The Northern Tai languages are an established branch of the

Tai languages 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 ...

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...

. They include the northern

Zhuang languages The Zhuang languages (; autonym: , pre-1982: , Sawndip: 話僮, from ''vah'', 'language' and ''Cuengh'', 'Zhuang'; ) are any of more than a dozen Tai languages spoken by the Zhuang people of Southern China in the province of Guangxi and adja ...

and Bouyei of China, Tai Mène of Laos and Yoy of Thailand.

Languages

Ethnologue

'' Ethnologue'' distinguishes the following languages: * Saek (Laos and

northeast Thailand 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 provin ...

; listed outside Tai proper in the ''Ethnologue'' classification, though said to be similar to Tai Maen, which is listed as Northern Tai) *

Tai Maen Tai or TAI may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Tai (comics) a fictional Marvel Comics supervillain *Tai Fraiser, a fictional character in the 1995 film '' Clueless'' * Tai Kamiya, a fictional character in ''Digimon'' Businesses and organisati ...

(Laos) * Yoy (Thailand) * Bouyei (Buyi) (China) (including the language of the Giáy people of Vietnam) * Central Hongshuihe Zhuang *

Eastern Hongshuihe Zhuang Eastern Hongshuihe Zhuang is a Northern Tai language spoken in Guangxi, China, south of the Qian River and the eastern stretch of the Hongshui River The Hongshui River is a major river in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in Southern Ch ...

Guibei Zhuang The Zhuang languages (; autonym: , pre-1982: , Sawndip: 話僮, from ''vah'', 'language' and ''Cuengh'', 'Zhuang'; ) are any of more than a dozen Tai languages spoken by the Zhuang people of Southern China in the province of Guangxi and adjac ...

Yei Zhuang Yei Zhuang is a Northern Tai language complex spoken in Wenshan Prefecture, Yunnan, China. Its speakers are also known as the Sha (沙族). Distribution In Yunnan, Yei Zhuang dialects are spoken in Funing and Guangnan counties (also in Guan ...

Lianshan Zhuang The Zhuang languages (; exonym and endonym, autonym: , pre-1982: , Sawndip: 話僮, from ''vah'', 'language' and ''Cuengh'', 'Zhuang'; ) are any of more than a dozen Tai languages spoken by the Zhuang people of Southern China in the province of ...

* Liujiang Zhuang *

Liuqian Zhuang The Zhuang languages (; autonym: , pre-1982: , Sawndip: 話僮, from ''vah'', 'language' and ''Cuengh'', 'Zhuang'; ) are any of more than a dozen Tai languages spoken by the Zhuang people of Southern China in the province of Guangxi and adjac ...

Yongbei Zhuang Yongbei Zhuang is a Zhuang variety including the dialects of Yongning North, Binyang, Hengxian, and Pingguo dialects. 'Yongbei' 邕北 is Chinese and here means North of the Yongjiang river; in other contexts it can stand for the north of Yongni ...

Youjiang Zhuang Youjiang Zhuang, named after the Youjiang River in Guangxi, China, is a Northern Tai or Zhuang Language spoken in Tiandong County, Tianyang District, and parts of the Youjiang District in Baise, Guangxi. History and classification Nativ ...

(See varieties of Zhuang.) Yoy is elsewhere classified as

Southwestern Tai The Southwestern Tai, Southwestern Thai or Thai languages are a branch of the Tai languages of Southeast Asia. Its dialects include Siamese (Central Thai), Lanna, Lao, Shan and others. Classification The internal classification of the Southwe ...

, and E, which is a

mixed language A mixed language is a language that arises among a bilingual group combining aspects of two or more languages but not clearly deriving primarily from any single language. It differs from a creole or pidgin language in that, whereas creoles/pidgi ...

Northern Tai-Chinese language. Longsang Zhuang, a recently described Northern Tai language, is spoken Longsang Township,

Debao County Debao (, zhuang: ) is a county of western Guangxi, China. It is under the administration of Baise City. Economy Bauxite mining is a major industry in Debao County. To facilitate the transportation of the ore, a 72-km single-track electrified ...

, Guangxi, China. Hezhang Buyi is a moribund Northern Tai language of northwestern

Guizhou Guizhou (; formerly Kweichow) is a landlocked province in the southwest region of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Guiyang, in the center of the province. Guizhou borders the autonomous region of Guangxi to t ...

that is notable for having a Kra substratum.

Pittayaporn (2009)

Pittayaporn (2009:300) distinguishes a similar group of Zhuang varieties as group "N", defined by the phonological shifts *ɯj, *ɯw → *aj, *aw. He moves the

prestige dialect Prestige refers to a good reputation or high esteem; in earlier usage, ''prestige'' meant "showiness". (19th c.) Prestige may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Films * ''Prestige'' (film), a 1932 American film directed by Tay Garnett ...

of Zhuang, the Wuming dialect, from the Northern Tai

to Yongnan Zhuang – purportedly Central Tai – as it lacks these shifts. The various languages and localities Pittayaporn includes in group N, along with their ''Ethnologue'' equivalents, are: * Saek * Bouyei 布依 (including the language of the Giáy people of Vietnam) *Yei Zhuang 剥隘 *(''

Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture is an autonomous prefecture in southeastern Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China and the easternmost prefecture-level division of the province. It borders Baise, Guangxi to the east, Vietnam ...

