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 Si ...

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 adjacen ...

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

Languages

Ethnologue

Ethnologue ''Ethnologue: Languages of the World'' (stylized as ''Ethnoloɠue'') is an annual reference publication in print and online that provides statistics and other information on the living languages of the world. It is the world's most comprehensiv ...

'' 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 (Laos) * Yoy (Thailand) * Bouyei (Buyi) (China) (including the language of the

Giáy people The Giáy people ( Vietnamese: ''người Giáy'' ), occasionally called the Nhang, are an ethnic group in Vietnam and Laos. Most live in the mountainous northern provinces of Lào Cai, Hà Giang, Lai Châu, and Cao Bằng. In 2019 the population ...

of Vietnam) *

Central Hongshuihe 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 adjacen ...

* Eastern Hongshuihe Zhuang *

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 adjacen ...

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 Guangxi ...

* Lianshan Zhuang *

Liujiang 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 adjacen ...

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 adjacen ...

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 Native s ...

(See varieties of Zhuang.) Yoy is elsewhere classified as Southwestern Tai, 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 language, creole or pidgin, pidgin language in that ...

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 ra ...

, 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

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's ...

Yunnan Yunnan , () is a landlocked Provinces of China, province in Southwest China, 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 ...

'') **

Guangnan Guangnan County (; Zhuang languages, 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 approximat ...

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 ...

Guangxi Guangxi (; ; Chinese postal romanization, alternately romanized as Kwanghsi; ; za, Gvangjsih, italics=yes), officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (GZAR), is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the People's Republic ...

'') ** Lingyun 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 of ...

Prefecture,

'') **

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 perman ...

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,

'') **

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,

= 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 northwestern ...

Prefecture,

'') **

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,

'') **

Liujiang Liujiang District (; Standard Zhuang: ) is under the administration of Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, located on the southwest bank of the Liu River. It covers a land area of and had a population of 562,351 . The southernmost co ...

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 nort ...

桂林,

= 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 to ...

* 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