Throughout this photo gallery you find typical romanised Myanma terms in the captions with the photos. Here are some short explanations in alphabetical order:
|
Term |
Explanation |
| Belu |
Ogre (mythical monster) |
| Cheroot |
Big traditional Myanma cigar |
| Chinthe |
A mythical lion-like creature (leogryph) |
| Daw |
Ms or Aunt (honorific used for mature women or women in a senior position) |
| Hintha |
A mythical Swan (Hamsa bird) |
| Hti |
The embrella shaped spire on the top of a zedi |
| Karaweik |
A bird with a melodious cry (from the Pali karavika) |
| Ko |
Mr or brother (honorific used for men of similar age) |
| Kyaung |
Buddhist monastery |
| Ma |
Miss, Ms or sister (honorific used for young women or women of similar age) |
| Manussiha |
A half-lion half-man mythical creature (usually found guarding the four corners of a pagoda) |
| Maung |
Boy or younger brother (honorific used for young men) |
| Naga |
A mythical snake or legless (sometimes multiheaded) dragon (serpentine dragon-like being) |
| Nat |
Worshipped spirit (spirits of humans, especially those who died violent deaths) |
| Pahto |
Hollow shrine or temple |
| Paya |
A generic Myanma term for all sacred objects or places like a Buddha image, zedi or pahto |
| Pyathat |
A tower with five, seven or more tiered roofs, representing the centre of the universe |
| Pyit Taing Htaung |
Meaning "something which always rises up by itself after thrown down". It is a brightly-painted egg-shaped papier-mâché toy (called a roly-poly toy, tilting doll, tumbler, wobbly man or Tumbling Kelly) with weight attached to the round base causing it always to recover its upright position after it is pushed over. It is usually colored red and with a white smiling face. |
| Shin Pyu Deh |
Ceremony for initiating a Buddhist novice |
| Tagundaing |
A sacred pole with a Hintha bird on top and a long streaming banner |
| Taung |
Mountain |
| Tazaung |
Buddhist shrine |
| Thanakha |
Traditional cosmetic and sun-block sandalwood-like paste, made by grinding the bark of a thanakha tree log with a little water on a flat round stone |
| U |
Mr or uncle (honorific used for mature men or men in a senior position) |
| Umin |
Cave |
| Zay |
Market |
| Zedi |
Stupa (a solid mound-like structure with terraces supporting a hemisphereous, bulbous or bell-shaped dome containing Buddhist relics and a spire on top) |
