Burmese script
| Burmese |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Type | |
| Languages | Burmese, Pali and Sanskrit. |
|
Time period
|
c. 984 or 1035–present |
|
Parent systems
|
|
| Direction | Left-to-right |
| ISO 15924 | Mymr, 350 |
|
Unicode alias
|
Myanmar |
| U+1000–U+104F | |
The Burmese script (Burmese: မြန်မာအက္ခရာ; pronounced: [mjəmà ʔɛʔkʰəjà]) is an abugida used for writing Burmese. It is ultimately a brahmic script adapted from either the Kadamba or Pallava alphabet of South India, and more immediately an adaptation of Old Mon or Pyu script. The Burmese alphabet is also used for the liturgical languages of Pali and Sanskrit.
In recent decades, other, related alphabets, such as Shan and modern Mon, have been restructured according to the standard of the now-dominant Burmese alphabet.
Burmese is written from left to right and requires no spaces between words, although modern writing usually contains spaces after each clause to enhance readability.
The earliest evidence of the Burmese alphabet is dated to 1035, while a casting made in the 18th century of an old stone inscription points to 984. Burmese calligraphy originally followed a square format but the cursive format took hold from the 17th century when popular writing led to the wider use of palm leaves and folded paper known as parabaiks. A stylus would rip these leaves when making straight lines. The alphabet has undergone considerable modification to suit the evolving phonology of the Burmese language.
There are several systems of transliteration into the Latin alphabet; for this article, the MLC Transcription System is used.
The Burmese alphabet is an adaptation of the Old Mon script or the Pyu script, and it is ultimately of South Indian origin, from either the Kadamba or Pallava alphabet.
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Wikipedia