Language

Karen language has been traced to be part of the Sino-Tibetan language group with the three largest groups the S'gaw, Pwo and Bwe being the most widely spoken.  

It is important to note the unreliability of population figures in relation to the true number of Karen. Debate still continues as to the true number of Karen and there is no reliable census data. Figures have been quoted ranging from 2,000,000 to 7,000,000. Figures have often been distorted either for political reasons or due to language and not race classification, most notably British figures that included Burmese speaking Karen with the Burman race.

British census figures were:-

Year                             Race                            Language

1911                            1,099,048                    1,066,635       

1921                            1,220,356                    1,114,153

1931                            1,367,673                    1,341,066

The Japanese census figures conducted during the second world war estimated the Karen to be 4.5 million whilst the Karen National Union puts the figure around 7 million.

J George Scott quoted (Burma - A Handbook of Practical Information) sources from a 1901 census that put Karen figures at a total of 727,235 (174,070 Pwo; 86,434 Sgaw; and 4,936 Bwe with 457,355 were returned as unspecified).

The following information comes from SIL International. (Thailand links lead to that country's section of their website).

'Kayin' is Burmese for all Karen, 'Yang' is Thai for all Karen

KAREN, BREK

Population

16,600 (1983 estimate).

Region

Southwestern Kayah State.

Alternate names  

BREK, BREC, BRE, PRAMANO, PRE, LAKU

Comments

Reported to be a separate language. 'Brek and 'Bwe' are variant names of a dialect cluster that extends from southwest Kayah State to northeast Karen State. 'Brek' or 'Bre' usually refers to varieties in Kayah State. Mostly Christian.

KAREN, BWE

Population

15,700 (1983 estimate). 

Region

Kyèbogyi area of Kayah State. A few in Thailand.

Alternate names  

BGHAI KAREN, BAGHI, BWE

Comments

Literacy rate in first language: Below 1%. Bible portions 1857-1862

KAREN, GEBA

Population

40,100 (1983 estimate). 

Region

Northern Kayah State and southern Shan State.

Alternate names  

GEBA, KABA, KARENBYU, KAYINBYU, WHITE KAREN, EASTERN BWE

Comments

Reported to be a separate language, but probably is part of the same dialect continuum with Bwe and Brek. There is some literature in Geba. Mostly Christian.

KAREN, GEKO

Population

9,500 (1983 estimate). 

Region

Yamethin, Toungoo Districts, Mobyè State of the southern Shan States.

Alternate names  

GEK'O, GHEKO, GEKHO, GHEKHOL, GHEKHU, KEKU, KEKHONG, KEKAUNGDU, GAIKHO, PADAUNG

Comments

Mostly Christian.

KAREN, LAHTA

Population

No estimate available.

Region

Southern Shan State.

Alternate names  

LAHTA, TARU, TARULAKHI, KHAHTA, PEU

Comments

Reported to be a separate language.

KAREN, MANUMANAW

Population

3,000 or more (1965). 

Region

Western Kyèbogyi part of Kayah State.

Alternate names  

MANUMANAW, MONU, MANÖ

Comments

Reported to be a separate language. Mostly Christian.

KAREN, PA'O

Population

560,000 in Myanmar (1983). Population total both countries 560,600.

Region

Southwestern Shan State and east of the Gulf of Martaban in Tenasserim. Also spoken in Thailand.

Alternate names  

NORTHERN TAUNGTHU, BLACK KAREN, PA-U, PA'O, PA OH, PA-O

Dialects

SOUTHERN PA'O, NORTHERN PA'O.

Comments

Southern Pa'o is in Myanmar, Northern Pa'o in Thailand. SVO. Buddhist, traditional religion. Bible portions 1912-1964.

Also spoken in: Thailand  600 in Thailand (1975 SIL).

KAREN, PADAUNG

Population

40,900 in Myanmar (1983 estimate). Population total both countries 41,000.

