Tai Dam (), also known as Black Tai ( th, ภาษาไทดำ; ; vi, tiếng Thái Đen; "Black Tai language"; ), is a

Tai language The Tai or Zhuang–Tai languages ( th, ภาษาไท or , transliteration: or ) are a branch of the Kra–Dai language family. The Tai languages include the most widely spoken of the Tai–Kadai languages, including Standard Thai or S ...

spoken by the Tai Dam in

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...

, Laos,

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

, and China (mostly in

Jinping Miao, Yao, and Dai Autonomous County Jinping Miao, Yao, and Dai Autonomous County () is located in Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan province, China, bordering Vietnam's Lai Châu Province to the south. Jinping is home to the Red-headed Yao () minority group who wear ...

). The Tai Dam language is similar to Thai and Lao (

Isan Northeast Thailand or Isan ( Isan/ th, อีสาน, ; lo, ອີສານ; also written as Isaan, Isarn, Issarn, Issan, Esan, or Esarn; from Pali ''īsānna'' or Sanskrit ईशान्य ''īśānya'' "northeast") consists of 20 prov ...

), but it is not close enough to be readily understood by most Thai and Lao (Isan) speakers. In particular, the Khmer, Pali and Sanskrit additions to Thai and Lao (Isan) are largely missing from Tai Dam.

Geographical distribution

Tai Dam is spoken in Vietnam, China, Laos, and Thailand. In central Thailand, it is known as Thai Song. Tai Dam speakers in China are classified as part of the Dai nationality along with almost all the other Tai peoples. But in

they are given their own nationality (with the White Tai) where they are classified (confusingly for English speakers) as the Thái nationality (meaning Tai people). In China, Tai Dam () people are located in the following townships of Yunnan, with about 20,000 people in Yunnan (Gao 1999). *

Maguan County Maguan County (, vi, Mã Quan) is located in Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan province, China, bordering Vietnam's Lào Cai Lào Cai () is a city in the Northwest region of Vietnam. It is the capital of Lào Cai Provi ...

马关县: Muchang Township 木厂乡, Dalishu Township 大栗树乡, and Pojiao Township 坡脚乡 *

Wenshan County Wenshan (; za, Vwnzsanh Si) is a city in and the seat of Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, in the southeast of Yunnan province, People's Republic of China. It once was a county (Wenshan County; ), but on 2 December 2010, with the app ...

文山县: Dehou Township 德厚乡, Panzhihua Township 攀枝花乡 *

Hekou County The Hekou Yao Autonomous County () is an autonomous county in the southern part of the Yunnan province of China. It is part of the Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture and borders the northern Vietnamese city of Lào Cai. It was apparently kn ...

河口县: Qiaotou Town 桥头镇 (in Baihei Village 白黑村 and Gantianzhai 甘田寨) *

Yuanjiang County Yuanjiang Hani, Yi and Dai Autonomous County (; Hani: ) is a county of south-central Yunnan province, People's Republic of China. The county seat is the town of Lijiang (), while the county itself is under the administration of Yuxi City. It deri ...

元江县: Dashuiping Township 大水平乡 (in Gaozhai 高寨 and Yangmahe 养马河)

Official status

In Vietnam, all Tai peoples are taught a standardized Tai language based on the Tai Dam language, using the standardized Tai Viet script.

Phonology

Consonants

Initials

* Sounds and can fluctuate to voiced implosive sounds , . may also fluctuate to a lateral sound . can fluctuate to sounds . * In some rare cases can be realized as a sound.

Finals

* Final plosive sounds can be realized as unreleased .

Vowels

* There is also that corresponds to

Proto-Tai Proto-Tai is the reconstructed proto-language (common ancestor) of all the Tai languages, including modern Lao, Shan, Tai Lü, Tai Dam, Ahom, Northern Thai, Standard Thai, Bouyei, and Zhuang. The Proto-Tai language is not directly atteste ...

''*aɰ''. * can tend to fluctuate to a more open sound . * fluctuates to a back unrounded sound .

Vocabulary

The Khmer,

Pali Pali () is a Middle Indo-Aryan liturgical language native to the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pāli Canon'' or '' Tipiṭaka'' as well as the sacred language of '' Theravāda'' Buddh ...

and

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

additions to Thai and Lao (Isan) are generally absent from Tai Dam. Tai Dam lacks many of the Khmer and Indic (via Khmer) loanwords found in Thai, Lao and Isan. * Khmer ''tônlé'' generally signifies 'lake' or 'large canal'. Similarly, the Tai Dam term for the sea means 'large lake'. * Sanskrit source of following Khmer word. Thai and Lao adopted Sanskrit terms via Khmer, but restored their vowels pronunciations. * The term ''rak'' was borrowed from Proto-Mon-Khmer ''*r '' meaning 'to love, beloved, dear' although now the term ''raek'' means 'friendly, cordial, pleasant; intimate, affectionate' in modern Khmer.

Grammar

Pronouns

For the word "I" * When addressing parents the word ꪩꪴ꪿ꪀ (luk5) is used instead. * When addressing grandparents the word ꪨꪰꪣ (laam1) is used instead. For the word "my" * When addressing parents the word ꪄꪮꪉ ꪩꪴ꪿ꪀ (khhɔng1 luk5) is used instead. * When addressing grandparents the word ꪄꪮꪉ ꪨꪰꪣ (khhɔng1 laam1) is used instead.

Syntax

Tai Dam uses an SVO word order.

Writing system

The Tai Dam language has its own system of writing, called Tai Viet, which consists of 31 consonants and 14 vowels. At the beginning, there was no tone marker although the language is tonal. Tone markers emerge in the 1970s in two sets: combining marks like Thai/Lao, and modifiers like New Tai Lue/Tai Nuea which are now less popular. According to Thai authors, the writing system is probably derived from the old Thai writing of the kingdom of Sukhotai.

References

External links

SIL Tai Heritage Pro fonts

Tai Viet script notes
{{Authority control Tai languages Languages of Vietnam Languages of Laos Languages of China Languages of Thailand