Intha NT — Intha Scripture Portions (Myanmar)
Overview
Intha NT is 3 books of scripture in the Intha (Inntha) language of Shan State, Myanmar, published by Dhamma Mate Swe Association (DMS) and available via YouVersion/Bible.com (ID 4431). The Intha are internationally recognized as the skilled leg-rowing fishermen of Inle Lake — one of Myanmar's most iconic images — and their language and culture represent a distinct identity within the Shan State highland-lake zone. This DMS translation provides scripture for an overwhelmingly Buddhist community (~98% Theravada Buddhist), and forms part of DMS's broader program of producing initial scripture portions for Myanmar's many small ethnic minority languages.
Language and People
Intha (ISO 639-3: int; autonym: Inntha, meaning "sons/people of the lake") is a Tibeto-Burman language: Sino-Tibetan → Tibeto-Burman → Lolo-Burmese → Burmish branch. Intha is closely related to standard Burmese (mya) but has diverged sufficiently — due to centuries of geographic isolation in the Inle Lake basin — to be classified as a separate language. It retains some archaic Burmese features and has incorporated loanwords from Shan, Palaung, and other neighboring languages.
The Intha community inhabits:
- Nyaungshwe Township, Taunggyi District, Southern Shan State, Myanmar — primarily on and around Inle Lake (roughly 22 km × 11 km at elevation ~880 m above sea level)
- Floating gardens (kyun), stilt villages on the lake, and lakeshore settlements
Estimated speakers: approximately 100,000–200,000 (Joshua Project: ~170,000; most reside in the Inle Lake area of Nyaungshwe Township).
Cultural Context
The Intha are renowned worldwide for their unique leg-rowing fishing technique — they balance on one leg on the stern of a dugout canoe and row with the other leg wrapped around the oar, freeing both hands to manage fishing nets. This distinctive practice developed from the need to see above the dense floating vegetation of Inle Lake while fishing. Inle Lake is also home to remarkable floating gardens (innpawkhon): plots of vegetation anchored to the lake bottom with poles, on which vegetables and flowers are cultivated. The lake and its Intha community are Myanmar's most-visited tourist attraction and a designated Biosphere Reserve (UNESCO, 2015). The Intha practice Theravada Buddhism with strong local spirit (nat) veneration, centered on the Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda festival — the most important religious event of the region, held annually on Inle Lake.
Publishing and Organizations
Published by Dhamma Mate Swe Association (DMS), a Myanmar-based Christian translation ministry active in producing scripture portions for minority languages of Myanmar and Bangladesh.