ပအိုဝ်ႏဘာႏသာႏ
Pa'O
Sino-Tibetan (Karenic)
Pa'O (also called Taungthu or 'Black Karen') is a tonal Karenic language of the Sino-Tibetan family, spoken by the Pa'O people — the second-largest ethnic group in Myanmar's Shan State after the Shan. It is used mainly in southern Shan State, with communities in Kayin and Mon States and across the border in northern Thailand (Mae Hong Son); around 860,000 speakers. Like other Karen languages, Pa'O has subject–verb–object (SVO) word order — unusual within Sino-Tibetan, where most Tibeto-Burman languages are SOV — a feature attributed to long contact with neighbouring Mon and Tai languages. It is written mainly in the Burmese (Mon-Burmese) script, with a Latin-based orthography from the Christian missionary tradition also in use, and has two main dialects: Highland/Northern (Taunggyi) and Lowland/Southern (Thaton). Note: publicly documented Pa'O vocabulary with IPA transcription is limited, so the forms shown here are best-effort and await native-speaker verification.
Where it is spoken
87 core words in Pa'O
ကွန်ပျူတာ
Sources
- English Wiktionary Pa'o Karen lemmas, Northern Pa'o IPA. The row copies them byte for byte, tones included: ထီ tʰi̤˧˩, မေႏ me˥˥, မွူး mɨ˥˧, ခမ်း kʰam˥˧, လုံး loŋ˥˧, မဉ်ꩻ min˧˧, ကတူႏ kəʔ˨˩ tu˥˥, ဆွတ် cʰut˨˩, ငတ်ꩻ ŋat˦˥. Checked against the Pa'o Bible Common Language, bible.com version 4215: ဆာႏ star MAT 2:2, သွီႏ blood MAT 26:28, သေင်ႏမွူး tree MAT 3:10, သꩻ heart MAT 5:8, တသာ new MAT 9:17, ဝါး bird MAT 6:26
Words compared
Compared with languages in the same classification: Sino-Tibetan (Karenic)
| Meaning | Pa'O | Southern Dong | Achang | Zaiwa | Ha Hlai | Nusu | Sui |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ထီ /tʰi̤˧˩/ | nɐm31 /nɐm˧˩/ | ti55 /ti˥˥/ | wuì /ʋui˥˩/ | nom3 /nom˩˩/ | ɹi31gɹɑ53 /ɹi˧˩ɡɹɑ˥˧/ | nam3 /nam˧˧/ |
