Burmese
/ˌbɜːrˈmiːz/noun
Relating to Myanmar or its people, language, or culture.
Did you know?“Burmese” is an English formation from “Burma” plus the suffix “-ese,” while “Burma” itself passed into European languages through forms related to the indigenous ethnonym Bamar; the ultimate origin remains debated.
Etymological Timeline
Old Burmese, 12th–13th Century
Old Burmese
mranma
“An early written form of the ethnonym later represented as Myanmar or Burmese.”
Medieval Burmese
Burmese
Mranma / Myanma
“The native name associated with the Burmese-speaking kingdom and its people.”
16th Century
Portuguese
Birmânia
“European rendering of the name, probably transmitted through contact with Burmese forms.”
16th–17th Century
English
Burma
“The English geographical name adopted from European forms such as Portuguese Birmânia.”
18th Century
English
Burmese
“Formation from Burma plus the adjectival and ethnonymic suffix -ese.”
Modern English
English
Burmese
“Relating to Myanmar, its people, its language, or its cultural traditions.”