Mingalaba ( ; variously romanised as mingalarpar, mingalabar, or mingalar par) is the formal Burmese greeting.
It is typically accompanied by a slight bow, or more formally, an
Añjali Mudrā
''Añjali Mudrā'' () is a hand gesture mainly associated with Indian religions and arts, encountered throughout Asia. It is a part of Indian classical dance such as Bharatanatyam, yoga practice, and forms part of the greeting Namaste. Among th ...
gesture, wherein the palms are folded together.
The phrase "mingalaba" is typically rendered in English as "may you be blessed" or "auspiciousness to you."
Origins
The greeting mingalaba is a relatively modern creation. The phrase first emerged 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 ...
in the 19th to 20th centuries, coined as a
Burmese language
Burmese (; ) is a Tibeto-Burman languages, Tibeto-Burman language spoken in Myanmar, where it is the official language, lingua franca, and the native language of the Bamar people, Bamar, the country's largest ethnic group. Burmese dialects are a ...
equivalent to 'hello' or 'how are you.'
In the late 1960s, the Burmese government institutionalized the phrase in the country's educational system. Burmese pupils now greet their teachers with mingalaba at the beginning of each school day.
Mingalaba itself is a phrase, decomposed into mingala + ba. The first word "mingala" (မင်္ဂလာ) originates from the
Pāli
Pāli (, IAST: pāl̤i) is a classical Middle Indo-Aryan language of the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pāli Canon'' or '' Tipiṭaka'' as well as the sacred language of '' Therav ...
term , which means auspicious, lucky, prosperous, or festive.
The word also appears in a well-known Buddhist scripture called the
Maṅgala Sutta
The ' is a discourse (Pali: ''Sūtra, sutta'') of Gautama Buddha on the subject of 'blessings' (''mangala'', also translated as 'good omen' or 'auspices' or 'good fortune'). In this discourse, Gautama Buddha describes 'blessings' that are whole ...
.
Burmese culture recognizes
Twelve Auspicious Rites
The Twelve Auspicious Rites (, , and ) are a series of worldly rites of passage recognized in traditional Burmese culture, particularly by the Bamar and Rakhine peoples. These are distinct from the Thirty-eight Buddhist Beatitudes described in t ...
or "Mingala." In Burmese, "mingala" is affixed to several Burmese terms, including "to wed" (မင်္ဂလာဆောင်) and "housewarming" (အိမ်တက်မင်္ဂလာ).
The second word, "ba" (ပါ), is a
grammatical particle
In grammar, the term ''particle'' ( abbreviated ) has a traditional meaning, as a part of speech that cannot be inflected, and a modern meaning, as a function word (functor) associated with another word or phrase in order to impart meaning. Alth ...
suffixed to Burmese verbs to denote politeness.
See also
*
Mangala Sutta
Mangala (, IAST: ) is the personification, as well as the name for the planet Mars, in Hindu literature. Also known as Lohita (), he is the deity of anger, aggression, as well as war. According to Vaishnavism, he is the son of Bhumi, the eart ...
*
Awgatha
*
Burmese culture
The culture of Myanmar (Burma) ( ) has been heavily influenced by Buddhism. Owing to its history, Burmese culture has significant influence over neighboring countries such as Laos, Siam, Assam in India, and Xishuangbanna regions in China. It h ...
*
Thai greeting
The wai (, ) is a greeting in Thailand that consists of a slight Bowing, bow, with the palms pressed together in a prayer-like fashion. It has its origin in the Indian ''Añjali Mudrā'', like the Indian ''namaste'' and Culture of Myanmar, Burme ...
*
Añjali Mudrā
''Añjali Mudrā'' () is a hand gesture mainly associated with Indian religions and arts, encountered throughout Asia. It is a part of Indian classical dance such as Bharatanatyam, yoga practice, and forms part of the greeting Namaste. Among th ...
*
Thai greeting
The wai (, ) is a greeting in Thailand that consists of a slight Bowing, bow, with the palms pressed together in a prayer-like fashion. It has its origin in the Indian ''Añjali Mudrā'', like the Indian ''namaste'' and Culture of Myanmar, Burme ...
*
Twelve Auspicious Rites
The Twelve Auspicious Rites (, , and ) are a series of worldly rites of passage recognized in traditional Burmese culture, particularly by the Bamar and Rakhine peoples. These are distinct from the Thirty-eight Buddhist Beatitudes described in t ...
References
{{reflist
Burmese words and phrases
Greetings
Culture of Myanmar