Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Originating from Burma, ...

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Bustle: A Study Might Have Just Explained Why Some Cats Avoid You Like The Plague Much is often made of the difference in personality between cats and dogs — but if you’ve ever found yourself wondering if cats’ personalities differ from other cats’ personalities based on what kind ... A Study Might Have Just Explained Why Some Cats Avoid You Like The Plague Burmese[a] is a Tibeto-Burman language spoken in Myanmar, [2] where it is the official language, lingua franca, and the native language of the Bamar, the country's largest ethnic group. The Burmese people call their own language Bamar or Myanmar and it is the main language spoken throughout the country. About 70 percent of the people of Burma speak one or other of the Burma Group of languages while the percentage of those speaking Burmese is estimated at ninety.

Key Insights

In 1989 the country’s official English name, which it had held since 1885, was changed from the Union of Burma to the Union of Myanmar; in the Burmese language the country has been known as Myanma (or, more precisely, Mranma Prañ) since the 13th century. Burmese, or Myanmar, is a member of the Lolo-Burmese branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family. It is spoken mainly in Myanmar (Burma), where it is the official language.