| Fire | မေႏ /me˥˥/ | pui55 /pui˥˥/ | poi31 /poi˧˩/ | myi /mji˨˩/ | fei1 /fei˥˧/ | mi55 /mi˥˥/ | vi1 /vi˩˩/ |
| Sun | မွူး /mɨ˥˧/ | ta53 mən55 /ta˥˧ mən˥˥/ | ni31 mɔ31 /ni˧˩ mɔ˧˩/ | buì /pui˥˩/ | tsha1 hwan1 /tsʰa˥˧ hwan˥˧/ | ȵi35ɑ55 /ɲi˧˥ɑ˥˥/ | ⁿda1 van1 /ⁿda˩˩ van˩˩/ |
| Moon | လာ /la̤˧˩/ | kwaŋ55 ɲan55 /kwaŋ˥˥ ɲan˥˥/ | pʰă31 lɔʔ31 /pʰă˧˩ lɔʔ˧˩/ | lhamó /lŏ̱˥˥mo˥˥/ | ȵa:n1 /ȵaːn˥˧/ | ɬɑ31 /ɬɑ˧˩/ | njen2 /njen˧˩/ |
| Star | ဆာႏ /cʰa˥˥/ | ɕət55 /ɕət˥˥/ | kʰʐə55 /kʰʐə˥˥/ | kyoi /kjoi˥˥/ | ra:u1 /raːu˥˧/ | kɹe31lɔ35 /kɹe˧˩lɔ˧˥/ | zət7 /zət˥˥/ |
| Night | — /—/ | ɲɐm53 /ɲɐm˥˧/ | ni31 tɕʰot35 /ni˧˩ tɕʰot˧˥/ | myinle /mjin˥˥le˨˩/ | tshop7 /tsʰop˥˥/ | suɑʴ35nɑ35 /suɑ˞˧˥nɑ˧˥/ | saan2 /saːn˧˩/ |
| Rain | ခမ်း /kʰam˥˧/ | pjən55 /pjən˥˥/ | mau31 ʐo55 /mau˧˩ ʐo˥˥/ | mau /mau˨˩/ | fun1 /fun˥˧/ | mɯ55ɑ31ɹuɑ55 /mɯ˥˥ɑ˧˩ɹuɑ˥˥/ | fən1 /fən˩˩/ |
| Snow | — /—/ | nui55 /nui˥˥/ | xan31 ʑai55 /xan˧˩ ʑai˥˥/ | kyoq /kjoʔ˨˩/ | — | vɑ55 /vɑ˥˥/ | ʔnui1 /ʔnui˩˩/ |
| Wind | တလီꩻ /tə li˧˧/ | ləm212 /ləm˨˩˨/ | l̥i55 /l̥i˥˥/ | laì /lai˥˩/ | hwo:t7 /hwoːt˥˥/ | mɯ55ɑ31ɬi35 /mɯ˥˥ɑ˧˩ɬi˧˥/ | lum1 /lum˩˩/ |
| Earth | ဟံႏ /ham˥˥/ | nam33 /nam˧˧/ | mi55 /mi˥˥/ | myi-tse /mji˥˥tse̱˨˩/ | van1 /van˥˧/ | mɹi35ɑ55 /mɹi˧˥ɑ˥˥/ | hum5 /hum˧˥/ |
| Stone | လုံး /loŋ˥˧/ | pja55 /pja˥˥/ | laŋ31kɔʔ55 /laŋ˧˩kɔʔ˥˥/ | luqgok /luʔ˨˩kok˨˩/ | tshi:n1 /tsʰiːn˥˧/ | lu̱53 /lu˥˧/ | tin2 /tin˧˩/ |
| Mountain | ကောင် /kɔŋ/ | — | pum55 /pum˥˥/ | bùm /pum˥˩/ | — | ŋu35ɑ55 /ŋu˧˥ɑ˥˥/ | nu2 /nu˧˩/ |
| Mother | မွိုး /mə˥˧/ | nɐi31 /nɐi˧˩/ | mauʔ51 /mauʔ˥˩/ | înu /i˥˥nu˨˩/ | pai3 /pai˩˩/ | iɑ55m̩31 /iɑ˥˥m̩˧˩/ | ni4 /ni˥˩/ |
| Father | ဖာ /pʰa̤˧˩/ | pu31 /pu˧˩/ | teʔ55 /teʔ˥˥/ | îwa /i˥˥va˨˩/ | pha3 /pʰa˩˩/ | iɑ55bɑ31 /iɑ˥˥bɑ˧˩/ | pu4 /pu˥˩/ |
| I | ခွေ /kʰwe/ | jau212 /jau˨˩˨/ | ŋɔ55 /ŋɔ˥˥/ | ngò /ŋo˥˩/ | hou1 /hou˥˧/ | ŋɑ35 /ŋɑ˧˥/ | ʔai2 /ʔai˧˩/ |
