The Waic languages are spoken in the Shan State of Myanmar, in Northern Thailand, and in the Yunnan province of China.

Classification

Gérard Diffloth reconstructed Proto-Waic in a 1980 paper. His classification is as follows (Sidwell 2009). (Note: Individual languages are highlighted in italics.)

  • Waic Samtau (later renamed "Blang" by Diffloth) Samtau Wa–Lawa–La Wa proper Wa Lawa Bo Luang Umphal

The recently discovered Meung Yum and Savaiq languages of Shan State, Burma also belong to the Wa language cluster.

Other Waic languages in Shan State, eastern Myanmar are En and Siam (Hsem), which are referred to by Scott (1900) as En and Son. Hsiu (2015) classifies En, Son, and Tai Loi in Scott (1900) as Waic languages, citing the Waic phonological innovation from Proto-Palaungic *s- > h- instead of the Angkuic phonological innovation from Proto-Palaungic *s- > s-.

Further reading

  • Sidwell, Paul. 2009. 2019-03-24 at theWayback Machine. LINCOM studies in Asian linguistics, 76. Munich: Lincom Europa.
  • Shintani Tadahiko. 2016. The Va (En) language. Linguistic survey of Tay cultural area (LSTCA) no. 108. Tokyo: Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa (ILCAA).

External links

  • and Internet Database for Minority Languages of Burma (Myanmar)