TIL

Pali Dictionary

indx_P.Dict.htm

by U Kyaw Tun, et. al.
Not for sale. Prepared for students of TIL Computing and Language Center, Yangon, MYANMAR.

You'll need only Arial Unicode MS font to read these files. Any other Unicode font may not display the characters correctly. Myanmar akhkara are in gif-glyphs.

• Please note that I am building up my Pali vocabulary and occasionally I have interpreted the meanings in my own words.
• English transcriptions used by various sources are different, and the only reliable spelling is in Myanmar script from A Pali Myanmar-English Dictionary by U Myat Kyaw and U San Lwin. Because of this I used Romabama, the one-to-one transliteration from Burmese-Myanmar to Burmese-Latin. Though Pali-Myanmar and Burmese-Myanmar are the same, Pali spellings can be different from Burmese. For example, {Ña.} is a basic consonant in Burmese, the corresponding basic consonant is {ña.}.
• I have been looking into the possibility of using palatal [c] to stand in for "killed" {sa.} or {sa.that} as a coda-consonant, leaving the onset-consonant being represented by [s]. This would take care of transliteration of words like {sic} which does not have a hissing sound at the end. The usual way of treating the "killed" consonant as a glottal stop may be appropriate in transcription, but not for transliteration.
• Transliteration from Devanagari to Myanmar is given for some entries.

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indx_P-Dict

Contents of this page

Introduction
Representing killed consonants in Romabama |
  Killed {nga.} in Myanmar | Typographical representation
The {htera. wada.} Buddhist meditation practice
Myanmar script in Pagan
Myanmar and Pali | A New Myanmar alphabet for Pali
Myanmar and Sanskrit |
• Pali Text Soc Dictionary - Foreword| List of Abbreviations
• Preface, from: A Dictionary of the Pali Language, by R.C. Childers (1909)
• Edicts of King Asoka | A sample of Brahmi in Asoka edicts.
• 13th-century Myanmar-script at an Asoka-pagoda in India
• Buddhist Nuns in Myanmar -- by Dr. F. Lottermoser
• Buddhism and Sanskrit | Language problem - Ban on Sanskrit
UKT Notes
Letters of Latin Alphabet used in Romabama

Entries: akshara order ç -- "killed" consonant	Myanmar akshara and Romabama transcript	Brahmi akshara Myanmar akshara
Groups: 11 {ka.} | 11_{kaç}   12 {hka.} | 12_{hkaç}   13 {ga.} | 13_{gaç}   14 {hga.} | no entry {hgaç} 21 {sa.} | 31 {tta.} | 41 {ta.} | 51 {pa.} | Non-group: {ya.} | {ha.} |
	UKT: There have been some changes to Romabama spellings. The above is from update 070114	Telugu akshara Myanmar akshara
It has been suggested that Myanmar akshara was derived from a South Indian script, most probably Telugu. In order that you can decide for yourself to which script is Myanmar similar -- to Brahmi or to Telugu -- I have presented both scripts. However, please remember that I do not speak Telugu and there might be errors in my presentation of the Telugu script.    Please note the Brahmi script was that presented on the Asoka pillars (Fourteen Rock Edicts), and since the language used in the edicts found in the eastern part of the sub-continent is a type of Magadhi, probably the official language of Asoka's court, it might be more proper to call it as Magada script rather than Brahmi script. My question is, since there has always been an overland connection between Nepal, Assam and Myanmar, is it possible that Myanmar need not be derived from a South Indian script. Myanmar script could very well be an ancient script similar to Magadhi script of King Asoka. Or, it could be an entirely new script built by Myanmar scholars (Pyu, Mon, and Burmese speakers) built on the principles of the Asoka script. The basic shape, the circle, on which the other glyphs are formed, is unique to Myanmar.
• Romabama characters can be inputted directly from the keyboard. You will have to use Alt+ for some characters. Romabama characters are presented within { }. New 2007-version of Romabama is used here, however, some leftovers from the previous versions may be found. • some of the members of row 3 have been changed. • the 3 "tones" are represented as: {a. a a:} {i. i i:} {u. u u:} {é. é é:} {è. è è:} {au. au au:} {än. än -- }. The rationale for choosing the single dot and double dots are even if were lost or left out, the syllable is still pronounceable. • representing killed consonants such as {ña.} and {tha.} • For some entries, the relevant section of the pitaka is mentioned: vineya, sutta, abhidhamma. • Brahmi script is the most ancient script in India. It preceded Devanagari in which Sanskrit is written. I have presented it here for a comparison to Myanmar script. From: Ancient Scripts,  http://www.ancientscripts.com/phonetics.html.

