Sri Lanka, India, and Indonesia are just a few places where you might travel to get a taste for new cultues, cuisines, and languages. Except for a few large cities—notably Yangon, Mandalay, and Mawlamyine (Moulmein)—the towns essentially are large villages. The largest languages of the Sino-Tibetan family are listed In the table below, based on Ethnologue. Both English and Burmese were compulsory subjects in schools and colleges. only $ 480 /year. Upon the areas in Cambodia, there are many different languages and divided into many groups. Because of Myanmar’s diversity and its colonial past, most places have two or more … Language patterns in Southeast Asia are highly complex and are rooted in four major language families: Sino-Tibetan, Tai, Austro-Asiatic, and Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian). A number of sign languages are spoken throughout Asia. English is a popular foreign language in the country. Linguists estimate that there are 107 languages spoken within Myanmar. Monk standing at the Kyaiktiyo (Golden Rock) pagoda, a historic Buddhist pilgrimage destination in eastern Myanmar (Burma). It means that it is spoken by the people of the plains and as a second language, by most people of the hills. About 900,000 ethnic Kachins speak the Kachin language in Burma. There are There is, however, a significant Protestant Christian minority, concentrated primarily among the Karen, Kachin, and Chin communities. Death of languages continues due to war, cultural and economic domination, small population size. Burmese is taught in schools across the country and in the numerous monasteries dotting Myanmar. Not all Mon people in the country speak this language since a significant section of the Mon population here are monolingual in Burmese. These include the Japanese Sign Language family, Chinese Sign Language, Indo-Pakistani Sign Language, as well as a number of small indigenous sign languages of countries such as Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Another 10 million people speak it as a second language. Myanmar script draws its source from Brahmi script which flourished in India from about 500 B.C. The Burmese language is a monosyllabic language. The hills were inhabited by those speaking Shan, Kachin, Chin, and numerous other languages. More than 80 languages are used by the different ethnicities of Laos. The most popular among them is the Burmese which is spoken by two-thirds of the country’s population. The main types are S’gaw (pronounced Skaw) Karen, Western Pwo Karen and Eastern Pwo Karen. Burmese is the official language of Myanmar (since 1989, the name for Burma) where it is spoken by 32 million people. The official language of Myanmar is Burmese. The languages are written using the Burmese script. The language is age-oriented and includes the usage of honorifics. Dzongkha, meaning the language of the fort, is the national language of Bhutan. Languages of the Southwestern group are spoken in Thailand, Laos, northern Vietnam, Myanmar, and Yunnan, China; they include Thai, Lao, Shan, Khün, Lü, White Tai, Black Tai, and others. Many of the other hill peoples practice local religions, and even those who adhere to world religions typically incorporate local elements to some degree. The official language is Burmese, spoken by the people of the plains and, as a second language, by most people of the hills. As the world’s 2nd largest language group, how did Sino-Tibetan languages evolve? Approximately 3.2 million people speak the Shan language. The Mon language, an Austroasiatic language, is spoken by about 750,000 Mon people living in Myanmar. Aside from Myanmar (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), Thamizh (spoken by 1.1 Million), various Chin languages (spoken by 780,000), and Mon (Mon–Khmer, spoken by 1.1 Million). It is used in the media, government administration, and all levels of education. ShareAmerica - Sep 19, 2017 (State Dept./Doug Thompson) In the United States, Spanish is the most commonly spoken language other than English, a sign of the impact of immigration and the proximity of Latin America to the United States. The style persists in many villages, especially those on the hills, and farm animals are kept under the houses at night. Although Burmese is used as the primary language of instruction in schools across the country, English is taught as a secondary language. In 2007, it was spoken as a first language by 33 million, primarily the Bamar (Burman) people and related ethnic groups, and as a second language by 10 million, particularly ethnic minorities in Myanmar and neighboring countries. Most of the Mon speakers in Myanmar live in the Mon State of the country. Many languages spoken by small groups of indigenous peoples (e.g. The official language of Myanmar is Burmese. The vast majority of Burmans and Shan are Buddhist. Myanmar script (often known as Burmese script) is basically similar to the Brahmi script. There are three main Karen languages and many dialects. Many indigenous languages—as distinct from mere dialects—are spoken in Myanmar. English is the second language learned after official language called Burmese/Myanmar. Majority of Myanmars speak Myanmar language. Houses are built of timber and bamboo, the roofs being thatched or tiled. For a period in the past (from the end of the 19th century to 1964), English was taught as used as the primary language of instruction in the nation's educational institutes. (Telenor Myanmar, once … During the colonial period, English became the official language, but Burmese continued as the primary language in all other settings. The company offers its 2.3 billion users features such as menus and prompts in 111 different languages, deemed to be officially supported. The Karen languages are comprised of a group of languages spoken primarily in the coastal areas of Thailand and in the lower regions of Burma. The United States is a country of many languages. ShareAmerica - Sep 19, 2017 (State Dept./Doug Thompson) In the United States, Spanish is the most commonly spoken language other than English, a sign of the impact of immigration