S'gaw Karen language

S’gaw Karen language
ကညီကျိာ်, K'nyaw
Pronunciation[sɣɔʔ]
Native toMyanmar, Thailand
RegionKayin State, Myanmar
Thailand
Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India
Malaysia
EthnicityKaren
Native speakers
2.2 million (2010–2017)[1]
Sino-Tibetan
Mon–Burmese (S'gaw Karen alphabet)
Latin script
Karen Braille
Official status
Official language in
 Myanmar
( Kayin State)
Recognised minority
language in
Language codes
ISO 639-2kar
ISO 639-3ksw – inclusive code
Individual codes:
ksw – S'gaw
jkp – Paku
jkm – Mopwa
wea – Wewaw
Glottologsout1554
Karen languages
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S’gaw, S'gaw Karen, or S’gaw K’Nyaw, commonly known as Karen, is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken by the S'gaw Karen people of Myanmar and Thailand. A Karenic branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family, S'gaw Karen is spoken by over 2 million people in Tanintharyi Region, Ayeyarwady Region, Yangon Region, and Bago Region in Myanmar, and about 200,000 in northern and western Thailand along the border near Kayin State.[1] It is written using the S'gaw Karen alphabet, derived from the Burmese script, although a Latin-based script is also in use among the S'gaw Karen in northwestern Thailand.[2]

Various divergent dialects are sometimes seen as separate languages: Paku in the northeast, Mopwa (Mobwa) in the northwest, Wewew, and Monnepwa.[3]

  1. ^ a b S’gaw Karen language at Ethnologue (26th ed., 2023) Closed access icon
    S'gaw at Ethnologue (26th ed., 2023) Closed access icon
    Paku at Ethnologue (26th ed., 2023) Closed access icon
    Mopwa at Ethnologue (26th ed., 2023) Closed access icon
    Wewaw at Ethnologue (26th ed., 2023) Closed access icon
  2. ^ "Pgaz K'Nyau av lix hkauf htiv". pakakoenyo.org. Archived from the original on 2021-10-26. Retrieved 2018-01-15.
  3. ^ Beckwith, Christopher, ed. (2002). Medieval Tibeto-Burman Languages. p. 108.