Tadahiko Shintani (, born October 1946) is a Japanese

linguist Linguistics is the scientific study of language. The areas of linguistic analysis are syntax (rules governing the structure of sentences), semantics (meaning), Morphology (linguistics), morphology (structure of words), phonetics (speech sounds ...

and Professor Emeritus of the

Tokyo University of Foreign Studies , often referred to as TUFS, is a specialist National university, national research university in Fuchū, Tokyo, Fuchū, Tokyo, Japan. TUFS is primarily devoted to foreign language, international relations, international affairs and area studies. ...

, specializing in the phonology of

New Caledonian languages The thirty New Caledonian languages also known as Kanak languages form a branch of the Southern Oceanic languages. Their speakers are known as Kanaks. One language is extinct, one is critically endangered, four are severely endangered, five are ...

and Southeast Asian languages.

Biography

Shintani is from

Ishikawa Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu island. Ishikawa Prefecture has a population of 1,096,721 (1 January 2025) and has a geographic area of 4,186 Square kilometre, km2 (1,616 sq mi). Ishikawa Pr ...

. He graduated from Department of French Studies at

Sophia University Sophia University (Japanese language, Japanese: 上智大学, ''Jōchi Daigaku''; Latin: ''Universitas Sedis Sapientiae'') is a private List of Jesuit educational institutions, Jesuit research university in Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. Founded in 1913 by ...

in 1970, and completed his studies at the '' Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes'' in 1974. In 1977 he was appointed assistant professor at the Institute of Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa at the

, and was promoted to associate professor in 1987 and full professor in 1995. He retired in 2011. In the 1990s, he led a group of Japanese linguists researching the languages of northern

Laos Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and ...

. He is a prominent advocate of the concept of a Tai Cultural Area, which he uses to refer to the area of continental Southeast Asia―including

Yunnan Yunnan; is an inland Provinces of China, province in Southwestern China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 47.2 million (as of 2020). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the Chinese provinces ...

and

Guangxi Guangxi,; officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People's Republic of China, located in South China and bordering Vietnam (Hà Giang Province, Hà Giang, Cao Bằn ...

in China and

Assam Assam (, , ) is a state in Northeast India, northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra Valley, Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . It is the second largest state in Northeast India, nor ...

in India―that is inhabited by ethnic groups that speak

Tai languages The Tai, Zhuang–Tai, or Daic languages (Ahom language, Ahom: 𑜁𑜪𑜨 𑜄𑜩 or 𑜁𑜨𑜉𑜫 𑜄𑜩 ; ; or , ; , ) are a branch of the Kra–Dai languages, Kra–Dai language family. The Tai languages include the most widely spo ...

. Shintani has also recorded word lists of dozens of lesser-known

Karenic languages The Karen () or Karenic languages are tonal languages spoken by some 4.5 million Karen people. They are of unclear affiliation within the Sino-Tibetan languages. The Karen languages are written using the Karen script. The three main branches a ...

Selected works

*Linguistic research and Shan culture area, and Chicken, Poultry Resources Study Group Report No. 4 pp. 25–29 Poultry Resources Study Group · Tokyo 2005.6.14 *Austroasiatic tone languages of the Tai Cultural Area - aroma of typhal studies of Tonal Phenomena, Shigeki Kaji ed. pp. 271 – 292 Asia-Africa Institute for Language and Culture 2005.12.14 *Linguistic Survey of Phongxaly, Lao P.D.R. (co-edited) Tokyo University of Foreign Studies Asia-Africa Institute for Language and Culture, 234, 2001 *Shan (Tay) phonology theory and character method, (co-authored) Tokyo University of Foreign Studies Asia-Africa Institute for Language and Culture, 112, 2000 *Miao-Yao from the viewpoint of language, Asian studies, No. 9, 149 - 157, 1999 *Linguistic & Anthropologologist Study on the Shan Culture Area (edited) Tokyo University of Foreign Studies Asia-Africa Institute for Language and Culture, 246, 1999 *Basic Vocabularies of the Languages Spoken in Phongxaly, Lao P.D.R. (co-edited) Tokyo University of Foreign Studies Language and Culture Research Institute for Asia and Africa, 359, 1999 *Golden square area - History, language and ethnicity of Shan culture area, (edited) Keigo Shosha, 326, 1998 *Deux Textes en Langue de Gonen (Nouvelle - Caledonie) "Asia-Africa Language and Culture Studies" 46 · 47, 362 - 374, 1994

