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Tai languages

 
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: Tai languages
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Family of closely related languages spoken in Southeast Asia and southern China by more than 80 million people. According to a widely used classification, Tai comprises three branches. The Southwestern group includes Thai, the national language of Thailand; northeastern Thai and Lao, spoken in eastern Thailand and Laos; Pak Tay (South Thai), spoken in southern Thailand; Shan, spoken in eastern and northern Myanmar; and Tai Dam (Black Tai) and Tai Don (Tai Khaw, or White Tai), spoken mainly in North Vietnam. The Central group includes Nung and South Zhuang, a dialect chain in northern Vietnam and China's Guangxi autonomous region; and Tay (Thô), spoken in the same area. The Northern group includes Buyi and North Zhuang, a dialect chain spoken in Guangxi, Guizhou, and Yunnan, China. All Tai languages are tone languages. Most scholars believe the Tai family is related to a number of other languages spoken by minority peoples of southern China and northern Vietnam. Together with Tai, the entire group has been named the Kadai or Tai-Kadai family.

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Wikipedia: Tai languages
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Tai
Geographic
distribution:		 Southern China (esp. Guangxi, Guizhou, Yunnan), Southeast Asia
Genetic
classification:		 Kradai
 Tai
Subdivisions:
Northern
Central
Southwestern
ISO 639-2 and 639-5: tai
Taikadai-en.svg

Distribution of the Kradai language family.
The Tai languages are:      Northern Tai      Central Tai      Southwestern Tai

The Tai languages (Thai: ภาษาไต transliteration: p̣hās̛̄ātay) are a subgroup of the Kradai language family. The Tai languages include the most widely spoken of the Tai-Kadai languages, including standard Thai, the national language of Thailand, Lao or Laotian, the national language of Laos, Myanmar's Shan language, and Zhuang, a major language in southern Chinese province of Guangxi.

  • Northern Tai languages
  • Central Tai languages
  • Southwestern Tai languages (32)
    • Tai Ya (China)
    • Pu Ko (Laos)
    • Pa Di (China)
    • Tai Thanh (Vietnam)
    • Tày Sa Pa (Vietnam)
    • Tai Long (Laos)
    • Tai Hongjin (China)
    • Turung (India)
    • Yong (Thailand)
    • Southern Thai (Pak Thai) (Thailand)
    • East Central Tai languages (10)
      • Chiang Saen languages (10)
        • Tai Dam (Vietnam)
        • Northern Thai (Lanna, Thai Yuan) (Thailand, Laos)
        • Phuan (Thailand)
        • Thai Song (Thailand)
        • Thai (Thailand)
        • Tai Hang Tong (Vietnam)
        • Tai Dón (Vietnam)
        • Tai Daeng (Vietnam)
        • Tay Tac (Vietnam)
        • Thu Lao (Vietnam)
      • Lao-Phutai languages (4)
      • Northwestern Tai languages (9)

Comparison table

[Tones are missing]

English Proto-Southwestern Tai[1] Thai Lao Lanna Isan Shan Tai Lü
air *lom /lom/ /lóm/ /lom/ /lom/ /lom4/ /lom/
city *mɯaŋ /mɯaŋ/ /mɯaŋ/ /mɯaŋ/ /mɯaŋ/ /mɤŋ4/ /mœŋ/
earth *?din /din/ /din/ /din/ /din/ /lǐn1/ /din/
fire *vai/aɯ /fai/ /fái/ /fai/ /fai/ /pʰaj4/ or /fai4/ /fai/
heart *čai/aɯ /hŭa tɕai/ /hǔa cài/ /hua tɕai/ /hua tɕai/ /ho1 tsaɯ1/ /hua tɕai/
love *rak /rák/ /hāk/ /hag/ /hag/ /hak5/ /hag/
water *naam /náːm/ /nȃm/ /nam/ /nam/ /nam5/ /nam/
English Proto-Southwestern Tai Thai Lao Lanna Isan Shan Tai Lü

Further reading

  • Brown, J. Marvin. From Ancient Thai to Modern Dialects. Bangkok: Social Science Association Press of Thailand, 1965.
  • Chamberlain, James R. A New Look at the Classification of the Tai Languages. [s.l: s.n, 1972.
  • Conference on Tai Phonetics and Phonology, Jimmy G. Harris, and Richard B. Noss. Tai Phonetics and Phonology. [Bangkok: Central Institute of English Language, Office of State Universities, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, 1972.
  • Diffloth, Gérard. An Appraisal of Benedict's Views on Austroasiatic and Austro-Thai Relations. Kyoto: Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University, 1976.
  • Đoàn, Thiện Thuật. Tay-Nung Language in the North Vietnam. [Tokyo?]: Instttute [sic] for the Study of Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, 1996.
  • Gedney, William J. On the Thai Evidence for Austro-Thai. [S.l: s.n, 1976.
  • Gedney, William J., and Robert J. Bickner. Selected Papers on Comparative Tai Studies. Michigan papers on South and Southeast Asia, no. 29. Ann Arbor, Mich., USA: Center for South and Southeast Asian Studies, University of Michigan, 1989. ISBN 0891480374
  • Gedney, William J., Carol J. Compton, and John F. Hartmann. Papers on Tai Languages, Linguistics, and Literatures: In Honor of William J. Gedney on His 77th Birthday. Monograph series on Southeast Asia. [De Kalb]: Northern Illinois University, Center for Southeast Asian Studies, 1992. ISBN 1877979163
  • Gedney, William J., and Thomas J. Hudak. (1995). William J. Gedney's central Tai dialects: glossaries, texts, and translations. Michigan papers on South and Southeast Asia, no. 43. Ann Arbor, Mich: Center for South and Southeast Asian Studies, University of Michigan ISBN 0891480757
  • Gedney, William J., and Thomas J. Hudak. William J. Gedney's the Yay Language: Glossary, Texts, and Translations. Michigan papers on South and Southeast Asia, no. 38. Ann Arbor, Mich: Center for South and Southeast Asian Studies, University of Michigan, 1991. ISBN 0891480668
  • Gedney, William J., and Thomas J. Hudak. William J. Gedney's Southwestern Tai Dialects: Glossaries, Texts and Translations. Michigan papers on South and Southeast Asia, no. 42. [Ann Arbor, Mich.]: Center for South and Southeast Asian Studies, University of Michigan, 1994. ISBN 0891480749
  • Hudak, Thomas John. William J. Gedney's The Tai Dialect of Lungming: Glossary, Texts, and Translations. Michigan papers on South and Southeast Asia, no. 39. [Ann Arbor]: Center for South and Southeast Asian Studies, University of Michigan, 1991. ISBN 0891480676
  • Li, Fang-kuei. The Tai Dialect of Lungchow; Texts, Translations, and Glossary. Shanghai: Commercial Press, 1940.
  • Østmoe, Arne. A Germanic-Tai Linguistic Puzzle. Sino-Platonic papers, no. 64. Philadelphia, PA, USA: Dept. of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Pennsylvania, 1995.
  • Sathāban Sūn Phāsā Qangkrit. Bibliography of Tai Language Studies. [Bangkok]: Indigenous Languages of Thailand Research Project, Central Institute of English Language, Office of State Universities, 1977.
  • Shorto, H. L. Bibliographies of Mon-Khmer and Tai Linguistics. London oriental bibliographies, v. 2. London: Oxford University Press, 1963.
  • Tingsabadh, Kalaya and Arthur S. Abramson. Essays in Tai Linguistics. Bangkok: Chulalongkorn University Press, 2001. ISBN 9743472223

References

  1. ^ Thai Lexicography Resources

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