Tai Dam (), also known as Black Tai ( th, ภาษาไทดำ; ; vi, tiếng Thái Đen; "Black Tai language"; ), is a
Tai language
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 Sia ...
spoken by the
Tai Dam
The Tai Dam (Tai Dam: , lo, ໄຕດຳ, th, ไทดำ) are an ethnic minority predominantly from China, northwest Vietnam, Laos, Thailand. They are part of the Tai peoples and ethnically similar to the Thai from Thailand, the Lao from Laos ...
in
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
,
Laos
Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...
,
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
, and
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
(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. Jinping is home to the Red-headed Yao () minority group who wear ...
).
The Tai Dam language is similar to
Thai
Thai or THAI may refer to:
* Of or from Thailand, a country in Southeast Asia
** Thai people, the dominant ethnic group of Thailand
** Thai language, a Tai-Kadai language spoken mainly in and around Thailand
*** Thai script
*** Thai (Unicode block ...
Isan
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 ...
), 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 Thailand, it is known as Thai Song.
Tai Dam speakers in
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
are classified as part of the Dai nationality along with almost all the other Tai peoples. But in
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
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
Maguan County (, vi, Mã Quan) is located in Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan province, China, bordering Vietnam's Lào Cai and Ha Giang provinces to the south.
Administrative divisions
In the present, Maguan County has 9 t ...
Wenshan County
Wenshan (; za, Vwnzsanh Si) is a city in and the seat of Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, in the southeast of Yunnan province, People's Republic of China. It once was a county (Wenshan County; ), but on 2 December 2010, with the app ...
Hekou County
The Hekou Yao Autonomous County () is an autonomous county in the southern part of the Yunnan province of China. It is part of the Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture and borders the northern Vietnamese city of Lào Cai. It was apparently kno ...
河口县: Qiaotou Town 桥头镇 (in Baihei Village 白黑村 and Gantianzhai 甘田寨)
*
Yuanjiang County
Yuanjiang Hani, Yi and Dai Autonomous County (; Hani: ) is a county of south-central Yunnan province, People's Republic of China. The county seat is the town of Lijiang (), while the county itself is under the administration of Yuxi City. It deri ...
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
The Tai Viet script ( Tai Dam: ("Tai script"), Vietnamese: Chữ Thái Việt) ( th, อักษรไทดำ, ) is a Brahmic script used by the Tai Dam people and various other Thai people in Vietnam and Thailand.
.
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
Proto-Tai is the reconstructed proto-language (common ancestor) of all the Tai languages, including modern Lao, Shan, Tai Lü, Tai Dam, Ahom, Northern Thai, Standard Thai, Bouyei, and Zhuang. The Proto-Tai language is not directly attested ...
''*aɰ''.
* can tend to fluctuate to a more open sound .
* fluctuates to a back unrounded sound .
Pali
Pali () is a Middle Indo-Aryan liturgical language native to the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pāli Canon'' or ''Tipiṭaka'' as well as the sacred language of ''Theravāda'' Buddhism ...
and
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
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 ꪩꪴ꪿ꪀ (luk5) is used instead.
* When addressing grandparents the word ꪨꪰꪣ (laam1) is used instead.
For the word "my"
* When addressing parents the word ꪄꪮꪉ ꪩꪴ꪿ꪀ (khhɔng1 luk5) is used instead.
* When addressing grandparents the word ꪄꪮꪉ ꪨꪰꪣ (khhɔng1 laam1) 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
The Tai Viet script (Tai Dam: ("Tai script"), Vietnamese: Chữ Thái Việt) ( th, อักษรไทดำ, ) is a Brahmic script used by the Tai Dam people and various other Thai people in Vietnam and Thailand.Sukhotai.