Myanmar Letter La

Alone, it can mean “moon” or “month.” In Burmese syllables, its consonant takes the script’s built-in vowel; before verbs, it adds emphasis or smooths phrasing.

The Myanmar script grew from a script related to Brahmi, an ancient Indian script, brought from South India to write Mon about the eighth century. Its earliest inscription dates to the eleventh century. A traditional explanation says rounded forms helped keep palm leaves from splitting. The 1112 Myazedi inscription shows လ on its Burmese face beside Mon and Pali faces.