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Sources
Disclaimer: whenever an entry in the quoted source is extensive, I have rewritten it in my own words to the best of my understanding, and the reader is advised to check with the originals. -- UKT

Primary:
• A Pali Myanmar-English Dictionary (UMK-USL) of the Noble Words of the Lord Buddha,
  by U Myat Kyaw and U San Lwin, Myanmar Language Commission, 2001
  -- with Myanmar characters
• Pali-English Dictionary (PTS), ed. by T. W. Rhys Davids and William Stede,
  The Pali Text Society, Oxford, 1999
  -- with English-Pali characters
• A Dictionary of Pali Language (Childers), R.C. Childers, Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co, London, 1909, 5th impr: 1974
  -- Devanagari characters
Note: English transcriptions used by UMK-USL and PTS are different, and Romabama transcription is still in the developmental stage. The only reliable spelling is in Myanmar script.

Secondary:
• Buddhist Dictionary, Manual of Buddhist Terms and Doctrines, by Ven. Nyanatiloka, ref. as NBD
  pdf version: www.buddhanet.net -- downloaded pdf version in TIL archives
  html version: http://www.budsas.org/ebud/bud-dict/dic_idx.htm 
  Pdf versions usually give spellings with diacritical marks, whereas the html versions are
  without diacritics)
• Basic Pali Glossary, http://web.ukonline.co.uk/buddhism/glosary2.htm
• Online Sanskrit Dictionary http://www.alkhemy.com/sanskrit/dict/ -- for comparison to Sanskrit
• Pali-derivatives of Myanmar (UTM) exclusively in Myanmar script
  U Tun Myint, Asst. Editor, Translation and Publication Series number 31, Universities Directorate, Myanmar, 1968
• The Universal Burmese-English-Pali Dictionary (UHS)
  U Hoke Sein, Myitzythaka Sarpay, First Edition, Rangoon, 1981

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Referees

• U Tin Lwin
Member, Myanmar Language Commission
retd. Professor, Department of Oriental Studies (Pali), University of Yangon, Yangon

• U Tun Tint
Member, Myanmar Language Commission
retd. Director, Myanmar Language Commission
email: c/o sawtun@baganmail.net.mm

• Dr. Daw Khin Thein
Professor, Department of Oriental Studies, Yangon University, Yangon, Myanmar

• U Saw Tun
Associate Professor, Foreign Languages and Literatures, Northern Illinois University, Decalb
email: tc0sxt1@wpo.cso.niu.edu

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UKT Notes

Letters of Latin Alphabet used in Romabama

Romabama Rule 01 - ASCII characters
Romabama is designed for writing e-mails  without using any special fonts. Thus only ASCII characters are used.

Romabama Rule 02 - English-Latin alphabet
The 26 letters of the English-Latin alphabet are expanded to 52 letters by differentiating between the 26 small letter and 26 capital letters.

Romabama Rule 03 - Extended Latin alphabet
Diacritics and other suitable signs are introduced:
• ä (Alt0228) in än for {thé:thé:ting} for :
• à (Alt0224) for denoting {re:hkya. a·thut} ending in a killed non-nasal, as in {àt}
     [I have been writing <aa> for this. However, I found that it is not suitable
     for writing vowels ending in killed non-nasals, I am using à (Alt0224) tentatively.
• æ (Alt0230) in combination with Ñ (Alt0209) to denote {Ña.kri:thut} as in {kyæÑ}
• Æ (Alt0198) in combination with Ñ (Alt0209) to denote {vowel-letter Ña.kri:thut}
• É (Alt0201) for {É},
• é (Alt0233) for {é},
• è (Alt0232) for {è}.
• ð (Alt0240) in row-3 akshara {ða.}
     (Caution: the vd-pronunciation of English-Latin <th> is also given as /ð/)
• Ð (Alt0208) for row-3 akshara {Ða.}
•  ï (Alt0239) and ~ to represent {king:si:}
•  ì (Alt0236) for denoting {re:hkya. a·thut} ending in a killed nasal, as in { ìñ}
•  ñ (Alt0241) for {ña.} and (Alt0209) for {Ña.} both corresponding to <ny>;
•  ý (Alt0253) for "killed {ya.}" {ya.thut}
Note: Diacritics in Romabama are chosen in a way so that even if a diacritic is lost, the effect would be minimal.
Continue reading on more extended Latin alphabet Romabama Rule 5

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Romabama Rule 04 - Silent e

• e without diacritic (the silent e)  will be used occasionally for sounds of vowels followed by "killed" consonants, e.g.
- {kate} (preferred {kait})
- {kane} (preferred {kain})
• however, an <e> forming part of the peak vowel is not to be confused with the silent e.
- {keik} -- the <e> present here is part of the peak vowel-digraph <ei>. It is a monophthong.
- {keing} ( {king}) -- the <e> present here is part of the peak vowel-digraph <ei>.
- {kauk} -- here <au> is the peak vowel-digraph. It is not a diphthong: it is a monophthongal digraph.

