Introduction

The dialects of Pwo Karen can be divided into two groups: the eastern dialects and the western dialects (see Kato 1995). The eastern dialects are spoken in the Karen State, the Mon State, the Tenasserim Division of Burma and western Thailand. The main towns where the Eastern dialects are spoken are Hpa-an, which is the capital of the Karen State, Hlaingbway, Kawkareik. The western dialects are spoken widely in the area of the Irrawady delta, and the main towns where they are spoken are Bassein, Myaungmya, Kyonbyaw. The dialect treated in this chapter is one of the Eastern dialects spoken around Hpa-an, referred to here as the Hpa-an dialect.