sawbwaEtymologyBorrowed from Burmese စော်ဘွား (caubhwa:), itself a loanword from Shan ၸဝ်ႈၽႃႉ (tsāo phâ̰a, “heavenly chief”).nounA Shan chieftain, any of the mostly petty tributary princes of the Shan States on the east of Burma.