Burmese language
Burmese is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken mainly in Myanmar. It is Myanmar’s official language and the native language of the Bamar majority.
Burmese script: An abugida used to write Burmese and several other languages of Myanmar. Its rounded letters and stacked forms give written Burmese its distinctive appearance.
Old Burmese: The earliest documented stage of Burmese, represented by inscriptions from the Bagan period. Its stone inscriptions provide the earliest substantial evidence for Burmese writing.
Myanmar: A country in mainland Southeast Asia bordered by Bangladesh, India, China, Laos, and Thailand. Burmese serves as Myanmar’s official language, though many other languages are spoken there.
Arakanese language: A closely related language variety spoken mainly in Rakhine State in western Myanmar. Its relationship to Burmese raises questions about where language varieties become separate languages.
Burmese phonology: The system of speech sounds and prosody used in Burmese. Tone, phonation, and syllable structure distinguish Burmese words that otherwise sound alike.
Myazedi inscription: A twelfth-century inscription in Burmese, Pyu, Mon, and Pali found near Bagan. Its parallel texts offer an early record of written Burmese and other regional languages.
Burmese literature: Literary works written in Burmese, from inscriptions and court poetry to modern novels. Its genres and traditions show how Burmese developed beyond everyday speech.
Shan language: A Tai-Kadai language spoken mainly by Shan communities in Myanmar and neighboring countries. Its distinct family and regional prominence contrast with Burmese’s role as the national language.
Burmese grammar: The rules governing word forms, sentence structure, and grammatical relations in Burmese. Burmese typically places verbs at the ends of clauses and uses particles to mark grammatical functions.
Pyu language: An extinct language of the Pyu city-states in central Myanmar, known chiefly from inscriptions. Pyu inscriptions document an earlier linguistic landscape in the region where Burmese later spread.