Tai Dam language
Template:Short description Script error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherTemplate:Main other Template:Contains special characters
Tai Dam (Template:Zh), also known as Black Tai (Template:Langx; Script error: No such module "IPA".; Template:Langx; 'Black Tai language'; Template:Zh), is a Tai language spoken by the Tai Dam in Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and China (mostly in Jinping Miao, Yao, and Dai Autonomous County).
The Tai Dam language is similar to Thai and Lao (including Isan), 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.[1]
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 China are classified as part of the Dai nationality along with almost all the other Tai peoples. But in Vietnam 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 (Template:Zh) people are located in the following townships of Yunnan, with about 20,000 people in Yunnan (Gao 1999).[2]
- 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.[3]
Phonology
Consonants
Initials
- Sounds Script error: No such module "IPA". and Script error: No such module "IPA". can fluctuate to voiced implosive sounds Template:IPAblink, Template:IPAblink. Script error: No such module "IPA". may also fluctuate to a lateral sound Template:IPAblink. Script error: No such module "IPA". can fluctuate to sounds Script error: No such module "IPA"..
- In some rare cases Script error: No such module "IPA". can be realized as a Template:IPAblink sound.
Finals
- Final plosive sounds Script error: No such module "IPA". can be realized as unreleased Template:IPAblink.
Vowels
| Front | Central-Back | Back | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Close | Template:IPAblink Template:Script |
[[[:Template:IPAlink]] ~ Template:IPAlink] Template:Script |
Template:IPAblink Template:Script |
| Glide | [Script error: No such module "IPA".] Template:Script |
[Script error: No such module "IPA".] Template:Script |
[Script error: No such module "IPA".] Template:Script |
| Mid | Template:IPAblink Template:Script |
[[[:Template:IPAlink]] ~ Template:IPAlink] Template:Script |
Template:IPAblink Template:Script |
| Open | Template:IPAblink Template:Script |
Template:IPAblink Template:Script |
Template:IPAblink Template:Script |
- There is also Script error: No such module "IPA". that corresponds to Proto-Tai *aɰ.
- Script error: No such module "IPA". can tend to fluctuate to a more open sound Script error: No such module "IPA"..
- Script error: No such module "IPA". fluctuates to a back unrounded sound Script error: No such module "IPA"..[4]
Vocabulary
The Khmer, Pali and Sanskrit additions to Thai and Lao (Isan) are generally absent from Tai Dam.[1] Tai Dam lacks many of the Khmer and Indic (via Khmer) loanwords found in Thai, Lao and Isan.
| Khmer loan word | Isan | Lao | Thai | Tai Dam | Gloss | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ទន្លេ tônlé1 |
/tɔːn leː/ | ทะเล thale |
/tʰàʔ.le᷇ː/ | ທະເລ thalé |
/tʰāʔ.léː/ | ทะเล thale |
/tʰáʔ.lēː/ | Template:Script noang luang |
/nɔŋ˨.luə̯ŋ˨/ | 'sea' | ||
| រៀន reăn |
/riən/ | เฮียน hian |
/hi᷇an/ | ຮຽນ hian |
/hían/ | เรียน rian |
/rīan/ | Template:Script ʼaep |
/ʔɛp̚˦˥/ | 'to learn' | ||
| भाषा bhāṣā2 |
/bʱaːʂaː/ | ភាសា pheăsa |
/pʰiə saː/ | ภาษา phasa |
/pʰa᷇ː.săː/ | ພາສາ phasa |
/pʰáː.săː/ | ภาษา phasa |
/pʰāː.săː/ | Template:Script kwaam |
/kʷaːm˥/ | 'language' |
| राज rāja2 |
/raːdʒaː/ | រាជា reăcheă |
/riə ɕiə/ | ราชา racha |
/la᷇ː.sa᷇ː/ | ຣາຊາ raxa |
/láː.sáː/ | ราชา racha |
/rāː.tɕʰāː/ | Template:Script pua |
/puə̯˨/ | 'king' |
| वेला velā2 |
/ʋe laː/ | វេលា véreǎ |
/veː liːə/ | เวลา wela |
/we᷇ː.la᷇ː/ | ເວລາ véla |
/wéː.láː/ | เวลา wela |
/wēː.lāː/ | Template:Script nyaam |
/ɲaːm˥/ | 'time' |
| សប្បាយ sǎpbay |
/sap baːj/ | สบาย sabai |
/sáʔ.bāːj/ | ສບາຽ/ສະບາຍ sabay |
/sáʔ.bàːj/ | สบาย sabai |
/sàʔ.bāːj/ | Template:Script xan doa |
/xan˧˩.dɔː˨/ | 'to be well' | ||
| រាក់ raek3 |
/raːk/ | ฮัก hak |
/hàk/ | ຮັກ hak |
/hāk/ | รัก rak |
/rák/ | Template:Script hak |
/hak˥/ | 'love' | ||
- <templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^1 Khmer tônlé generally signifies 'lake' or 'large canal'. Similarly, the Tai Dam term for the sea means 'large lake'.
- <templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^2 Sanskrit source of following Khmer word. Thai and Lao adopted Sanskrit terms via Khmer, but restored their vowels pronunciations.
- <templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^3 The term rak was borrowed from Proto-Mon-Khmer *r[a]k meaning 'to love, beloved, dear' although now the term raek means 'friendly, cordial, pleasant; intimate, affectionate' in modern Khmer.
Grammar
Pronouns
| Pronoun | Formal | Informal |
|---|---|---|
| I | Template:Script (xɔy3) | Template:Script (ku1) |
| We | Template:Script (sun4 xɔy3) | Template:Script (sum4 fu1) |
| You | Template:Script (caw3) | Template:Script (mueng4) |
| You (plural) | Template:Script (sun4 caw3) | Template:Script (su1) |
| He/ she | Template:Script (puean5) | Template:Script (man4) |
| They | Template:Script (sun4 puean5) | Template:Script (saw1) |
For the word "I"
- When addressing parents the word Template:Script (luk5) is used instead.
- When addressing grandparents the word Template:Script (lam1) is used instead.
| Pronoun | Formal | Informal |
|---|---|---|
| My | Template:Script (xɔng1 xɔy3) | Template:Script (xɔng1 ku1) |
| Our | Template:Script (xɔng1 sun4 xɔy3) | Template:Script (xɔng1 sum4 fu1) |
| Your | Template:Script (xɔng1 caw3) | Template:Script (xɔng1 mueng4) |
| Your (plural) | Template:Script (xɔng1 sun4 caw3) | Template:Script (xɔng1 su1) |
| His/ her | Template:Script (xɔng1 puean5) | Template:Script (xɔng1 man4) |
| Their | Template:Script (xɔng1 sun4 puean5) | Template:Script (xɔng1 saw1) |
For the word "my"
- When addressing parents the word Template:Script (xɔng1 luk5) is used instead.
- When addressing grandparents the word Template:Script (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.[1]
Further reading
- Miyake, Marc. 2014. Black and white evidence for Vietnamese phonological history.
- Miyake, Marc. 2014. *(C).r-usters in Black Tai and Bao Yen.
- Miyake, Marc. 2014. S-implificaition in Black Tai and Bao Yen.
References
External links
- Tai Dam alphabet
- Tai Dam Language, Literature, and Culture Template:Webarchive
- SIL Tai Heritage Pro fonts
- Basic Tai Dam phrases Template:Webarchive
- Tai Viet script notes
Template:Languages of China Template:Languages of Laos Template:Languages of Vietnam Template:Tai-Kadai languages Template:Authority control