Pali

   The sacred language of Theravada Buddhism, in which the Tipitaka, also known as the Pali Canon, is written. It originally was a Prakrit (vernacular or spoken) language of ancient India (Sanskrit was India's original literary language). Pali developed its own literary forms, which had a profound impact on the development of the languages and literatures of Burma and its Southeast Asian neighbors. Members of the Sangha study the Pali scriptures as part of their religious devotions, and Burmese governments for many centuries have sponsored examinations in which monks recite the Pali texts from memory. Just as Western European languages are dependent on Latin- and Greek-derived words for much of their vocabulary, Paliderived words are indispensable for modern users of the Burmese (Myanmar) language.

   The Pali Text Society, established in Britain in 1881, has translated much of the Canon into English. The most widely known Pali text, the Dhammapada, serves as an introduction to the teachings of Gotama Buddha.