uncle

Bislama: angkel

→ Burmese: အန်ကယ် (ankai)

⇒ Chinese: 安哥 (āngē)

→ Hawaiian: ʻanakala

→ Hindi: अंकल (aṅkal)

→ Irish: uncail

→ Scottish Gaelic: uncail

Tok Pisin: ankol

Torres Strait Creole: ankel

→ Welsh: wncl

Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *h₂éwh₂os
Latin avunculus
Old French unclebor.
Middle English uncle
English uncle
From Middle English uncle, borrowed from Anglo-Norman uncle and Old French oncle, from Vulgar Latin *aunclum, from Latin avunculus (“maternal uncle”, literally “little grandfather”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂euh₂-n-tlo- (“little grandfather”), a dialectal diminutive of *h₂éwh₂ō (“grandfather, adult male relative other than one’s father”) (whence also Latin avus (“grandfather”)). Displaced native Middle English em (“uncle”) from Old English ēam (“maternal uncle”), containing the same Proto-Indo-European root, and Old English fædera (“paternal uncle”). Compare Saterland Frisian Unkel (“uncle”), Dutch nonkel (“uncle”), German Low German Unkel (“uncle”), German Onkel (“uncle”), Danish onkel (“uncle”). More at eam and eame.

der

(Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Brunei, informal) Any middle-aged or elderly man older than the speaker and/or listener.


platform

From Middle French plateforme (“a flat form”), from plate (“flat”) (from Old French plat, from Ancient Greek πλατύς (platús, “flat”)) + forme (“form”) (from Latin fōrma (“shape; figure; form”)); compare flatscape.


Sabbath

From Middle English sabat, sabbat, sabath, from Old English sabat and Old French sabbat, both from Latin sabbatum, from Ancient Greek σάββατον (sábbaton, “Sabbath”), from Hebrew שַׁבָּת (shabát, “Sabbath”), with the spelling ending in -th, probably influenced by the traditional transliteration of the Hebrew as shabbāth, being attested since the 14th century and widespread since the 16th. Doublet of Shabbat. Possibly from the Sumerian sa-bat ("mid-rest")


tomato sauce

en-noun

tomato sauce (usually uncountable, plural tomato sauces)

A plastic tomato sauce bottle, which could have been cut in half to make a flower pot, was quickly surveyed along with other trophies, and received the death sentence. “In the bin, Bob.”

1979 June, Peter C. Harper, Robert Alexander Falla K.B.E., C.M.G., M.A., D.Sc., F.R.S.N.Z.: An Appreciation, page 356:

1980 January-May, Laurence Le Guay, Cruising World, page 98,
I quickly learned that there is a hell of a difference between tomato sauce and ketchup and that there is an even greater difference when it comes to mayonnaise: real American or the pseudo Australian — and I had always believed this to be a French concoction.

The event was a BBQ in the peaceful and picturesque System Garden at the University of Melbourne, Parkville campus. Food was plentifil and included a variety of sausages and veggie burgers, onions, bread and tomato sauce in addition to soft drinks.

2003 March, Microbiology Australia, page 46:

(UK, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei) Tomato ketchup, used as a condiment.


American football

tlb

(UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, Myanmar, South Africa, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei)

"Chain mail, or an American football suit - that's what you'll want."

1912, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Lost World […], London; New York, N.Y.: Hodder and Stoughton, →OCLC:

A team sport similar to rugby football, played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end.


watermelon

en-noun

watermelon (countable and uncountable, plural watermelons)

/ˈwɔːtəˌmɛlən/

From the 1610s, a compound of water + melon. The meanings referring to environmentalists, collaboraters, and behind schedule projects, derive from the idea of having green (eco-friendly, pro-Tatmadaw, on-schedule) outward appearance while being red (socialist, pro-rebel, behind schedule) in a hidden way comparable to that of the fruit.

The soldier spies are known as "Watermelons" - green on the outside, rebel red within. Outwardly loyal to the military but secretly working for the pro-democracy rebels whose symbolic colour is red.