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Romabama Rule 05 - Killed consonants
- For specialised "killed" consonants
• {kyiñ}
• {kyæÑ}
•   {kèý}
We find more problems with r2c5 rimes in the following:
There are theoretically 6 families involving r2c5 syllables. Only some are realised in practice, however, I have given the tentatively chosen rimes:
1.   --  {ñiñ}
2. /|njin. njin njin:|/ (MEDict 155) -- {ñìñ}
3. /|njin. njin njin:|/ (MEDict 158) -- {ñiñ}
4. -- {ñæÑ}
5.   -- {ñàÑ}
6. /|nji. nji nji:|/ (MEDict 158) -- {ÑæÑ}
The rational for choosing the above is: though Romabama is meant only to show the Burmese-Myanmar spelling, it should -- if possible -- show the pronunciation. And, therefore the peak vowel is chosen arbitrarily, and it and the following consonant (together the rime) is meant to show the pronunciation.
Go back to Romabama Rule 3 - Extended Latin alphabet

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Romabama Rule 06 - {king:si:} vowel-sign

{king:si:}   /|kin: si:|/ - n. ortho. miniature symbol of devowelized nga superscripted on the following letter. -- MEDict016

Compare the way in which the two words {hsing-kan:} and {thïn~kan:} are written. The first is written horizontally, but the second is written with the {king:si:} (literally: "centipede-ridden") sign . There are two cues to show that a {king:si:} is involved: use of umlaut over the peak vowel e.g. ï (Alt0239) and ~. The {king:si:} is actually not a conjoined sign and may be written horizontally. It is usually found in words derived from Pali and Sanskrit, e.g. Sanskrit-Myanmar {koän~ku.ma.} (n. saffron -- MEDict024) equivalent to Burmese-Myanmar {koän-ku.män}.

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Romabama Rule 07 - Fossilized killed consonants.
(Based on personal communication with U Tun Tint, formerly of MLC)
There are 4 fossilized characters dating back to the 13 century:
  • {nhÉIk} derived from {nheik}
  • {rwÉ} derived from {ruèý} pronounced as //  /{rwé.}/
  • {iÉ} derived from {é.} --> {i.}
  • {lÉ-kaung:} derived from {læÑ-kaung:}
The derivation of {rwÉ} is illustrating. In the Pagan period (11th century to the 13th) and a few centuries after, the vowel {tis-hkaung:nging ya.thut} had existed, but it has given way to {tha.wé-hto: wa.hswè:}. The changes have been
  {kuèý} --> {kwé}
  {hsuèý} --> {hswé}
  {ruèý} --> {rwé}

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Romabama Rule 08 - non-alphabetic characters
- ASCII characters that are not considered to be part of the Latin alphabet will be used.
• {poad-hprat} (instead of 'comma') - /
• {poad-ma.} (instead of 'period' or 'full-stop') - //
• 'period' or 'full-stop' and 'colon' are used for the so-called "tones".
• 'hyphen' for separating syllables in the same word
• "middle dot" (Alt0183) will be used occasionally to show that {a.} is to be pronounced as /ə/, e.g. {a·ni}.
• ~ (tilde) will be used occasionally to show a ligature of two akshara-consonants
• parentheses ( ) will be used by Romabama since it has been adopted as part of Burmese-Myanmar.

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Romabama Rule 09 - Extension of Myanmar akshara row 2 to accommodate medials
- Though Burmese-Myanmar (and Pali-Myanmar) akshara matrix is strictly for base consonants, Romabama has to admit the medial consonants {kya.}, {hkya.} and {gya.} into row 2, to bring it in line with Pali-Latin akshara matrix.

Rule 09 may have to be further extended to accept {cha.} where <ch> will be considered not to be aspirated <c>, but as a diagraph as in <ng>.

Romabama gives only broad transcriptions.
("It's common to distinguish between two kinds of transcription, based on how many details the transcribers decide to ignore:
• Narrow transcription: captures as many aspects of a specific pronunciation as possible and ignores as few details as possible. Using the diacritics provided in the IPA, it is possible to make very subtle distinctions between sounds.
• Broad transcription (or phonemic transcription): ignores as many details as possible, capturing only enough aspects of a pronunciation to show how that word differs from other words in the language.  ...  one of the unspoken principles of broad transcription is that, when you're given a choice between two symbols and when all other considerations are equal (sometimes even when they aren't), you'll pick the one that's easier to type." -- University of Manitoba, Linguistics Dept. http://www.umanitoba.ca/linguistics/index.shtml)

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End of TIL file