| You | နာꩻ /na˧˧/ | ɲa212 /ɲa˨˩˨/ | nuaŋ55 /nuaŋ˥˥/ | nang /naŋ˥˥/ | meɯ1 /meɯ˥˧/ | ȵo55 /ɲo˥˥/ | ȵa2 /ȵa˧˩/ |
| We | နီ /ni̤˧˩/ | tau55 / tɕiu55 /tau˥˥ / tɕiu˥˥/ | ŋɔ55 tuʔ31 /ŋɔ˥˥ tuʔ˧˩/ | nga-nhung / ngamoq /ŋa˥˥n̥uŋ˥˥ / ŋa˥˥moʔ˥˥/ | ga / fa1 /ɡa / fa˥˧/ | ɑ55iɯ31 / ŋɑ35dɯ31 /ɑ˥˥iɯ˧˩ / ŋɑ˧˥dɯ˧˩/ | ȶən1 ⁿdaau1 / ȶən1 ⁿdiu1 /ȶən˩˩ ⁿdaːu˩˩ / ȶən˩˩ ⁿdiu˩˩/ |
| Name | မဉ်ꩻ /min˧˧/ | kwan55 /kwan˥˥/ | a31 nʲiŋ55 /a˧˩ nʲiŋ˥˥/ | myìng /mjiŋ˥˩/ | phe:ŋ1 /pʰeːŋ˥˧/ | m̥ə̃ʴ35 /m̥ə̃˞˧˥/ | ʔdaan1 /ʔdaːn˩˩/ |
| Person | လိုꩻ /lo˧˧/ | ɲən212 /ɲən˨˩˨/ | tʂo55 /tʂo˥˥/ | byù /pju˥˩/ | u2 a:u1 /u˥˥ aːu˥˧/ | su35 /su˧˥/ | zən1 /zən˩˩/ |
| Head | ကတူႏ /kəʔ˨˩ tu˥˥/ | kau323 /kau˧˨˧/ | nă31kuaŋ31 /nă˧˩kuaŋ˧˩/ | ulhum /u˨˩lu̱m˨˩/ | gwou3 /ɡwou˩˩/ | u31phu55 /u˧˩pʰu˥˥/ | ku3 /ku˧˧/ |
| Eye | မဲ့ /mɛʔ˦˥/ | ta55 /ta˥˥/ | nʲɔʔ55 tsiʔ31 /nʲɔʔ˥˥ tsiʔ˧˩/ | myoq /mjoʔ˨˩/ | tsha1 /tsʰa˥˧/ | miɑ53dʑi31 /miɑ˥˧dʑi˧˩/ | ⁿda1 /ⁿda˩˩/ |
| Ear | နားလာႏ /na˥˧ la˥˥/ | kha35 /kʰa˧˥/ | ni31 ʈʂʰua31 /ni˧˩ ʈʂʰua˧˩/ | nophyo /no˨˩pʰjo˨˩/ | zai1 /zai˥˧/ | n̥ɑ55shə̃ɹ35 /n̥ɑ˥˥sʰə̃ɹ˧˥/ | qha1 /qʰa˩˩/ |
| Nose | နေ့ဖူ /neʔ˦˥ pʰu/ | mɐŋ55 /mɐŋ˥˥/ | n̥ʲɔŋ55 /n̥ʲɔŋ˥˥/ | no /no˥˩/ | khat7 /kʰat˥˥/ | n̥ɑ55kɑ̃35 /n̥ɑ˥˥kɑ̃˧˥/ | ʔnaŋ1 /ʔnaŋ˩˩/ |
| Mouth | ဖြောင်း /pʰlɔŋ˥˧/ | ʔəp55 /ʔəp˥˥/ | n̥ʲot55 /n̥ʲot˥˥/ | nhut /nu̱t˥˥/ | pom3 /pom˩˩/ | n̥ɑ55khɔ̃35 /n̥ɑ˥˥kʰɔ̃˧˥/ | paak7 /paːk˧˥/ |
| Tooth | တငါ /tə ŋa/ | pjɐn55 /pjɐn˥˥/ | tɕoi55 /tɕoi˥˥/ | zuì /tsui˥˩/ | fan1 /fan˥˧/ | shua55 /sʰua˥˥/ | vjən1 /vjən˩˩/ |
| Tongue | ဖြေ /pʰle˧˧/ | ma212 /ma˨˩˨/ | ɕɔ55 /ɕɔ˥˥/ | sho /ʃo˥˩/ | ɬi:n3 /ɬiːn˩˩/ | fɹɑ35 /fɹɑ˧˥/ | ʔu1 ma2 /ʔu˩˩ ma˧˩/ |
| Hand | စူ /cu/ | mja212 /mja˨˩˨/ | lɔʔ55 /lɔʔ˥˥/ | loq /loʔ˨˩/ | meɯ1 /meɯ˥˧/ | ʔlɑ53 /ʔlɑ˥˧/ | mjə1 /mjə˩˩/ |
| Foot | ခင် /kʰaŋ˥˥/ | tin55 /tin˥˥/ | tɕʰi55 /tɕʰi˥˥/ | hkyî /kʰji˥˩/ | khok7 /kʰok˥˥/ | khɹi35 /kʰɹi˧˥/ | tin1 /tin˩˩/ |