Region

Kayah State, Mobyè State, town of Phekon in the southern Shan States, and hills east of Toungoo. A few villages in Thailand. Also spoken in Thailand.

Alternate names  

PADAUNG, KAYANG

Comments

A separate language. Literacy rate in first language: Below 1%. Literacy rate in second language: Below 5%. Traditional religion, Buddhist, Christian.

KAREN, PAKU

Population

5,300 (1983 estimate). 

Region

Southern hills east of Taungoo in Kayah State.

Alternate names  

PAKU, PAGU, MONNEPWA, MONEBWA, MOPWA, MOPHA, MOPAGA, MOGPHA, MOGWA, THALWEPWE

Dialects

BILICHI, DERMUHA.

Comments

Closely related to S'gaw. Some reports indicate Paku and Mopwa are separate languages. SVO.

KAREN, PWO EASTERN (alphabet male/female)

Population

1,000,000 in Myanmar (1998). Population total both countries 1,050,000.

Region

Karen State, Mon State, Tensserim Division. Also spoken in Thailand.

Alternate names  

PHLOU, MOULMEIN PWO KAREN

Dialects

PA'AN (MOULMEIN, INLAND PWO EASTERN KAREN), KAWKAREIK (EASTERN BORDER PWO KAREN), TAVOY (SOUTHERN PWO KAREN).

Comments

Not intelligible with other Pwo Karen varieties. 91% to 97% lexical similarity among dialects, 63% to 65% with other Pwo Karen varieties. SVO. Monastic Burmese, Mon-based script being developed for Myanmar and Thailand; Christian script Burmese based; Leka script.

Also spoken in: Thailand 50,000 in Thailand (1998).  Dialects: KANCHANABURI PWO KAREN, RATCHABURI PWO KAREN (PHETCHABURI PWO KAREN).

KAREN, PWO WESTERN

Population

210,000. 

Region

Irrawaddy Delta.

Alternate names  

MUTHEIT, DELTA PWO KAREN, BASSEIN PWO KAREN, PHLONG SHO

Dialects

BASSEIN, TUAN TET, MAUBIN.

Comments

SVO. Burmese-based script. Traditional religion, Christian, Buddhist. Bible 1883-1885

KAREN, S'GAW (alphabet male/female)

Population

1,284,700 in Myanmar (1983 estimate). Population total both countries 2,000,000 (1990 UBS).

Region

Irrawaddy delta area, Tenasserim, the Pegu range between the Irrawaddy and Sittang, the eastern hills. Also spoken in Thailand.

Alternate names  

S'GAW, S'GAU, S'GAW KAYIN, KANYAW, PAGANYAW, PWAKANYAW, WHITE KAREN, BURMESE KAREN, YANG KHAO, PCHCKNYA, KYETHO

Dialects

PANAPU, PALAKHI (PALACHI).

Comments

Closely related to Paku. Bible 1853-1995. Traditional religion, Christian. Bible 1853-1995

Also spoken in: Thailand  300,000 in Thailand (1987 E. Hudspith).

KAREN, YINBAW

Population

7,300 (1983 estimate). 

Region

Shan Plateau of eastern Shan State.

Alternate names  

YINBAW, YEINBAW

Classification

Reported to be a variety of Padaung. Buddhist, Christian, traditional religion.

KAREN, YINTALE

Population

No estimate available.

Region

Bawlakhè part of Kayah State.

Alternate names  

YINTALE, YINTALET, YANGATALET, YANGTADAI, TALIAK

Comments

Reported to be a variety of Kayah. Buddhist, traditional religion

KAREN, ZAYEIN

Population

210,000 (1987). 

Region

Kayah and Karen states, west of the Pong River.

Alternate names  

KAYAH LI, KARENNI, KARENNYI, RED KAREN, YANG DAENG, KARIENG DAENG

Comments

Different from but related to Bwe Karen, forming a continuous chain of dialects from Thailand (Eastern Kayah) to western Kayah State. Dictionary. Literacy rate in first language: 1% to 5%. Christian, traditional religion.