and the proximity of Latin America to the United States. It is difficult to define what constitutes a language as opposed to a dialect.Some languages, such as Chinese and Arabic, cover several mutually unintelligible varieties and are sometimes considered single languages and sometimes language families. Let's explore this family that includes over a billion native speakers. Several are already extinct. Burmese is also spoken by the Mon ethnic minority group and some other minority ethnic groups in Myanmar. It is also spoken in some parts of Burma’s Kachin state as well. Dzongkha, widely spoken in the western region became the state language in 1971. In the past, houses typically were built on piles, the original purpose being protection from wild animals or floods. Rather than learn all 114 to communicate, Burmese is a useful lingua franca to have under your belt and many people in Myanmar will be sympathetic to the struggles of your language learning. Sort out the facts in this quiz all about the diverse countries and cities around Asia. Most students find it helpful to begin learning the script at the same time they start on the spoken language, but this volume can be used independently if preferred. Nearly 100 languages are spoken in Myanmar (Burma). Around 80% of the overall population of Myanmar speaks in Burmese, the official Myanmar language. On the Shan Plateau and in the neighbouring river valleys, the fields adjoin the villages. As the world’s 2nd largest language group, how did Sino-Tibetan languages evolve? Ethnologue, a popular online encyclopedia of the world’s languages, states that there are 114 known indigenous languages spoken in Myanmar. There are many indigenous languages as different from mere dialects are spoken in Myanmar. Languages spoken by minorities are the hardest-hit by this disparity. The Burmese language is related to the Chinese and Tibetan languages. The Shan language is a native language of Myanmar that is spoken by the Shan people. Languages derived from the Sino-Tibetan group are found largely in Myanmar, while forms of the Tai group are spoken in Thailand and Laos. In small towns the piles have been replaced by a supporting brick structure with concrete flooring, with the upper story still being made of timber. The Mon (now a small minority) lived in southern Myanmar, while the majority Burman population lived in the northern dry zone. The United States is a country of many languages. What Languages Are Spoken In Myanmar (Burma)? The written language retains many Pali words and syntactic structures no longer found in the spoken language. In the Burmese language, “Myanmar” is simply the more formal version of “Burma.” The country’s name was changed only in English. Several other minority languages are spoken by the various ethnic communities living in Myanmar. Interestingly, after Rohingya and Chittagonian (the local dialect of Cox’s Bazar), spoken Bangla is understood at higher rates than spoken Burmese and English – likely because the spoken form of Bangla is closer to Rohingya. One might wonder to know that 45 million people speak 111 languages in Myanmar. English is not commonly spoken language in Myanmar. Negritos) were obliterated. S’gaw is spoken by over one million people in Burma, and Thailand. The Karen languages are a group of tonal languages spoken by the Karen people of Myanmar. Here is a list of languages spoken in Cambodia. Although Myanmar has no official religion, nearly nine-tenths of the population follows Theravada Buddhism. The local languages of Myanmar belong to three language families. The Official Language Of Myanmar . It is also the most widely spoken language in the country. Older villages are circular in shape, but along the banks of the delta streams and along railways the villages are rectangular. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Burmese and most of the other languages belong to the Tibeto-Burman subfamily of Sino-Tibetan languages. How Many Serial Killers Are On The Loose Today. By. … The website Ethnologue lists 119 languages for the country. English is a popular foreign language in the country. Myanmar is a hugely diverse country with many different ethnic and language groups. The Shan language belongs to the Tai family. Languages spoken by the Mon of southern Myanmar and by the Wa and Palaung of the Shan Plateau are members of the Mon-Khmer subfamily of Austroasiatic languages. Nearly 100 languages are spoken in Myanmar (Burma). Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership. Singapore is a multilingual society, and while the English language is the language that most people speak at home, as well as a functional lingua franca in the country, Mandarin is the second-most spoken language with about 35% of the 5,7 million inhabitants speaking it as a first language and many more as a second tongue. It is also the most widely spoken language in the country. See the details on every language spoken in Myanmar, plus: Profiles for every other country in the world; 7,464 profiles covering every language in use today; And more! No. Myanmar is a land of villages. By. The Shan language belongs to the Tai family. The local languages of Myanmar belong to three language families. Conversely, colloquial registers of Hindi and Urdu are almost completely … ARTICLE: Although the number of U.S. residents who speak a language other than English has grown in recent decades, the share of those who are Limited English Proficient (LEP) has fallen: 40 percent in 2015, compared to 44 percent in 1980—even as immigration rose rapidly. The language is mostly spoken in the country’s Shan State. The French language appeared in Cambodia in the late 1800s when French merchants were exploring Indonesia and Cambodia became incorporated into French Indochina in 1887. This article examines growing linguistic diversity in the country and sketches a profile of the LEP … Life in villages is in some respects communal because of custom, the influence of Buddhism, and the redistributive and reciprocal nature of agrarian society. 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