2024 December 20, Rebecca Henschke, Ko Ko Aung, Jack Aung, “Soldier-spies in Myanmar help pro-democracy rebels make crucial gains”, in BBC News, retrieved 2024-12-20:

(slang, Myanmar) A Tatmadaw soldier which collaborates with an ethnic armed organization.


stereo

stereo (countable and uncountable, plural stereos)

Shortened form of stereotype, stereoscope or stereophonic, all originally derived from Ancient Greek στερεός (stereós, “solid”).

der

(Myanmar, music) genre of Western-style pop and rock music


spare

From Middle English spare, spar, from Old English spær (“sparing, scant”), from Proto-Germanic *sparaz, from Proto-Indo-European *sph₁rós, from the root *speh₁-.
Compare Dutch spaar(zaam), German spar(sam) and spär(lich), Swedish spar(sam), Icelandic sparr (“sparing”); also Latin (pro)sperus (“lucky”), Old Church Slavonic споръ (sporŭ, “plentiful”), Albanian shperr (“earn money”), Persian سپار (sepâr, “entrust; deposit”), Ancient Greek σπαρνός (sparnós, “rare”), Sanskrit स्फिर (sphirá, “thick”).

cog

(Myanmar) assistant or extra hand (typically on buses and lorries)


dah

From Burmese ဓား (dha:). Possibly a doublet of dao.

Jowar Singh the Sikh procured sabre, quoit, and mace, / Abdul Huq, Wahabi, jerked his dagger from its place, / While amid the jungle-grass danced and grinned and jabbered / Little Boh Hla-oo and cleared his dah-blade from the scabbard.

1922, Rudyard Kipling, What Happened, lines 33–36:

It was like a sea of people, two thousand at the least, black and white in the moon, with here and there a curved dah glittering.

1934 October, George Orwell [pseudonym; Eric Arthur Blair], “Chapter 22”, in Burmese Days, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, Publishers, →OCLC:

(Myanmar) A long knife or sword with a round cross-section grip, a long, gently curving blade with a single edge, and no guard.


Lent

Shortened form of Lenten, from Old English lencten, from Proto-West Germanic *langatīn (“spring”), as in a season into which days lengthen as it progresses. Related to German Lenz and Dutch lente (“springtime”).

الصَّوْم الْأَرْبَعِينِيّ

Christian period of penitence before Easter

(Buddhism, Myanmar) vassa, period of the Buddhist lent during the rainy season


Mg

Abbreviation of Maung. Borrowed from Burmese မောင် (maung).

(Myanmar) Abbreviation of Maung., a title for males (analogous to Mr in standard English).


gymkhana

→ Catalan: gimcana

→ Italian: gincana

→ Portuguese: gincana

→ Spanish: yincana

/d͡ʒɪmˈkɑnə/

From Hindustani گیند خانہ (gendxānā) / गेंदख़ाना (gendxānā, “racquet court”), from گیند / गेंद (gend, “ball”) + خانہ / ख़ाना (xānā, “court”). Influenced by gymnastics and gymnasium.

These privileged gentlemen have a fine club on the Fateh Maidan, a suburb of Hyderabad city, and they enjoy sports and races at the local gymkhana, in fact, they have a very good time, if one may judge by their appearance.

1914, John Law, chapter XVI, in Modern Hyderabad (Deccan), Calcutta: Thacker, Spink & Co:

(India, Myanmar, dated) A place of public resort for athletic games, etc.

(India, Myanmar, dated) A meeting for such sports.


bioscope

→ Kurtöp: བེས་ཀོབ (beskop)

From bio- + -scope. Modern use in South Africa is under the influence of Afrikaans bioskoop.

Like their Western brothers, groups of native youths [in Burma] from out-lying places set out cheerfully on Saturday nights to visit the nearest "Bioscope", as they call the cinema[.]

1936, Rollo Ahmed, The Black Art, London: Long, page 175:

(South Africa, India, Myanmar, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Pakistan, dated) A cinema or movie theatre.


drumstick

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-drumstick.wav

She could imagine the taste of the tender drumstick seeds on her tongue.

2011, Arupa Patangia Kalita, translated by Deepika Phukan, The Story of Felanee (fiction), translation of original in Assamese:

Moringa oleifera
Moringa oleifera#Translingual

(South Asia, Myanmar) The moringa or drumstick tree, Moringa oleifera, especially its slender, cylindrical pods.


gharry

Borrowed from Hindi गाड़ी (gāṛī) / Urdu گاڑی (gāṛī, “wheeled cart, carriage; car, truck, bus”), from Sauraseni Prakrit 𑀕𑀟𑁆𑀟 (gaḍḍa), 𑀕𑀟𑁆𑀟𑀻 (gaḍḍī), from Ashokan Prakrit *𑀕𑀸𑀟𑁆𑀟- (*gāḍḍa-).

bor

A ramshackle gharry, all dust and venetian blinds, pulled up short opposite the group, and the driver, throwing up his right foot over his knee, gave himself up to the critical examination of his toes.

