GLOSSARY Myanmar Words ā nar-thi a way of saying I feel eì-thi to be cool awkward gaìn (P. gana) sect, sub-group abíwunthá (P. abhivamsa) special title gaùntin narrowly folded cloth placed for a scholarly monk granted by a over a nun’s left shoulder private Buddhist organization gyaùng term used to refer to adeikhtan personal resolution nunneries in Sagaing Hill ahlà-gon pride a woman takes in her hìntha mythical bird appearance hmatpontin identification certificate ahlu offering ceremony Hpayà Buddha, “my Lord” ahlu-khan occasion for asking Hterawadá (P. Theravāda) donations jì-myà thi cumbersome, fussy ahmyá we sending of loving kadáw-thi to worship with clasped kindness hands ahpeik-neí alms days before ubouk-neí kan karma on which days nuns go out to kan kaùn-thi to have good karma collect alms kappiyá (P. kappiya kāraka) lay akyò meritorious results attendant akútho (P. akusala) demerit kútho (P. kusala) merit, good deed amyè permanent, vocational nun kútho kan good karma as a result of anegaza-tin pwè consecration good deeds accumulated in past ceremony to imbue a Buddha lives image with spirit kyat Myanmar currency ahpwé association, organisation kyauk-thi to be frightened apyo young unmarried women kyaùng monastery, nunnery, school apyogyì spinster, “big virgin” kyaùng saya school teacher, principal Àwgathá (P. okāsa) permission, nun name of a standard recitation in kyinyo-thi to respect, to admire Myanmar làwbá-gyì thi to be very greedy bazìn medaw symbolic mother of a medaw “honorary mother”; a nun who monk manifests special skills such bíkhuni anwe descendant of the as clairvoyance or healing ancient bhikkhunī míthàzú family bwé Buddhist title nat spirits Daw prefix for an older female and nayaká leader, senior member, senior nun committee of senior members dat electricity, special power ngayè general hell in Buddhism dawleì small auntie among several hells dawgyì big auntie ngebyu young and pure, virgin nun or donlabá temporary nun or monk monk 240 glossary nyawa evening lessons taik-ouk administrative head of a où “pot”, household unit in a nunnery nunnery où kwe-sà-thi to eat from separate ta-où de sà-thi to eat from “one pot” pots tàwdwet nuns who had been married pàlin high throne a monk sits on before when preaching thadar grammar pahtama-gyaw title of distinction thanà-thi to feel pity pahtama-gyì advanced level thanaká traditional make-up made pahtama-lat intermediate level from tree bark, name of the tree pahtama-nge primary level thathana anwe one related to the Pahtàn pwè ceremony for Paṭṭhāna sāsana; nuns recitation thathanabain patriarch of the sangha parami virtuous quality, special thathana lokngàn religious work to disposition promote the sāsana pathamapyan royal or state thathana nwewin one related to inside ecclesiastical exams members of the sāsana pisayo (P. paccaya) modes of thathana-pyú mission to disseminate conditionality the sāsana pòn / hpòn glory, charisma thathana tagà male donor of the pòngan special karma, leadership sāsana quality thathana win inside member of the pòngyì / hpòngyì monk, “big glory” sāsana pòngyì lutwet ex-monk thathana wundàn member of religious sachá saya teacher of Buddhist orders scriptures thathana wundàn-myà plural of sathin-daik monastery school or thathana wundàn nunnery school thedànsa will, deathbed testament sayadaw abbot, respectable teacher; it thiláshin contemporary Buddhist nuns is used to address a monk in Myanmar, “precept keepers” saya-gyì big teacher; it is used to thiláshin wut-pwè initiation ritual to addressed a senior nun or ex-monk become a Buddhist nun saya-leì small teacher; it is used to Thìngyan Myanmar New Year address a nun thingyo Buddhist philosophy saya-má lay female teacher upaza intermediate course at shet-thi to be embarrassed, shy Myanmar university; the system is shikhò to show respect, to prostrate no longer used oneself ubadei law, regulations shinbyú boy’s initiation ceremony, ubouk-neí (P. uposathadivasa) noviciation abstinence day assigned according siramani student who has passed all to the lunar calendar three volumes in a year’s sitting ucha to show respect with clapsed sìnyé-thi to be poor hands taga male donor wadwìn abstinence period during the tagamá female donor rains retreat taik-kyat executive manager of a yahàn-khan ordination ceremony to nunnery become a monk.