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Island nation of Singapore (Singapura) derives it’s name from
the Malay words singa (lion) and pura (city), which in turn is
from the Tamil-Sanskrit சிங்க singa सिंह siṃha and पुर புர
pura. According to the Malay Annals, this name was given by a
14th century Sumatran Malay prince named Sang Nila Utama, who,
on alighting the island after a thunderstorm, spotted an
auspicious beast on shore that his chief minister identified
as a lion (Asiatic Lion).
Recent studies of Singapore indicate that lions have never
lived there, and the beast seen by Sang Nila Utama was likely
a tiger.
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