Yunnan Yunnan , () is a landlocked province in the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 48.3 million (as of 2018). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the ...

'') **

Guangnan Guangnan County (; Zhuang: ) is located in Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan province, China. The seat of Guangnan, known today as Liancheng (), was the heart of the Gouding Kingdom () that lasted approximately 400 years, f ...

Sha 广南沙族 = Guibian Zhuang (north Guangnan; south Guangnan is Nong Zhuang) ** Qiubei 丘北县 = Qiubei Zhuang *(''

Baise Baise (; local pronunciation: ), or Bose, is the westernmost prefecture-level city of Guangxi, China bordering Vietnam as well as the provinces of Guizhou and Yunnan. The city has a population of 4.3 million, of which 1.4 million live in the ur ...

, Guangxi'') **

Lingyun Lingyun County () is a county in the northwest of Guangxi Guangxi (; ; Chinese postal romanization, alternately romanized as Kwanghsi; ; za, Gvangjsih, italics=yes), officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (GZAR), is an Autonomous ...

凌乐/凌云县 = Guibian Zhuang **

Pingguo Pingguo (; za, Bingzgoj Si) is a city of west-central Guangxi, China. It is the easternmost county-level division of the prefecture-level city of Baise. Two thirds of the population are Zhuang. The Pingguo Industry Park hosts an important part ...

平果县 = Yongbei Zhuang **

Tiandong Tiandong County(, za, Denzdungh Yen) is a county of Guangxi, China. It is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Baise. Demographics Tiandong's population was 411,500(2010). 85.22% of the people belong to the Zhuang ethnic gro ...

田东县 = Youjiang Zhuang ** Tianlin 田林县 = Guibian Zhuang *(''

Nanning Nanning (; ; za, Namzningz) is the capital and largest city by population of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in Southern China. It is known as the "Green City" because of its abundance of lush subtropical foliage. Located in the South o ...

Prefecture, Guangxi'') **

Hengxian Hengzhou (), formerly, Heng County or Hengxian (; Standard Zhuang: ) is a county-level city of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, it is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Nanning, the capital of Guangxi, with a permane ...

横县 = Yongbei Zhuang ** Shanglin 上林县 = Hongshuihe Zhuang **Yongbei 邕北 = Yongbei Zhuang *(''

Guigang Guigang (; Zhuang: ''Gveigangj'') is a prefecture-level city in eastern Guangxi in the People's Republic of China. Prior to 1988, it was known as Gui County or Guixian (). Geography and climate Guigang is located in eastern Guangxi. It is locat ...

Prefecture, Guangxi'') **

贵港 City = Hongshuihe Zhuang ? ** Dulan 独兰 Village, Pingnan 平南县 *

Laibin Laibin (, Zhuang: Laizbinh) is a prefecture-level city in the central part of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. History Laibin is an ancient town with more than 2000 years of history. The area was settled in prehistoric times, more th ...

来宾 Prefecture, Guangxi = Hongshuihe Zhuang (south Laibin), Liujiang Zhuang (north Laibin) *(''

Hechi Hechi () is a prefecture-level city in the northwest of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China, bordering Guizhou to the north. In June 2002 it gained city status. Geography and climate Hechi is located in northwester ...

Prefecture, Guangxi'') **

City 河池 = Guibei Zhuang ** Huanjiang 环江 = Guibei Zhuang ** Nandan 南丹县 = Guibei Zhuang ** Yishan 宜州 = Liujiang Zhuang *(''

Liuzhou Liuzhou (; , IPA Pronunciation:) is a prefecture-level city in north-central Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China. The prefecture's population was 3,758,700 in 2010, including 1,436,599 in the built-up area made of 4 urban ...

Prefecture, Guangxi'') ** Liujiang 柳江县 = Liujiang Zhuang ** Rong'an 融安县 = Guibei Zhuang * Longsheng 龙胜县,

Guilin Guilin (Standard Zhuang: ''Gveilinz''; alternatively romanized as Kweilin) is a prefecture-level city in the northeast of China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It is situated on the west bank of the Li River and borders Hunan to the n ...

桂林, Guangxi = Guibei Zhuang * Dong'an 东安县,

Yongzhou Yongzhou, formerly known as Lingling, is a prefecture-level city in the south of Hunan province, People's Republic of China, located on the southern bank of the Xiang River, which is formed by the confluence of the Xiao and Xiang Rivers, and b ...

永州,

Hunan Hunan (, ; ) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, part of the South Central China region. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi ...

* Lianshan 连山县,

Qingyuan Qingyuan, formerly romanized as Tsingyun, is a prefecture-level city in northern Guangdong province, China, on the banks of the Bei or North River. During the 2020 census, its total population was 3,969,473, out of whom 1,738,424 lived in the ...

清远,

Guangdong Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized as Canton or Kwangtung, is a coastal province in South China on the north shore of the South China Sea. The capital of the province is Guangzhou. With a population of 126.01 million (as of 2020 ...

= Lianshan Zhuang

Vocabulary

Some examples of lexical and phonological differences between Northern Tai and Central-Southwestern Tai:

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tai Languages Languages of Southeast Asia Tai languages