mon

Mon is a term that can refer to several distinct things. The most prominent use is for an ethnic group and their language in Southeast Asia. The Mon people live principally in Myanmar, especially Mon State and parts of the Bago and Kayin States, as well as in neighboring Thailand. They are among the earliest civilizations in the region, with historical polities such as Dvaravati in what is now central Thailand. The Mon helped disseminate Theravada Buddhism, art forms, and early writing in mainland Southeast Asia.

The Mon language is part of the Mon-Khmer branch of the Austroasiatic language family and has several dialects. The Mon script, used to write Mon and religious texts in earlier periods, contributed to the development of later scripts, including the Burmese script.

Mon State is a coastal region of southeastern Myanmar. Its administrative capital is Mawlamyine (formerly Moulmein). The state borders the Andaman Sea and the neighboring states of Kayin and Bago. The area has a long history tied to Mon polities and to the Mon diaspora.

In French, mon is the possessive adjective meaning "my." It is used before masculine singular nouns and, before vowels or mute h, before feminine singular nouns when needed to avoid hiatus (for example, mon amie). The term also appears as a given name or surname in various cultures, and as a toponym or part of organization names in different languages.