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Ethnologue: Languages of the World
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Ethnologue > Web version > Country index > Asia > Myanmar > Shan

Shan

A language of Myanmar

ISO 639-3: shn

Population  3,200,000 in Myanmar (Johnstone and Mandryk 2001). 350,000 Tai Mao (1990 A. Diller ANU). Population total all countries: 3,295,000.
Region  Shan state, southeast Myanmar. Kokang Shan is in Kokang area, north Wa area, Shan state; Tai Mao is on Burma-Yunnan border, centered at Mu’ang Mao Long or Namkham, Myanmar. Also in China, Thailand.
Alternate names   Great Thai, Mau, “Ngeo” , “Ngiao” , “Ngiaw” , “Ngio” , “Ngiow” , Sam, Sha, Tai Luang, Tai Shan, Tai Yai, Thai Yai
Dialects  Kokang Shan, Tai Mao (Mao, Maw, Mau, Tai Long, Northern Shan). Burmese Shan is spoken with regional dialect differences, but dialects are similar linguistically. Tai-Khae (Khe) may be a dialect. Low intelligibility with Lü [khb].
Classification  Tai-Kadai, Kam-Tai, Be-Tai, Tai-Sek, Tai, Southwestern, Northwest
Language development  Bible: 1892–2002.
Writing system  Myanmar (Burmese) script.
Comments  Agriculturalists: paddy rice; artisans: gold, silver, blacksmiths; shopkeepers. Buddhist.

Also spoken in:

China

Language name   Shan
Region  1 village.
Alternate names  Dehong
Comments  Part of Dai nationality.
 

Thailand

Language name   Shan
Population  95,000 in Thailand (2006 Mahidol).
Region  Maehongson, Myuang Haeng, Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Maesai, Tak, on northwest border.
Language map  Northern Thailand, reference number 49
Alternate names  Great Thai, “Ngeo” , “Ngiao” , “Ngiaw” , “Ngio” , “Ngiow” , Sam, Sha, Tai Luang, Tai Shan, Tai Yay, Thai Yay
Comments  Agriculturalists: paddy rice; artisans (gold, silver, blacksmiths); shopkeepers. Buddhist, traditional religion, Christian.
 

Entries from the SIL Bibliography about this language:

Academic Publications

ROBINSON, Edward Raymond, author. 1994. Further classification of Southwestern Tai "P" group languages.

SOMSONGE Burusphat, author. 2007. "A comparison of general classifiers in Tai-Kadai languages."  Available online