Burmese+(Karen)

=Burmese Refugee Information= ‍‍‍‍‍‍There are a number of different ethnic groups that make up the users of Burmese. The three most common are Karen, Karenni, and Chin. Karenni, also known as Red Karen, is spoken by a people from a formerly independent region in southern Burma. Both the Karen and Karenni speak dialects of the Karen languages. The Chin people are from western Burma. Their native language is Hakha, a language shared by other small groups in nearby India and Bangladesh. ‍‍‍‍‍‍ Although these languages are similar, they still count as seperate dialects.

"Kayen" is where the term Karen comes from. The name of the people who speak similar dialects in Eastern Burma. Their are many, many different dialects of Burmese and Karen, and their origins and forms can create a confusing map of dialect regions like the one below. A fairly complete list of the names and regions of different dialects of Burmesecan be found by using the following [|link]. It is important to note, as the author of the previous link does, that it is difficult to distinguish different ethnic groups based upon language, and perhaps that it would be easier to consider factors like economic status and political ties.

‍‍‍The language itself has a writing system that is quite different from that of romance languages. It is based off of a writing system that originated in India that is called Brahmi. Made up of 33 characters, the Burmese alphabet lacks some of the consonant sounds that are present in English like th,sh, and wh. ‍‍‍ ‍‍Buddhism (Therevada) is the major religion of the country and its people. 90% of the country practices Therevada Buddhism, with Catholicism coming in second with 4%. Buddhism is a major part of Burmese life and can be expected to influence the cultural adaptation of Burmese refugees and immigrants. ‍‍

Map taken from [|here]

For a bibliography of important sources on the Karen language, it is recommended that you go to this webpage.