Burma
/ˈbɜːr.mə/noun
A historical and still commonly used English name for the Southeast Asian country officially called Myanmar.
Did you know?The ultimate origin of Burma remains debated: Burmese Mranma/Bama is securely connected to the name, while a proposed link to Sanskrit Brahmā is intriguing but unproven.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient period
Sanskrit
Brahmā
“The creator deity in Hindu tradition; sometimes proposed, cautiously, as a possible distant source of the Burmese name, though the connection is uncertain.”
12th–13th Century
Old Burmese
Mranma
“An early Burmese form referring to the Burmese people or their country.”
Later Burmese
Burmese
Bama
“A Burmese form of the national name, especially associated with the spoken language.”
16th Century
Portuguese
Birmânia
“Portuguese rendering of the Burmese country name, transmitted through European geographical usage.”
18th Century
English
Burma
“The established English form adopted from Portuguese and other European forms.”
1989–present
English
Burma
“A former official English name retained in common usage alongside Myanmar, the name adopted by the country's government in 1989.”