Ma Thida

Syllable breakdown

Name meaning and origin

Origin

Burmese/Myanmar (Myanmar)

Meaning

a Burmese feminine name where Ma is an honorific prefix meaning Miss or younger sister, used for younger or unmarried women, and Thida is a feminine given name derived from Sanskrit Sita — itself from Sanskrit sitā meaning white, bright, or pale — adapted through Pali and Burmese usage into the common Burmese feminine form Thida; the Pali and Sanskrit influence on Burmese personal naming is deep and pervasive because Theravada Buddhism — which uses Pali as its liturgical language — has been the dominant religion of Myanmar for over a thousand years; Thida is among the most common elements in Burmese feminine names; the name is notably borne by Ma Thida (born 1966), the acclaimed Burmese short story writer, doctor, and democracy activist who was imprisoned for six years by the military junta and whose fiction explores the intersection of Buddhism, human rights, and political repression in Myanmar

Gender

female

Also spelled

Ma Thi Da