Tai Muong Vat language

Tai Muong Vat (Vietnamese: Tiếng Thái Mường Vạt) is a Southwestern Tai language spoken in Yên Châu District, Sơn La Province, northwestern Vietnam. Tai Muong Vat is described in Theraphan Luang-Thongkum (2003). Theraphan's (2003) Tai Muong Vat data was collected in the following 2 villages.

Tai Muong Vat
Native toVietnam
Kra–Dai
Language codes
ISO 639-3None (mis)
GlottologNone

Classification

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Theraphan (2003) points out that Tai Muong Vat is not the same as the Tai Dam (Black Thai) language, even though the Tai Muong Vat are surrounded by Tai Dam speakers in Yên Châu District, Vietnam. This was first noted by Chamberlain (1984), who suggests that it may be more closely related to the Tai Neua variety of Xieng Kho, Laos than to Tai Dam of Son La, Vietnam. Tai Dam is the dominant language in Yên Châu, while Ksingmul, a Khmuic language, is also spoken in both Yên Châu and Xieng Kho. As a result, the Tai Muong Vat and Ksingmul share many cultural customs with the Tai Dam, and have similar ethnic dress as well (Theraphan 2003).

Additionally, like Lao, Tai Muong Vat is a /ph/-type language, rather than a /p/-type language like Tai Dam (Theraphan 2003) (see Southwestern Tai languages#Chamberlain (1975)).

Theraphan (2003:78) lists the following lexical differences between Tai Muong Vat and Tai Dam. (Note: For an explanation of the notation system for Tai tones, see Proto-Tai language#Tones.)

Gloss Tai Muong Vat Old Black Tai
to shoot ɲiŋ A2 *bɛn B1
to crave for zaak DL1 *ʔɛ B1
cheap hɛ A1 *tʰuʔ D1
gun tʰuŋ B1 *ʔoŋ B1
to practice tʰɤp DS2 *ʔɛp D1
spear caw B1 *hɔʔ D1
soaking wet mɯk DS1 *cɯm A2
small basket sa-lɔ C1 *sɔŋ C1
to fan pʰɤŋ A2 *vi ~ bi A2
dip-net viŋ A1 *ka-sa A1

References

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  • Chamberlain, James R. 1984. "The Tai dialects of Khammouan province: their diversity and origins". Science of language, 4:62-95.
  • Theraphan L-Thongkum. 2003. "The Tai Muong Vat do not Speak the Black Tai Language". In Manusya: Journal of Humanities, Special Issue 6, 74-86. Bangkok: Chulalongkorn University Press.