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The Mon-Khmer languages are the autochthonous language family of Southeast Asia. Together with the Munda languages of India, they are one of the two traditional primary branches of the Austroasiatic family. However, several recent classifications have abandoned this dichotomy, either reducing the scope of Mon-Khmer (Diffloth 2005) or breaking it up entirely (or equivalently reclassifying Munda as a branch of Mon-Khmer: Peiros 1998). See Austroasiatic languages.

Mon-Khmer languages

This classification is based on Gérard Diffloth's widely cited 1974 Encyclopedia Britannica article.

Eastern

• Bahnaric in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos
• Katuic in central Laos, northeast Thailand, and central Vietnam
• Khmer (or Cambodian) in Cambodia, and northeastern Thailand (15 million)
• Pacoh in central Laos and central highlands of Vietnam [1]
• Pearic in southern Cambodia, though some linguists [2] have questioned the inclusion of Pearic so close to Khmer.
• Vietic in Vietnam and Laos (76 to 83 million speakers)

Pacoh language was unknown when the original classification was made.

Northern

• Khasi in Meghalaya, India.
• Khmuic in northern Laos
• Mang in Vietnam and China
• Palaungic in the upper Salween, Sino-Burmese border, northern Thailand
• Palyu in China
• T'in in Nan Province, Northern Thailand [3]

Mang, Palyu, Kuy (Kuay) and T'in languages were not known when the original classification was made.

Southern

• Aslian in peninsular Malaysia, split into three groups, Jahaic, Senoic and Semelaic.
• Monic in the lower Salween, Burma (1 million).
• Nicobarese on the Nicobar Islands.

Unclassified

• Bugan in China
• Kemiehua in China
• Kuanhua in China

These languages were not known when the original classification was made

References

Shorto, Harry L. edited by Sidwell, Paul, Cooper, Doug and Bauer, Christian (2006). A Mon-Khmer comparative dictionary. Canberra: Australian National University. Pacific Linguistics. ISBN 0-85883-570-3

Further reading

• Adams, K. L. (1989). Systems of numeral classification in the Mon-Khmer, Nicobarese and Aslian subfamilies of Austroasiatic. Canberra, A.C.T., Australia: Dept. of Linguistics, Research School of Pacific Studies, Australian National University. ISBN 0858833735
• Filbeck, D. (1978). T'in: a historical study. Pacific linguistics, no. 49. Canberra: Dept. of Linguistics, Research School of Pacific Studies, Australian National University. ISBN 0858831724
• Hemeling, K. (1907). Die Nanking Kuanhua. (German language)
• Shorto, H. L. Bibliographies of Mon-Khmer and Tai Linguistics. London oriental bibliographies, v. 2. London: Oxford University Press, 1963.

External links

• Mon-Khmer languages at SEAlang
• Mon-Khmer.com: Lectures by Paul Sidwell
• Mon-Khmer languages at Ethnologue