Arakanese

Part of speech: noun, adjective

Definitions

1. Relating to Arakan, the coastal region of western Myanmar, or to its people, culture, or the Rakhine language spoken there
2. Describing anything connected with the historical region of Arakan in western Myanmar, including its inhabitants and their tongue
3. Of or pertaining to the people, language, or heritage of Arakan, a western Burmese territory along the Bay of Bengal

Etymology: "Arakanese" is the English name for the people and language of the Rakhine State in western Myanmar, and its roots lie in the Burmese word for that region. The Burmese name is ရခိုင် (Rakhine), and the English form "Arakan," with "Arakanese" built on it, reflects an older spelling that stuck in English usage. Rakhine is the current standard transliteration, and the two spellings name the same place and people. The word works as both a noun and an adjective. As a noun it refers to a person from Rakhine or the Rakhine language, while as an adjective it describes things connected to that region, such as its culture or history. Because the English form preserves an older transliteration, it is a useful reminder that place names entered English from local languages through varying systems of spelling, and the Burmese original has changed less than the English version.