The Bit–Khang languages consist of:
*''Bit'' cluster:
Bit
The bit is the most basic unit of information in computing and digital communications. The name is a portmanteau of binary digit. The bit represents a logical state with one of two possible values. These values are most commonly represente ...
(a.k.a. Khabit, Psing, Buxing) and
Quang Lam
*''Khang'' cluster:
Kháng and
Bumang
The Bit–Khang languages are spoken in southern China, northern Laos, and northwestern Vietnam. The Bit-Khang branch was first proposed by
Paul Sidwell
Paul James Sidwell is an Australian linguist based in Canberra, Australia who has held research and lecturing positions at the Australian National University. Sidwell, who is also an expert and consultant in forensic linguistics, is most notable ...
(2014).
Classification
At first, Bit–Khang languages were usually classified as
Khmuic
The Khmuic languages are a branch of the Austroasiatic languages spoken mostly in northern Laos, as well as in neighboring northern Vietnam and southern Yunnan, China. Khmu language, Khmu is the only widely spoken language in the group.
Homelan ...
, but Sidwell (2014)
has since demonstrated the Palaungic affiliation of Bit-Khang, as well as its unity.
Paul Sidwell
Paul James Sidwell is an Australian linguist based in Canberra, Australia who has held research and lecturing positions at the Australian National University. Sidwell, who is also an expert and consultant in forensic linguistics, is most notable ...
(2014)
proposes that these languages constitute a subgroup of
Palaungic
The nearly thirty Palaungic or Palaung–Wa languages form a branch of the Austroasiatic languages.
Phonological developments
Most of the Palaungic languages lost the contrastive voicing of the ancestral Austroasiatic consonants, with the disti ...
, since they display lexical innovations characteristic of the Palaungic branch such as 'eye', 'fire', 'blood', and 'laugh'.
Sidwell (2014) suggests that Bit–Khang may have originally been Eastern Palaungic, due to various isoglosses shared with
Waic
WAIC (91.9 FM) is the college radio station of American International College in Springfield, Massachusetts. It is operated by the Five College Consortium's National Public Radio member station, WFCR, and serves as a relay of the all-news form ...
,
Lametic, and
Angkuic, but was later heavily relexified by
Khmuic
The Khmuic languages are a branch of the Austroasiatic languages spoken mostly in northern Laos, as well as in neighboring northern Vietnam and southern Yunnan, China. Khmu language, Khmu is the only widely spoken language in the group.
Homelan ...
as Bit-Khang speakers migrated eastward into Khmuic territory.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bit-Khang languages
Languages of Vietnam
Languages of China
Languages of Laos
Palaungic languages