There are approximately a hundred languages spoken in

Myanmar Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...

(also known as Burma). Burmese, spoken by two-thirds of the population, is the

official language An official language is defined by the Cambridge English Dictionary as, "the language or one of the languages that is accepted by a country's government, is taught in schools, used in the courts of law, etc." Depending on the decree, establishmen ...

. Languages spoken by ethnic minorities represent six

language families A language family is a group of languages related through descent from a common ancestor, called the proto-language of that family. The term ''family'' is a metaphor borrowed from biology, with the tree model used in historical linguistics ana ...

Sino-Tibetan Sino-Tibetan (also referred to as Trans-Himalayan) is a family of more than 400 languages, second only to Indo-European in number of native speakers. Around 1.4 billion people speak a Sino-Tibetan language. The vast majority of these are the 1.3 ...

, Austro-Asiatic, Tai–Kadai,

Indo-European The Indo-European languages are a language family native to the northern Indian subcontinent, most of Europe, and the Iranian plateau with additional native branches found in regions such as Sri Lanka, the Maldives, parts of Central Asia (e. ...

, Austronesian and Hmong–Mien,Myanmar
in as well as an incipient national standard for Burmese sign language.

Burmese

Burmese is the

native language A first language (L1), native language, native tongue, or mother tongue is the first language a person has been exposed to from birth or within the critical period hypothesis, critical period. In some countries, the term ''native language'' ...

of the

Bamar people The Bamar people ( Burmese: ဗမာလူမျိုး, ''ba. ma lu myui:'' ) (formerly known as Burmese people or Burmans) are a Sino-Tibetan-speaking ethnic group native to Myanmar (formerly known as Burma). With an estimated population ...

and related sub-ethnic groups of the Bamar, as well as that of some ethnic minorities in Burma like the Mon. In 2007, Burmese was spoken by 33 million people as a first language.Mikael Parkvall, "Världens 100 största språk 2007" (The World's 100 Largest Languages in 2007), in ''

Nationalencyklopedin (; "The National Encyclopedia" in English), abbreviated NE, is a comprehensive contemporary Swedish-language encyclopedia with several hundred thousand articles. It is available both online and via a printed version. History The project was ...

'' Burmese is spoken as a second language by another 10 million people, particularly ethnic minorities in Burma and those in neighbouring countries. Burmese is a Sino-Tibetan language belonging to the Southern Burmish branch of the

Tibeto-Burman languages The Tibeto-Burman languages are the non- Sinitic members of the Sino-Tibetan language family, over 400 of which are spoken throughout the Southeast Asian Massif ("Zomia") as well as parts of East Asia and South Asia. Around 60 million people spe ...

. Burmese is the most widely spoken of the Tibeto-Burman languages and among the Sino-Tibetan languages, the second most widely spoken, after the Sinitic languages. Burmese was the fourth of the Sino-Tibetan languages to develop a writing system, after Chinese, Tibetan, and Tangut. There are various Burmese dialects or related languages, the largest being Arakanese (or Rakhine), which retains the /r/ sound of older forms of Burmese, as well as various differences in vowel pronunciations. Some

anglicisation Anglicisation or anglicization is a form of cultural assimilation whereby something non-English becomes assimilated into or influenced by the culture of England. It can be sociocultural, in which a non-English place adopts the English language ...

of Burmese words were made with Rakhine pronunciations such as Irrawaddy for the

Ayeyarwady River The Irrawaddy River (, , Ayeyarwady) is the principal river of Myanmar, running through the centre of the country. Myanmar’s most important commercial waterway, it is about 1,350 miles (2,170 km) long. Originating from the confluence of the ...

