Sinhalese is the primary language spoken by the majority of Sri Lankans, belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family. As a descendant of the ancient Indic languages brought to the island, it shares features with languages spoken in the northern Indian subcontinent. According to the eLinguistics.net analysis using specific software modules to assess linguistic relationships, the five languages most similar to Sinhalese are Assamese, Bengali, Nepali, Kashmiri, and Marwari.
- Assamese (58.1)
Primarily spoken in the northeastern Indian state of Assam, Assamese shares a historical connection with Sinhalese through their shared Indo-Aryan roots. Both languages evolved from Magadhi Prakrit, an ancient language of eastern India. Assamese and Sinhalese display parallels in the influence of Sanskrit on their vocabulary. - Bengali (48.8)
Spoken predominantly in Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, Bengali is another language closely related to Sinhalese. The phonological systems of Bengali and Sinhalese have significant similarities. Both languages heavily draw on Sanskrit for their formal and literary lexicon, making certain words and phrases mutually recognizable. Despite these similarities, their grammatical structures create distinct identities. - Nepali (48.8)
The official language of Nepal is Nepali. The language shares deep Indo-Aryan roots with Sinhalese. Both languages maintain a strong influence from Sanskrit, which is evident in vocabulary and grammar. While Sinhalese uses its own script, Nepali is written in Devanagari. Differences arise due to Nepali’s greater exposure to Tibeto-Burman languages and Sinhalese’s evolution within the Dravidian languages. - Kashmiri (47.0)
Kashmiri is predominately spoken in the Kashmir Valley. It bears similarities to Sinhalese through shared Indo-Aryan heritage. Additionally, these languages possess extensive Sanskrit-derived vocabulary. However, Kashmiri has been heavily influenced by Persian and Arabic due to historical Islamic rule in the region, while Sinhalese has absorbed Tamil and Pali influences. - Marwari (46.9)
Marwari is spoken in the western Indian state of Rajasthan. Both languages exhibit phonological traits like aspirated consonants and retroflex sounds. Marwari and Sinhalese also share a significant portion of Sanskrit-derived vocabulary, although they diverged geographically and culturally centuries ago. Marwari’s exposure to Gujarati and Hindi contrasts with Sinhalese’s development alongside Tamil.
(to be considered for the list, the language must be spoken by at least one million people)