The term Sinhala Country had been used for centuries – Ven. Medhananda thero

(October 09, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) JHU leader Ven. Ellawala Medhananda Nayake Thero said the reference to Sri Lanka as Sinhale or the Sinhala Country had historical connotations. The Greek cartographer Ptolemy who lived in the Second Century had drawn a map of Sri Lanka and called it Salike also meaning Sinhale according to the way the Greek had pronounced the word. Different nations had given Sri Lanka different names, but the name Sinhale or Sinhala Country was in use among many nations in the past.

When the Army Commander gave an interview to the magazine, he had referred to the country as the Sinhala Country as it had been known by that name for centuries. The minorities need not have fear about the name of the country as even the word Thamila had been used in our literary texts for invaders and not necessarily for Tamils.

Even the Portuguese invaders had been referred to as Thamila though they of course could not have been Tamils. Therefore the usage of the word Sinhala Country should not be misinterpreted as the country had been referred to by that name for centuries by different nations, the thero said. - Sri Lanka Guardian