. Other prominent Burmese dialects or languages include the Intha language and the

Tavoyan dialects Tavoyan or Dawei (, abbreviated ) is a divergent dialect of Burmese is spoken in Dawei (Tavoy), in the coastal Tanintharyi Region of southern Myanmar (Burma). Tavoyan speakers self-identify as Bamar, and are classified by the Burmese governme ...

in Dawei. The following at typically considered languages: * Burmese * Arakanese * Intha As far as

natural language processing Natural language processing (NLP) is a subfield of computer science and especially artificial intelligence. It is primarily concerned with providing computers with the ability to process data encoded in natural language and is thus closely related ...

research dealing with interaction of computers and Burmese human-spoken language is concerned, during the period spanning more than 25 years, from 1990 to 2016, notable work has been done and annotated in the areas of Burmese language word identification, segmentation, disambiguation, collation,

semantic parsing Semantic parsing is the task of converting a natural language utterance to a logical form: a machine-understandable representation of its meaning. Semantic parsing can thus be understood as extracting the precise meaning of an utterance. Applicat ...

and tokenization followed by part-of-speech tagging, machine translation systems , text keying/input, text recognition and text display methods. The scope for further research too has been explored for areas of parallel corpus development as well as development of search engines and

WordNet WordNet is a lexical database of semantic relations between words that links words into semantic relations including synonyms, hyponyms, and meronyms. The synonyms are grouped into ''synsets'' with short definitions and usage examples. It can thu ...

for the Burmese language.

Non-Burmese languages

Aside from Burmese and its dialects, the hundred or so languages of Myanmar include Shan (Tai, spoken by 3.2 million), Karen languages (spoken by 2.6 million), Kachin (spoken by 900,000),

Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...

(spoken by 1.1 Million), various Chin languages (spoken by 780,000), and Mon (Mon–Khmer, spoken by 750,000). Most of these languages use the

Burmese script Burmese may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Myanmar, a country in Southeast Asia * Burmese people * Burmese language * Burmese alphabet * Burmese cuisine * Burmese culture Animals * Burmese cat * Burmese chicken * Burmese (horse) ...

. In Myanmar, usage of its minority languages is discouraged. It is not clear if there are one or two Burmese sign languages.

Sino-Tibetan

Lolo-Burmese

There are various Sino-Tibetan languages outside of the South Burmish branch. A few minorities in northern

Shan State Shan State (, ; , ) is a administrative divisions of Myanmar, state of Myanmar. Shan State borders China (Yunnan) to the north, Laos (Louang Namtha Province, Louang Namtha and Bokeo Provinces) to the east, and Thailand (Chiang Rai Province, Chia ...

and

Kachin State Kachin State (; Jingpho language, Kachin: ) is the northernmost administrative divisions of Myanmar, state of Myanmar. It is bordered by China to the north and east (Tibet Autonomous Region, Tibet and Yunnan, respectively), Shan State to the sou ...

speak languages of the North Burmish branch of the

Burmish languages The Burmish languages are a subgroup of the Sino-Tibetan languages consisting of Burmese (including Standard Burmese, Arakanese, and other Burmese dialects such as the Tavoyan dialects) as well as non-literary languages spoken across Myanmar an ...

, namely: * Lhao Vo * Zaiwa * Lashi (or Lacit) *

Achang The Achang ( zh, c=, p=Āchāngzú), also known as the Ngac'ang (their own name) is an ethnic group. They are one of Tibeto-Burman languages, Tibeto-Burman languages speaking people. They form one of the List of Chinese ethnic groups, 56 ethnic g ...

(or Maingtha) Of the

Loloish languages The Loloish languages, also known as Yi (like the Yi people) and occasionally Ngwi or Nisoic, are a family of 50–100 Tibeto-Burman languages spoken primarily in the Yunnan province of Southwestern China. They are most closely related to Bur ...

, Myanmar has four groups primarily in Shan State, with the Lisu also living in

. These four languages use the

Roman alphabet The Latin alphabet, also known as the Roman alphabet, is the collection of letters originally used by the ancient Romans to write the Latin language. Largely unaltered except several letters splitting—i.e. from , and from —additions su ...

through spelling introduced by Christian missionaries in the twentieth century. The four languages are: * Akha (or Kaw) * Lahu * Pyen * Lisu Other Loloish languages include the Nusu

Chin languages

The largest linguistic diversity, however, is in

Chin State Chin State (, ) is a state in western Myanmar. Chin State is bordered by Sagaing Division and Magway Division to the east, Rakhine State to the south, the Chattogram Division of Bangladesh to the west, and the Indian states of Mizoram to th ...

, where even the tern "Chin" is a Burmese name given to fifty-two named groups with shared similarities. Most, but not all, belong to the Kuki-Chin language family. Many Chin languages are described by place names, such as

Tedim Tedim (, , (Tedim language, Zo: ''Tedim Khuapi'', pronounced ; is a town and the administrative seat of Tedim Township in Chin State, Myanmar. It is the second largest town in Chin State, after Hakha (the capital city of Chin State). The town's f ...

