Native to Burma Native speakers 190,000 (2000–2007) | Ethnicity Kayah | |
Language family Sino-Tibetan
(Tibeto-Burman)
Karen languages
Sgaw–Bghai
Red Karenni Writing system Kayah Li alphabet (eky,kyu)
Latin alphabet (kyu,kxf)
Myanmar alphabet (kyu,kxf)
unwritten (kvy) ISO 639-3 Variously:
eky – Eastern Kayah
kyu – Western Kayah
kvy – Yintale
kxf – Manumanaw (Manu) | ||
Red Karen or Karenni, known in Burmese as Kayah, is a Karen dialect continuum spoken by over half a million Kayah people (Red Karen) in Burma.
The name Kayah is "a new name invented by the Burmese to split them off from other Karen".
Eastern Kayah is reported to have been spoken by 260,000 in Burma and 100,000 in Thailand in 2000, and Western Kayah by 210,000 in Burma in 1987. They are rather divergent. Among the Western dialects are Yintale and Manu (Manumanaw in Burmese).
Distribution and varieties
Eastern Kayah is spoken in:
Eastern Kayah dialects are Upper Eastern Kayah and Lower Eastern Kayah, which are mutually intelligible. The speech variety of Huai Sua Thaw village (Lower Eastern) is prestigious for both dialect groups. The Eastern Kayah have difficulty understanding the Western Kayah.
Western Kayah is spoken in Kayah State and Kayin State, east of the Thanlwin River. It is also spoken in Pekon township in southern Shan State.
Western Kayah dialects are part of a dialect continuum of Central Karen varieties stretching from Thailand. They include:
Yintale, reportedly a variety of Western Kayah, is spoken in 3 villages of Hpasawng township, Bawlakhe district, Kayah State.
Yintale dialects are Bawlake and Wa Awng.
Kawyaw, reportedly similar to Western Kayah, is spoken in 23 villages along the border of Bawlake and Hpruso townships, in the West Kyebogyi area of Kayah State.
Kawyaw dialects are Tawkhu and Doloso, which have been reported to be difficult to mutually understand.