Memoni is spoken by the Sri Lankan Memons, a Muslim community from Kutch, India.

Parsi is spoken by the Sri Lankan Parsis, a Zoroastrian community from Persia.