Hakha Hakha (, ; formerly rendered Haka) is the capital of Chin State in Myanmar. Hakha is located in the northeast of Chin State, with a total area of about . The city of Hakha is located on a plateau at more than above sea level. Although relative ...

and Falam. *Languages in Chin State ** Anu-Hkongso ** Shö ** Bawm ** Daai ** Khumi ** Falam ** Hakha Chin ** Kaang ** Laitu ** Lautu **

Mara Mara or MARA may refer to: Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Mara (''Doctor Who''), an evil being in two ''Doctor Who'' serials * Mara (She-Ra), fictional characters from the ''She-Ra and the Princesses of Power'' and ''The New Advent ...

** Matu ** Mizo ** Mün ** Ngawn ** Welaung **

Rungtu Rungtu (Rungtu Chin), also known as Taungtha (), is a moribund Kuki-Chin language of Burma spoken by the Taungtha people. It is spoken in 35 villages in Htilin, Kyaukhtu, and Saw townships, Magway Region. There are 3 dialects, namely Northern ...

** Senthang ** Sizang ** Songlai ** Sumtu ** Tawr **

** Thadou ** Thaiphum ** Zotung ** Zyphe

Other Sino-Tibetan

Beyond the Chin, there are a variety of other Sino-Tibetan languages outside of the Lolo-Burmese branch the most prominent being the Karenic languages with twenty languages shared between twenty-one distinct Karen and Karenni groups. The primary languages are within these are: * Sgaw Karen * Karenni (or Kayah) * Eastern Pwo * Western Pwo (or Pho Karen) * Pa'o These five languages tend to have their own scripts, based on the Mon-Burmese script, but are typically written with the Roman alphabet. A few other languages like the Lahta language who lack traditional writing use Karenic scripts. Pa'o does not have its own script. In the north, the Jingpho language (or Kachin language) is the main language of a larger Kachin language group, mostly in the Jingpho-Luish branch of Sino-Tibetan including: * Kadu * Ganan * Sak (or Atsa) This group also includes the extinct Taman language. The Mruic languages in western Myanmar make another small group of Sino-Tibetan languages with the following: * Mru * Anu-Hkongso (in Chin State) In the Northwest there are a couple

Naga languages The Naga languages are a geographic and ethnic grouping of Tibeto-Burman, spoken mostly by Naga peoples. Konyak languages, Northern Naga languages do not fall within the group, in spite of being spoken by Naga groups; instead, these form part ...

and Konyak languages including: * Anal * Khiamniungan * Konyak * Long Phuri * Tangsa In far northern Kachin, there are three distinct Sino-Tibetan languages from various branches: * Rawang * Nung * Taraon (unrecognised by Myanmar) *

Khams Tibetan Khams Tibetan () is the Tibetic languages, Tibetic language used by the majority of the people in Kham. Khams is one of the three branches of the traditional classification of Tibetic languages (the other two being Amdo Tibetan and Ü-Tsang). In ...

From the Sinitic branch,

Mandarin Chinese Mandarin ( ; zh, s=, t=, p=Guānhuà, l=Mandarin (bureaucrat), officials' speech) is the largest branch of the Sinitic languages. Mandarin varieties are spoken by 70 percent of all Chinese speakers over a large geographical area that stretch ...

also has a presence both from Chinese people in Myanmar and from the

Kokang Kokang (; ) is a region in Myanmar. It is located in the northern part of Shan State, with the Salween River to its west, and sharing a border with China's Yunnan Province to the east. Its total land area is around . The capital is Laukkai. K ...

ethnic group in northeastern Myanmar, who speak a Yunnanese variety of Mandarin. *Other Sino-Tibetan languages ** Akeu ** Akyaung Ari ** Derung ** Hpon ** Kayaw ** Koki ** Geko Karen ** Leinong ** Makury ** Mro ** Padaung ** Para **

Ponyo is a 2008 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. It was animated by Studio Ghibli for the Nippon Television Network, Dentsu, Hakuhodo DY Media Partners, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Mitsubishi, and distri ...

