Myanmar–English Dictionary

Myanmar–English Dictionary (Burmese: မြန်မာ-အင်္ဂလိပ်အဘိဓာန်) is a modern Government project in Myanmar (formerly Burma), first published in 1993 by the Government of Myanmar's Myanmar Language Commission.[1]

It is a guide dictionary for translating between English and the Myanmar Language. It was written by the members of the Myanmar Language Commission and the two Myanmar–English Dictionary Work Committees who participated in the compilation of this dictionary.

Myanmar–English Dictionary Work Committee (1)
  1. U Ba Nyunt, Member of the Myanmar Language Commission, Chairman (deceased)
  2. U Htin Gyi, Member of the Myanmar Language Commission, Member
  3. Daw Kyan, Member of the Myanmar Language Commission, Member
  4. Dr.Than Htun, Member of the Myanmar Language Commission, Member
  5. U Thaw Kaung, Librarian, Universities' Library, Member
  6. U Thi Ha, Retired Professor of English, Member
  7. Staff members, Department of the Myanmar Language Commission

Myanmar–English Dictionary Work Committee (2)
  1. Hla Shwe, Member of the Myanmar Language Commission, Chairman
  2. Htin Fatt, Member of the Myanmar Language Commission, Member
  3. Daw Myint Than, Member of the Myanmar Language Commission, Member
  4. Than Htut, Member of the Myanmar Language Commission, Member
  5. Win Pe, Member of the Myanmar Language Commission, Member
  6. Hla Mae, Retired Lecturer in English, Member
  7. Hpwa Yin, Retired Lecturer in English, Member
  8. Khin Kyi Kyi, Retired Lecturer in English, Member
  9. Khin Mae, Retired Lecturer in English, Member
  10. Ko Ko, Retired Secretary, Myanmar Red Cross Society, Member (deceased)
  11. Myint Kyi "Tekkatho Myat Soe", Member
  12. Staff members, Department of the Myanmar Language Commission

History of the earlier Burmese–English dictionaries

Judson's dictionary

The first Burmese–English dictionary compiled by Adoniram Judson appeared in 1826 and later in 1849 the second edition was published, which was better and more complete than the former edition. But it was enlarged by E.C Stevenson in 1893, with illustrative examples. Another one who made the expanded edition in 1921 was F.H. Eveleth but he removed valuable examples out of it.[2]

A Burmese–English Dictionary
A Burmese–English Dictionary publications
Publication
date		 Part Title Chief compiler(s)
1941Part 1A Burmese–English DictionaryJ. A. Stweart
C. W. Dunn
1950Part 2A Burmese–English DictionaryC. W. Dunn
Hla Pe (co-ed.)
1956Part 3A Burmese–English DictionaryC. W Dunn
H. F. Searle
Hla Pe
1962Part 4A Burmese–English DictionaryH. F. Searle
A. J. Allott
Hla Pe
1969Part 5A Burmese–English DictionaryA. J. Allott
J. W. A. Okell
Hla Pe (joint-ed.)
1981Part 6A Burmese–English DictionaryA. J. Allott
J. W. A. Okell
Hla Pe (joint-ed.)[3]

Hla Pe, professor of Burmese at the University of London (1948–1980), worked with others on the A Burmese–English Dictionary project, which began in 1925 under the aegis of the Burma Research Society, was continued at the University of Rangoon and then the School of Oriental and African Studies (London). This small group completed 6 volumes of the dictionary,[3] each 80 large-format pages, but it remains incomplete. Other participants were J. A. Stewart, C. W. Dunn, J.S. Furnivall, Gordon H Luce, Charles Duroiselle, Anna Allott, John Okell and, from the United States, R. Halliday and A. C. Hanna.

Oxford English Dictionary 4th editor C. T. Onions said "A lexicographer's life is a dog's life, but a lexicographer generally lives to an old age". This is true of several contributors to these Burmese dictionaries.

References
  1. Vicky Bowman, San San Hnin Tun Burmese Phrasebook Lonely Planet 2001 Page 10 "The best available bilingual dictionary is their Myanmar–English Dictionary published in 1993."
  2. Hla Pe (1 December 1985). Burma: Literature, Historiography, Scholarship, Language, Life, and Buddhism. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. p. 94. ISBN 978-9971-988-00-5.
  3. Hla Pe (1 December 1985). Burma: Literature, Historiography, Scholarship, Language, Life, and Buddhism. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. p. 211. ISBN 978-9971-988-00-5.
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