1900, Joseph Conrad, chapter 5, in Lord Jim:

He thought of Rosa McFee, the Eurasian girl he had seduced in Mandalay in 1913. The way he used to sneak down to the house in a gharry with the shutters down […]

1934, George Orwell, chapter 10, in Burmese Days:

There were ranks of gharries that appeared to do no serious business, although occasionally a group of Shans would wake up a driver, bundle into one and go for a quick spin round the bazaar, much as in the old days one took a five shilling flip around the aerodrome in a plane.

My British friends saw me in a gharry, a little horse-drawn cab used mainly for ephemeral trysts in transit, and offered me the kindly advice that a consul should never use these vehicles for any purpose.

1977, Pablo Neruda, chapter 4, in Hardie St. Martin, transl., Memoirs, New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, page 86:

(India and Myanmar) A wheeled cart or carriage, usually horsedrawn.


punkah

Borrowed from Hindi पंखा (paṅkhā, “fan”), from Sanskrit पक्षक (pakṣaka), from पक्ष (pakṣa, “wing”).

bor+

A punkah is, by some, used instead of a chattah, (or umbrella); but it is very inferior as a defence against either sun, wind, or rain.

1810, Thomas Williamson, East India Vade-Mecum..., page 313:

Outside the court the sun blazed—within was the wind of great punkahs that made you shiver …

1900, Joseph Conrad, chapter 4, in Lord Jim:

In the refreshment room a few would-be passengers were cooled by the punkah, worked by a string tied to the big toe of a sleepy Burmese boy.

1943 November and December, G. T. Porter, “The Lines Behind the Lines in Burma”, in Railway Magazine, page 325:

Perhaps it was a mistake to invite Mr Stanhope; the day was intolerably hot and humid; all he wanted to do was to lie on his bed with a punkah sighing over him, at least moving the unbreathable air.

(South Asia, Myanmar) A fan, particularly a large fan made of leaf or cloth and hung from the ceiling, (historical) formerly often operated by a servant.


dacoit

Borrowed from Hindustani ڈکیت / डकैत (ḍakait), from ڈاکا (ḍākā) / डाका (ḍākā, “gang-robbery”).

1893, Bithia Mary Croker, "The Dâk Bungalow at Dakor" in "To Let" etc., Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott, 1906, p. 118, https://archive.org/details/toletcroker00crok
[…] she had harangued us on the subject of fever and cholera and bad water, had warned us solemnly against dacoits, and now she was hinting at ghosts.

If any village failed in its tribute U Po Kyin took punitive measures—gangs of dacoits attacked the village, leading villagers were arrested on false charges, and so forth—and it was never long before the amount was paid up.

1934, George Orwell, chapter 1, in Burmese Days:

The history of northern India is studded with the names of notorious outlaw dacoits who roam the hills in the name of Kali, robbing the rich, comforting the poor, and in general spreading terror and rough justice.

1954 July 19, “The Terror of Kings”, in Time:

On the way back Boyles led him down a lampless lane, and sure enough, a pair of dacoits pounced on them.

1982, TC Boyle, Water Music, Penguin, published 2006, page 49:

“The notorious forest brigand, bandit, murderer and dacoit, Veerappan, along with his entire gang, has been shot dead,” Jayaram Jayalalithaa, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu State, announced.

2004 October 20, Catherine Philp, “India's Bandit King is betrayed”, in The Times, London:

A very athletic female dacoit was arrested in North Nazimabad in Karachi after she vaulted over a nine-foot wall, following her unsuccessful attempt at armed robbery in the house of a retired banker.

2007 April 21, “EDITORIAL: Pakistani Phoolan Devi’s short career”, in Daily Times, Pakistan:

(chiefly India, Pakistan, Myanmar) A bandit or armed robber, especially in former parts of British India.


Festival of Lights

From the importance of candles or light during the celebrations.

The two most important holidays are the Burmese New Year or Water Festival (Thingyan) celebrated in April and the Festival of Lights (Thadingyut) celebrated in October.

2005, The World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theatre, volume 5: Asia/Pacific, →ISBN:


palata

(Myanmar) A Burmese flatbread, also known as paratha.


pandal

Bengali: প্যান্ডেল (pênḍel)

Borrowed from Tamil பந்தல் (pantal)/பந்தர் (pantar).

(Myanmar, South Asia) a large temporary structure erected during various Hindu and Buddhist religious festivals


viss

Borrowed from Tamil வீசை (vīcai) and/or Telugu వీసె (vīse).

