Abstract

• The terms, Myanmar and Bamar, are equivocal names in Myanmar. The two terms refer to the name of nation and name of nationality. Opinions of previous scholars are discussed in literature review. In this paper, over thirty historical sources—stone and bell inscriptions in Mon and Myanmar, epics (pyo, mawgun, and egyin), chronicles (yazawun, and ayedawbon), law, and 1943, 1947, and 1974 constitutions—are firstly collected and retrospection is diachronically done on the two terms. Examination is done how to use the two terms in the past. Finally, this paper draws a conclusion that the term Myanmar is historically formalized as the name of nation and the Bamar is derived from Mon. The term is adopted as a name of nationality when Do-Bama Asi-ayon was established in 1930. It promoted to the name of nation during the Japanese occupation period but the term Myanmar return to take place in the postwar onwards.