** Riang ** Tangkhul ** Zou

Austroasiatic

Historically, the most important Austroasiatic language is the

Mon language The Mon language, formerly known as Peguan and Talaing, is an Austroasiatic language spoken by the Mon people. Mon, like the related Khmer language, but unlike most languages in mainland Southeast Asia, is not tonal. The Mon language is a recogn ...

of the lower delta region, which is now diminishing in usage. Most remaining Austroasiatic languages today are in

from the Palaungic branch. * Blang * Danau * Muak Sa-aak * Mon * Palaung * Riang * Tai Loi * Wa

Kra-Dai

There are seven distinct languages recognised but, many

Kra–Dai languages The Kra–Dai languages ( , also known as Tai–Kadai and Daic ), are a language family in mainland Southeast Asia, southern China, and northeastern India. All languages in the family are tonal language, tonal, including Thai language, Thai a ...

in Myanmar are collectively known as the

Shan language Shan is the native language of the Shan people and is mostly spoken in Shan State, Myanmar. It is also spoken in pockets in other parts of Myanmar, in Northern Thailand, in Yunnan, in Laos, in Cambodia, in Vietnam and decreasingly in Assam an ...

and consist of a

dialect continuum A dialect continuum or dialect chain is a series of Variety (linguistics), language varieties spoken across some geographical area such that neighboring varieties are Mutual intelligibility, mutually intelligible, but the differences accumulat ...

with many similarities to official Thai spoken in Thailand. * Khamti * Khün * Tai Lue *

Tai Laing Tai Leng (, ; variously spelt Tai Laing, Tai Leng or Tai Nine), also known as Shan-Ni (, ), is a Tai language of Burma, closely related to Khamti and Shan. It is written in its own variant of Burmese script, and though not taught in schools, ...

* Tai Mao * Tai Nuea * Tai Yai (or Shan)

Austronesian

The only native Austronesian language is Saloun, known in Burmese as Moken, which is similar but distinct from the Moklen language spoken in southern Thailand.

Hmong-Mien

* Hmong

Indo-Aryan and Dravidian

Indo-Aryan languages exist natively on the northern border of

Rakhine State Rakhine State ( ; , ; ), formerly known as Arakan State, is a Administrative divisions of Myanmar, state in Myanmar (Burma). Situated on the western coast, it is bordered by Chin State to the north, Magway Region, Bago Region and Ayeyarwady Re ...

reflecting the shifting borders between various South Asian states and Myanmar throughout history. In addition, various Indian groups migrated to Myanmar during

British rule in Burma British colonial rule in Burma lasted from 1824 to 1948, from the successive three Anglo-Burmese wars through the creation of ''Burma'' as a province of British India to the establishment of an independently administered colony, and finally i ...

, bring both Indo-Aryan and Dravidian languages * Indo-Aryan ** Nepali (

Burmese Gurkha Burmese Gurkhas (; ) are a group of Nepali language speaking Burmese people of Khas/ Gurkha ethnic group living in Myanmar (formerly Burma). While the Gurkhas have lived in Burma for many centuries, it was during the British rule in Burma, that ...

) ** Daingnet (or Chakma) **

Rohingya The Rohingya people (; ; ) are a stateless Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who predominantly follow Islam from Rakhine State, Myanmar. Before the Rohingya genocide in 2017, when over 740,000 fled to Bangladesh, an estimated 1.4 million Ro ...

** Bengali ** Tanchangya *Dravidian **

** Telugu

English as a second language

Today, Burmese is the primary language of instruction, and English is the secondary language taught. English was the primary language of instruction in higher education from late 19th century to 1964, when Gen.

Ne Win Ne Win (; ; 24 May 1911 – 5 December 2002), born Shu Maung (; ), was a Burmese army general, politician and Prime Minister of Burma from 1958 to 1960 and 1962 to 1974, and also President of Burma from 1962 to 1981. Ne Win was Burma's mili ...

mandated educational reforms to "Burmanise". English continues to be used by educated urbanites and the national government.

Footnotes

References

* *

Bibliography

* * * *

External links

Linguistic map of Burma from Muturzikin.com

Main spoken languages of Myanmar at MIMU
{{Asia in topic, Languages of bn:মিয়ানমারের ভাষা