LANGUAGES OF THE BURMA EMPIRE. £JT 



The firft dialed is that of the kingdom of Siam, the 

 moft polifhed people of eaftern WA/. They called them- 

 ielves to me fimply Tat; but Mi\Loubere fays, that in 

 order to diiiinguiih thcmfelves from a people to be af- 

 terwards mentioned, they add the word Nay, which Sig- 

 nifies little. .By the Burmas 9 from the vulgar name o£ 

 their former capital city, they are called Yoodaya ; by 

 the people of Pegu they are named Seem ; and by the 

 Chinefe of Yunan, Syiunlo or Kyanlo. 



The fecond dialect of the Siammefe language which 

 I fhall mention, is that of a people, who, to me, alfo 

 called themfelves firnply Tat. I believe, however, 

 they are the Tai-yay, or great Ta i, of Mr. Louber::. 

 They have been long fubjecl to the Burmas, who call 

 them Myehpjhan ; by the people of Pegu they are 

 named Sawn ; Thay by the Karayn ; Looklai by th 

 Katheejhan ; Kabo by the people of Kathee or Cujfay ; 

 P&yvyee by the Chinefe ; and to me they were named 

 Lauby the Siammefe proper. Their country towards L . 

 north lies between the weft fide of Yunan and the Era- 

 wade or great Burma river, defcending down its eaitern 

 bank a eonfiderably way ; it then extends along the 

 fouth fide of Yunan till it comes to the Loukiung or 

 river of Mm'iaban, which forms its eaitern boundary : 

 on the fouth it extends to no great diftance fromibfc/r- 

 taban ; and on the weft it is leparated from Burma 

 proper by a chain of mountains, that pafs about fifteen 

 miles to the baft of Ava. 



The third dialect of the Siammefe language is that of 

 a people called, by the Burmas, Kathee $hawn\ to them- 

 felves they afliime the name of Tai-loo?i£ or preat Tai. 

 They are called Moitqy Kabo, by the Kathee or people- 

 of Cujfay. They inhabit the upper part of the Kiayn ■ 

 duayn river, and from that weft to the Erazvade. They 

 have, in general, been fubjecl to the king of Mimny- 

 pura ; but, at prefent. are tributary to the Burma mo- 

 narch. 



1 Sun 



