Pa'O (ပအိုဝ်ႏ)

Pa'O is a Karen language spoken by about 1.5 million people mainly in eastern Myanmar, particularly in Shan, Kayin, Kayah and Mon states, and in Bago Division. There are also some speakers of Pa'O in Mae Hong Son Province in northern Thailand.

Pa'O is also known as Pa-O, Pa-oh, Taungthu, Black Karen or White Karen. Dialects include Taunggyi and Kokareit. It is written with the Burmese alphabet, or with the Latin alphabet, particularly by Christian missionaries.

Burmese alphabet for Pa'O

Download an alphabet chart for Pa'O (Excel)

Notes

In final position, k = [k̚], t = [t̚], k = [k̚], p = [p̚]
g is also pronounced [ɡ̊], gh = [ɣ], j = [ɟ̊], jh = [ɟ], ḍh = [d̪], bh = [b], r = [r], ḷ = [l]

Details of the Pa'O alphabet provided by Wolfram Siegel

Sample videos

Links

Information Pa'O
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pa'O_language
https://www.ethnologue.com/language/blk
http:/www.ling.hawaii.edu/ldtc/languages/paoh/orthography.html
https://glottolog.org/resource/languoid/id/paok1235

Karenic languages

Eastern Pwo Karen, Manumanaw Karen, Northern Pwo, Pa'O, Red Karen (Kayah Li), S'gaw Karen, Western Pwo

Languages written with the Myanmar / Burmese script

Aiton, Akha, Arakanese, Burmese, Eastern Pwo Karen, Jingpho, Khamti, Marma, Palaung, Pa'O, S'gaw Karen, Tai Laing, Tai Phake, Western Pwo

Page created: 11.05.22. Last modified: 25.06.24

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