Update: 2005-04-12 07:12 AM -0400

TIL

Pali Dictionary

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.
• Myanmar characters are imported from my glyph-bank bglyf2, and are not in WinInnwa font.
• English transcriptions used by various sources are different, and Romabama transcription
  is still in the developmental stage. The only reliable spelling is in Myanmar script
  from A Pali Myanmar-English Dictionary by U Myat Kyaw and U San Lwin.
• File-names and glyph-names for computer-use follow Romabama transcription.
• Transliteration from Devanagari to Myanmar is given for some entries.

Contents

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

Entries: akshara order
η -- "killed" consonant

Myanmar akshara
and Romabama transcript

Brahmi akshara
Myanmar akshara
Groups:
11 {ka.} | 11_{kaη}
  12 {hka.} | 12_{hkaη}
  13 {ga.} | 13_{gaη}
  14 {hga.} | no entry {hgaη}
21 {sa.} |
31 {tta.} |
41 {ta.} |
51 {pa.} |

Non-group:
{ya.} | {ha.} |
  Romabama row 3 characters are the same as those of row 4, except, each has a line below, e.g. U1E6F for ṯ, which may be inputted as an underscored small letter T. See file-names for glyphs.

Telugu akshara
Myanmar akshara

It has been suggested that Myanmar akhkara 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
• Romabama characters can be inputted directly from the keyboard. You will have to use Alt+ for some characters: Alt+0209 for Ρ, and Alt+0241 for ρ. Romabama characters are presented within { }.
Note: Romabama row 3 characters are the same as those of row 4, except, each has a line below, e.g. U1E6F for ṯ, which may be inputted as an underscored small letter T.
New 2004-version of Romabama is used here.
• 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: | e. e e: | θ. θ θ: | au. au au: | an. an° . 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 {ρa.} 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.

Top

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

Top

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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End of TIL file