| Population |
32,000,000 in Myanmar (2000 D. Bradley). Population total all countries: 32,319,700. |
| Region |
South, central, and adjacent areas. Also in Bangladesh, Malaysia (Peninsular), Thailand, United States. |
| Alternate names |
Bama, Bamachaka, Myanmar, Myen |
| Dialects |
Merguese (Mergui, Beik), Yaw, Danu (Taruw), Burmese, Palaw. Diglossic high and low varieties. Preferred variety is spoken in Mandalay. Merguese (250,000), Danu (100,000), and Yaw (20,000) may be separate languages and are distinct varieties (Bradley 1997). Bangladesh speakers speak Bomang [mya], not Standard Burmese. |
| Classification |
Sino-Tibetan, Tibeto-Burman, Lolo-Burmese, Burmish, Southern |
| Language use |
National language. 10 million as L2. Many Mon and some Shan are monolingual in Burmese. Native Burmese speakers seldom speak a second indigenous language. If they have one, it is usually English. |
| Language development |
Fully developed. Bible: 1835–2006. |
| Writing system |
Myanmar (Burmese) script. |
| Comments |
Burmese dominates the nation’s publishing production. Myanma is the largest ethnic group; another is Baramagyi (Barua). Educated speech has many Pali borrowings. SOV. Peasant agriculturalists; fishermen; craftsmen; industrialists. Buddhist. |