| Heart | သꩻ /saʔ˨˩/ | səm323 /səm˧˨˧/ | n̥ʲa55 lum31 /n̥ʲa˥˥ lum˧˩/ | nhiklhum /ni̱k˥˥lu̱m˨˩/ | ɬa:u3 /ɬaːu˩˩/ | ʔĩ31lɔ55 /ʔĩ˧˩lɔ˥˥/ | ɕim1 /ɕim˩˩/ |
| Bone | ဆွတ် /cʰut˨˩/ | lak323 /lak˧˨˧/ | a31ʐau31 /a˧˩ʐau˧˩/ | showui /ʃŏ˨˩ʋui˨˩/ | vɯ:k7 /vɯːk˥˥/ | — /—/ | laak7 /laːk˧˥/ |
| Blood | သွီႏ /swi˥˥/ | phat13 /pʰat˩˧/ | sui31 /sui˧˩/ | sui /sui˨˩/ | ɬa:ȶ7 /ɬaːȶ˥˥/ | sui55 /sui˥˥/ | phjaat7 /pʰjaːt˧˥/ |
| Love | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | chyit /tʃi̱t˥˥/ | — /—/ | mi35 /mi˧˥/ | — /—/ |
| Tree | သေင်ႏမွူး /seŋ˥˥ mɨ˥˧/ | mɐi31 /mɐi˧˩/ | saŋ31 tseŋ55 /saŋ˧˩ tseŋ˥˥/ | sikgâm /sik˥˥kam˥˩/ | tshai1 /tsʰai˥˧/ | si53dzə̃ʴ35 /si˥˧dzə̃˞˧˥/ | mai4 /mai˥˩/ |
| Dog | ထွီႏ /tʰwi˥˥/ | ŋwa35 /ŋwa˧˥/ | xui31 /xui˧˩/ | hkuî /kʰui˨˩/ | pa1 /pa˥˧/ | khui55 /kʰui˥˥/ | m̥a1 /m̥a˩˩/ |
| Cat | မောက်း /mɔk/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | mɯ35ȵɛ31 /mɯ˧˥ɲɛ˧˩/ | — /—/ |
| Fish | ထပေႏ /tʰaʔ˦˥ pe˥˥/ | pa55 /pa˥˥/ | ŋa31 ʂua31 /ŋa˧˩ ʂua˧˩/ | ngozo /ŋŏ˨˩tso˨˩/ | ɬa1 /ɬa˥˧/ | ŋɑ55 /ŋɑ˥˥/ | mom6 /mom˨˦/ |
| Bird | ဝါး /wa˥˧/ | mok21 /mok˨˩/ | m̥ɔʔ55 /m̥ɔʔ˥˥/ | nghoq /ŋo̱ʔ˥˥/ | taȶ7 /taȶ˥˥/ | hɑ̃53 /hɑ̃˥˧/ | nok8 /nok˧˩/ |
| Egg | ဒီႏ /di˥˥/ | kɐi53 /kɐi˥˧/ | uʔ31 /uʔ˧˩/ | au /a˨˩u˥˥/ | zɯ:m1 /zɯːm˥˧/ | ɹɑ31ʔu31 /ɹɑ˧˩ʔu˧˩/ | kai5 /kai˧˥/ |
| Bear | ထမ်ꩻ /tʰam˧˧/ | me55 /me˥˥/ | ɔm55 /ɔm˥˥/ | wàm /vam˥˩/ | mui1 /mui˥˧/ | khui55uɑ35 /kʰui˥˥uɑ˧˥/ | ʔmi1 /ʔmi˩˩/ |
| Horse | သေ /se̤˧˩/ | ma31 /ma˧˩/ | m̥ʐaŋ31 /m̥ʐaŋ˧˩/ | myang /mjaŋ˨˩/ | ka3 /ka˩˩/ | mɹɯ31lɑ55 /mɹɯ˧˩lɑ˥˥/ | ma4 /ma˥˩/ |
| House | လမ်း /lam˥˧/ | jan212 /jan˨˩˨/ | in55 /in˥˥/ | yhûm /ju̱m˥˩/ | ploŋ3 /ploŋ˩˩/ | iɔ35kɑʴ35 /iɔ˧˥kɑ˞˧˥/ | ɣaan2 /ɣaːn˧˩/ |
| Salt | တသာႏ /tə sa˥˥/ | jim212 /jim˨˩˨/ | tɕʰɔ31 /tɕʰɔ˧˩/ | xo /tsʰo˥˥/ | ȵa:u3 /ȵaːu˩˩/ | tshɑ55 /tsʰɑ˥˥/ | ʔdwə1 /ʔdwə˩˩/ |
| Eat | အံႏ /ʔam˥˥/ | tɕan55 /tɕan˥˥/ | tɕɔ31 /tɕɔ˧˩/ | zo /tso˨˩/ | la2 /la˥˥/ | dzɑ55 /dzɑ˥˥/ | ʔman3 /ʔman˧˧/ |
