Tai Dam (), also known as Black Tai (; ; ; 'Black Tai language'; ), is a Tai language spoken by the Tai Dam in

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

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 ...

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

, and

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

(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 and Lào Cai Province to the southeast. Jinping is home to the R ...

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

Isan Northeast Thailand or Isan (Isan language, Isan/, ; ; also written as Isaan, Isarn, Issarn, Issan, Esan, or Esarn; from Pāli ''isāna'' or Sanskrit ईशान्य ''īśānya'' "northeast") consists of 20 provinces in northeastern Thai ...

), 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 and western Thailand, it is known as Thai Song. Tai Dam speakers in

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 马关县: Muchang Township 木厂乡, Dalishu Township 大栗树乡, and Pojiao Township 坡脚乡 * Wenshan County 文山县: Dehou Township 德厚乡, Panzhihua Township 攀枝花乡 * Hekou County 河口县: Qiaotou Town 桥头镇 (in Baihei Village 白黑村 and Gantianzhai 甘田寨) * Yuanjiang County 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 ''*aɰ''. * can tend to fluctuate to a more open sound . * fluctuates to a back unrounded sound .

Vocabulary

The Khmer,

Pali Pāli (, IAST: pāl̤i) is a Classical languages of India, classical Middle Indo-Aryan languages, Middle Indo-Aryan language of the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pali Canon, Pāli Can ...

and

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...

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 (luk5) is used instead. * When addressing grandparents the word (lam1) is used instead. For the word "my" * When addressing parents the word (xɔng1 luk5) is used instead. * When addressing grandparents the word (xɔng1 lam1) 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 Southwestern Tai languages Languages of Vietnam Languages of Laos Languages of Yunnan Languages of Thailand