BURMESE: a language of Myanmar

The following is the entry for this language as it appeared in the 14th edition (2000).
It was superseded by the corresponding entry in the 15th edition (2005). See also the corresponding entry in the current edition of Ethnologue.

SIL code: BMS

ISO 639-1: my

ISO 639-2(B): bur

ISO 639-2(T): mya

Population	21,553,000 first language speakers (1986), 58.41% of the population. 3,000,000 second language speakers (1977 Voegelin and Voegelin). Population total all countries 32,000,000 (1999 WA).
Region	South, central, and adjacent areas. Also spoken in Bangladesh, Malaysia, Thailand, USA.
Alternate names	BAMA, BAMACHAKA, MYEN
Dialects	MERGUESE (MERGUI, BEIK), YAW, DANU (TARUW), BURMESE, PALAW.
Classification	Sino-Tibetan, Tibeto-Burman, Lolo-Burmese, Burmish, Southern.
Comments	Native speakers of Burmese seldom speak a second indigenous language. If they have one, it is usually English. Burmese is the second language of many educated speakers of other languages. Burmese dominates the nation's publishing production. Myanma is the largest ethnic group; another is Baramagyi (Barua). Educated speech has many Pali borrowings. The Rawang people call them 'Myen.' National language. SOV. Burmese script. Scrub forest. Alluvial plains. Peasant agriculturalists, fishermen, craftsmen, industrialists. Sea level and higher. Buddhist. Bible 1835, in press (1995).

Also spoken in:

Bangladesh

Language name	BURMESE
Population	231,000 in Bangladesh (1993 Johnstone).
Alternate names	BAMA, BAMACHAKA, MYEN
Dialects	BOMANG.
Comments	People in Bangladesh speak Bomang, not Standard Burmese. Buddhist. Bible 1835, in press (1995). See main entry under Myanmar.