| Drink | အွꩻ /ʔwaʔ˨˩/ | wum31 /wum˧˩/ | ʂoʔ55 /ʂoʔ˥˥/ | shuq /ʃuʔ˥˥/ | hja:u1 /hjaːu˥˧/ | ɕhu̱55 /ɕʰu˥˥/ | ɣəm4 /ɣəm˥˩/ |
| Sleep | ဗေင်ႏ /beŋ˥˥/ | nun212 /nun˨˩˨/ | e31 /e˧˩/ | yhup /ju̱p˥˥/ | kau2 /kau˥˥/ | iɔ̱53ɔ31 /iɔ˥˧ɔ˧˩/ | n̥ak7 /n̥ak˥˥/ |
| One | တဗာႏ /taʔ˨˩ ba˥˥/ | ʔi55 /ʔi˥˥/ | ta31 /ta˧˩/ | ra /ʒa˨˩/ | tsheɯ3 /tsʰeɯ˩˩/ | thi53 /tʰi˥˧/ | to2 /to˧˩/ |
| Two | နီ /ni̤˧˩/ | ja323 /ja˧˨˧/ | sək55 /sək˥˥/ | í /i˥˥/ | ɬau3 /ɬau˩˩/ | m̩55 /m̩˥˥/ | ɣa2 /ɣa˧˩/ |
| Three | သွံ /sə̤m˧˩/ | sam35 /sam˧˥/ | sum31 /sum˧˩/ | sum /sum˥˥/ | fu3 /fu˩˩/ | sɔ35 /sɔ˧˥/ | haam1 /haːm˩˩/ |
| Four | လစ်ꩻ /lit˦˥/ | si453 /si˦˥˧/ | mi31 /mi˧˩/ | myi /mji˨˩/ | tshau3 /tsʰau˩˩/ | vɹi35 /vɹi˧˥/ | hi5 /hi˧˥/ |
| Five | ငတ်ꩻ /ŋat˦˥/ | ŋo31 /ŋo˧˩/ | ŋɔ31 /ŋɔ˧˩/ | ngo /ŋo˨˩/ | pa1 /pa˥˧/ | ŋɑ53 /ŋɑ˥˧/ | ŋo4 /ŋo˥˩/ |
| Hundred | ရျာꩻ /rja˧˧/ | pek323 /pek˧˨˧/ | pak35 /pak˧˥/ | rashô /ʒa˨˩ʃo˥˩/ | gwa:n1 /ɡwaːn˥˧/ | ɕhɑ35 /ɕʰɑ˧˥/ | pek7 /pek˥˥/ |
| Hello | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Thank you | ကေꩻဇူꩻ /ke˧˧ zu˧˧/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Good | — /—/ | lai55 /lai˥˥/ | tɕi55 /tɕi˥˥/ | ge /ke˥˩/ | ɬeȵ1 /ɬeȵ˥˧/ | ge35ɑ55 /ɡe˧˥ɑ˥˥/ | ʔdaai1 /ʔdaːi˩˩/ |
| New | တသာ /tə sa̤˧˩/ | mɐi453 /mɐi˦˥˧/ | ʂək55 /ʂək˥˥/ | asik /a˨˩sik˥˥/ | pa:n1 /paːn˥˧/ | dʑɔ53 /dʑɔ˥˧/ | m̥ai5 /m̥ai˧˥/ |
| Red | တနျာႏ /tə nja˥˥/ | ja453 /ja˦˥˧/ | na55 /na˥˥/ | ne /ne˥˩/ | de:ŋ3 /deːŋ˩˩/ | xɹi35ɑ55 /xɹi˧˥ɑ˥˥/ | haan3 /haːn˧˧/ |
| White | ဗွာ /bwa̤˧˩/ | pak31 /pak˧˩/ | pʰʐo55 /pʰʐo˥˥/ | phju /pʰju˥˩/ | kha:u1 /kʰaːu˥˧/ | bɑ55bɑ31 /bɑ˥˥bɑ˧˩/ | paak8 /paːk˦˨/ |
| Black | ဖြေင်း /pʰleŋ˥˧/ | nɐm55 /nɐm˥˥/ | lɔk55 /lɔk˥˥/ | noq /noʔ˨˩/ | dom3 /dom˩˩/ | nɑ35nɑ53 /nɑ˧˥nɑ˥˧/ | ʔnam1 /ʔnam˩˩/ |
| Computer | ကွန်ပျူတာ | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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