British rule in Burma
The "traditional" Burmese greeting is "mingalaba" (, from Pali and roughly translated as 'auspiciousness to you'). This is, however, a comparatively recent form of greeting, first emerging during British rule in Burma during the 19th to 20th centuries, coined as a Burmese language equivalent to 'hello' or 'how are you.' More informal rhetorical greetings such as "Have you eaten?" ( "Htamin sa pi bi la") and "How are you?" ( "Nei kaung la") are still common. "Hello" is also a popular greeting nowadays, whereas it used to be confined to answering the phone.