LSTCA series

The Linguistic survey of Tay cultural area (LSTCA) series of vocabularies by Tadahiko Shintani is published by the Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa (ILCAA).Linguistic survey of Tay cultural area (LSTCA)
in the TUFS Library Online Public Access Catalog *no. 101. ''The Riang language''. 2008 *no. 102. ''The Zayein language''. 2014 *no. 103. ''The Wadamkhong language''. 2014 *no. 104. ''The Shanke language''. 2015 *no. 105. ''The Zotung language''. 2015 *no. 106. ''The Kadaw language''. 2015 *no. 107. ''The Siam (Hsem) language''. 2016 *no. 108. ''The Va (En) language''. 2016 *no. 109. ''The Nangki language''. 2016 *no. 110. ''The

Matu language Matu, also known as Matu Chin, Batu, or Nga La, is a Kuki-Chin spoken in Matupi township, Chin State, Myanmar, and also in Mizoram, India by the Matu people. Matu is the most commonly spoken language in Matupi Township outside of Burmese lang ...

''. 2016 *no. 111. ''The

Gokhu language Geko is a Karen language of Burma. Yinbaw is reportedly a variety. Speakers of Geko and Yinbaw are ethnically Kayan, as are speakers of Lahta and Padaung. KadawShintani Tadahiko. 2015. ''The Kadaw language''. Linguistic survey of Tay cultura ...

''. 2017 *no. 112. ''The

Blimaw language Blimaw is a Karenic language of Myanmar Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest count ...

''. 2017 *no. 113. ''The Khwingsang language''. 2018 *no. 114. ''The Khrangkhu language''. 2018 *no. 115. ''The Yingtalay language''. 2018 *no. 116. ''The Thaidai language''. 2018 *no. 117. ''The Makuri language''. 2018 *no. 118. ''The Sonkan Kayan language''. 2018 *no. 119. ''The Kokak language''. 2018 *no. 120. ''The Dosanbu Kayan language''. 2018 *no. 121. ''The Sen Tsum (I-Mok) language''. 2019 *no. 122. ''The Phulon Kayan language''. 2019 *no. 123. ''The Lagu Kayan language''. 2019 *no. 124. ''The Totan Kayan language''. 2019 *no. 125. ''The Dokhoncon Kayan language''. 2019 *no. 126. ''The Thamidai language''. 2020 *no. 127. ''The Kanaw (Danaw) language''. 2020 *no. 128. ''The Nantwei Kayan language''. 2020 *no. 129. ''The Pimon Kayan language''. 2020 *no. 130. ''The Sonplao Kayan language''. 2020 *no. 131. ''The Pao language: its

Taunggyi Taunggyi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Shan State, Myanmar Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast As ...

and Kokareit dialects''. 2020 *no. 132. ''The Dolan Kayan language''. 2021 *no. 133. ''The Thaoku Kayan language''. 2021 *no. 134. ''The Diklon Kayan language''. 2021 *no. 135. ''The Pulon Kayan language''. 2021 *no. 136. ''The Kabla Kayan language''. 2021 *no. 137. ''The Kathan Kayan language''. 2021 *no. 138. ''The Kalondei Kayan language''. 2021 *no. 139. ''The Ramaku Kayan language''. 2022 *no. 140. ''The Kayin Phyu language''. 2022 *no. 141. ''The Subao Kayan language''. 2022 *no. 142. ''The Kadu Kayan language''. 2022 *no. 143. ''The Huason Kayan language''. 2022 *no. 144. ''The Hanti Kayan language''. 2022 *no. 145. ''The Sonpu Kayan language''. 2022 *no. 146. ''The Agu language''. 2023 *no. 147. ''The Dingra language''. 2023 *no. 148. ''The Lungmi language''. 2024 *no. 149. ''The Daru language''. 2024 *''A handbook of comparative Kayan languages''. 2020

Footnotes

References

External links

CiNiiLinguistic survey of Tay cultural area (LSTCA)
books {{DEFAULTSORT:Shintani, Tadahiko Living people 1946 births Linguists from Japan Linguists of Sino-Tibetan languages Linguists of Kra–Dai languages Linguists of Hmong–Mien languages People from Ishikawa Prefecture Academic staff of Tokyo University of Foreign Studies Linguists of Loloish languages