(Myanmar) A Burmese unit of measure for weight, approximately 1.63293 kilograms (3.6 pounds).

ပိဿာ

Burmese unit of weight, approximately 1.63293 kg


hill station

In 1854, General Barter, C.B., was a subaltern in the 75th Regiment, and was doing duty at the hill station of Murree in the Punjaub.

1897, Andrew Lang, chapter 4, in The Book of Dreams and Ghosts:

At 6.25 a.m. today Mr Nehru, who had gone to sleep last night "fresh and fit" after his short holiday at a hill station, had a stroke.

1964 May 28, Victor Anant, “Indians' anxious look at the era after Nehru”, in The Guardian, UK, retrieved 2009-06-10:

For builder Rakesh Prajapati, the ideal weekend is trekking up the wild path to reach hill station Matheran.

2006 October 15, Vijay Singh, “From Navi Mumbai, chilling is a drive away”, in Times of India, retrieved 2009-06-10:

(chiefly British, South Asia, Myanmar) In South and Southeast Asia, a small community located at a relatively high elevation which serves as a retreat or vacation location during the hot summers; historically, a village or military post so used by colonial officials.


dacoity

en-noun

dacoity (countable and uncountable, plural dacoities)

'He came here open-minded to commit a dacoity. Yes, to cut, rob, kill, and carry off what he desired.'

1901, Rudyard Kipling, chapter 15, in Kim:

[…] he had a most interesting anecdote to tell her […] about a dacoity that had happened in Sagaing in 1913.

1934, George Orwell, chapter 18, in Burmese Days:

(chiefly India, Pakistan, Myanmar) Violent robbery carried out by a dacoit or a gang of dacoits.


handphone

→ Korean: 핸드폰 (haendeupon)

From hand + phone. For the sense of mobile phone, compare with Chinese 手機 /手机 (shǒujī, literally “hand machine”) and Korean 손전화 (sonjeonhwa, literally “hand telephone”).

cog

(Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Brunei, South Korea, Hawaii) A mobile phone.


tical

viss

a Burmese unit of weight equal to 100 ticals

(Myanmar) A Burmese measurement of weight, the kyattha, of about 16.3293 grams (0.576 ounces).

ကျပ်သား

Burmese measurement of weight, 16.3293 g


lady's finger

Abelmoschus esculentus
Abelmoschus esculentus#Translingual

(chiefly India, Pakistan, Myanmar, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei) Okra; an edible capsules of Abelmoschus esculentus.


departmental store

en-noun

departmental store (plural departmental stores)

AEON Co (M) Bhd, the operator for the Japanese-owned hypermarket chain, had downsized its departmental store areas in several locations and refurbished the stores to concentrate on food items.

2019 July 15, Shaheera Aznam Shah, “Hypermarkets face a bleak future on waning appetite”, in The Malaysian Reserve:

The liquidator of the famed Robinson's departmental store has vehemently rebutted any inappropriate retrenchment of its employees, following the closing of its business, recently.

2021 January 26, Adrian David, “Robinson's liquidator rebutts inappropriate retrenchment allegations”, in New Straits Times:

(India, Pakistan, Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei) department store


ajinomoto

monosodium glutamate
monosodium glutamate

(Singapore, India, Myanmar, Brunei, Malaysia, Pakistan) monosodium glutamate


cinema hall

(India, Myanmar) A big room where films are shown; movie theater.


tea money

Calque of Burmese လက်ဖက်ရည်ဖိုး (lakhpak-ranyhpui:, “tea money”) likely.

calque

လက်ဖက်ရည်ဖိုး

Low-ranking officers in Thailand’s 200,000-strong police force are poorly paid and are infamous for topping up salaries with "tea money" for everything from minor driving offences to serious crimes.

2021 August 25, SCMP Reporter, “Death of Thai man after police extortion attempt captured on viral video, sparks public anger”, in This Week in Asia, South China Morning Post, retrieved 2021-08-25:

(slang, regional, Myanmar, Thailand) A bribe, especially for facilitating a business dealing.


car gate

From car + gate. Cognate with Burmese ကားဂိတ် (ka:git).


copy song

Borrowed from Burmese ကော်ပီသီချင်း (kaupisihkyang:).

bor+

ကော်ပီသီချင်း

(Myanmar, music) A song written to the tune of another existing song.


sky beer

Emerged in reference to the process of harvesting toddy palm by climbing trees.


line car

Calque of Burmese လိုင်းကား (luing:ka:, “route bus”)