{{short description|Subgroup of the Austroasiatic language family}} {{Infobox language family |name=Khmuic |region=Indochina |familycolor=Austro-Asiatic |protoname = Proto-Khmuic |glotto=khmu1236 |glottorefname=Khmuic |mapcaption= {{legend|#FF0000|Khmuic}} }}
The '''Khmuic languages''' {{IPAc-en|k|@|'|m|u:|I|k}} are a branch of the Austroasiatic languages spoken mostly in northern Laos, as well as in neighboring northern Vietnam and southern Yunnan, China. Khmu is the only widely spoken language in the group.
==Homeland== Paul Sidwell (2015)<ref>Sidwell, Paul. 2015. [http://chl.anu.edu.au/research/publications/518/palaungic-languages-classification-reconstruction-and-comparative-lexicon The Palaungic Languages: Classification, Reconstruction and Comparative Lexicon] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191023065527/http://chl.anu.edu.au/research/publications/518/palaungic-languages-classification-reconstruction-and-comparative-lexicon |date=2019-10-23 }}. München: Lincom Europa.</ref> suggests that the Khmuic Urheimat (homeland) was in what is now Oudomxay Province, northern Laos.
==Languages== The Khmuic languages are:
*Mlabri (Yumbri) *Kniang (Phong 3, Tay Phong) *Ksingmul (Puok, Pou Hok, Khsing-Mul) *Khmu’ *Khuen *O’du *Prai *Mal (Thin) *Theen (Kha Sam Liam)
Similarly, Phuoc (Xinh Mul) and Kháng are also sometimes classified as Mangic, and Kháng is classified as Palaungic by Diffloth.
Bumang, formerly classified as Khmuic, is classified as a Palaungic language by Paul Sidwell. Jerold A. Edmondson considers it to be most closely related to Kháng. Also, Quang Lam is a poorly attested language in Vietnam that is closely related to Kháng or Bit. (''See'' Bit–Khang languages)
Khmuic language history and diversity are currently being researched by Nathaniel Hiroz.<ref>{{cite web |title=Nathaniel Hiroz |website=Institut für Sprachwissenschaft |url=https://www.isw.unibe.ch/ueber_uns/personen/ma_hiroz_nathaniel/index_ger.html |date=2024 |access-date=2024-06-17}}</ref>
==Classification== The interrelationships of these languages are uncertain. ''Ethnologue'' 19 classifies them as follows:
{{tree list}} *'''Khmuic''' **Khao: Khao, Bit **Mlabri: Mlabri **Xinh Mul: Khang, Phong-Kniang, Puoc **Mal–Khmu’ ***Khmu’, Khuen, O’du ***Mal–Phrai: Lua’, Mal, Prai<!--this is not in a separate primary branch, that's just a parsing error in the original source--> {{tree list/end}}
A provisional classification at SEALang<ref>[http://sealang.net/sala/mk-class.htm SEALang SALA: Southeast Asian Linguistics Archives]</ref> keeps Mal–Phrai, but connects Khao with Khang instead of with Bit, treats Khuen as a dialect of Khmu':
{{tree list}} *'''Khmuic''' **Bit **Khao–Khang: Khao, Khang **Mlabri **Phong **Puoc **Khmu’ **O’du **Mal–Phrai: Lua’, Mal, Phray, Phai {{tree list/end}}
===Diffloth & Proschan (1989)=== Chazée (1999), citing Diffloth & Proschan (1989), has the following:
{{tree list}} *'''Khmuic''' **(''Khang''?) **''Khmu'' **Phray–Pram ***''Mlabri'' ***''Phay'' / ''Mal'' / ''T'in'' ***{{tree list/branching}} ****''Ksing Moul (Ksongmul)'' ****Pramic *****''Tai Hat (Iduh)'' *****''Tai Then'' *****''Phong Laan, Phong Phène, Phong Tapouang'' *****''Kaniang, Phong Piat (Phong Saloey)'' {{tree list/end}}
However, Gérard Diffloth now considers Pramic (i.e., all Khmuic languages except for Khmu) to be a separate Austroasiatic branch that has come under heavy influence from Khmu.<ref name="Sidwell2018">Sidwell, Paul. 2018. [https://www.academia.edu/36689736/Austroasiatic_Studies_state_of_the_art_in_2018 Austroasiatic Studies: state of the art in 2018] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190503013417/https://www.academia.edu/36689736/Austroasiatic_Studies_state_of_the_art_in_2018 |date=2019-05-03 }}. Presentation at the Graduate Institute of Linguistics, National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan, May 22, 2018.</ref>
===Peiros (2004)=== Ilia Peiros (Peiros 2004:39) gives the following classification:
{{tree list}} *'''Khmuic''' **{{tree list/branching}} ***''Khang'' ***''Bit'' **{{tree list/branching}} ***Mlabri–Pray ****''Mlabri'' ****''Pray'' ***{{tree list/branching}} ****''Kmu'' ****{{tree list/branching}} *****''Kxinh Mul'' *****''Ksinmul'' ****{{tree list/branching}} *****''Phong-Kniang'' *****''Iduh'' {{tree list/end}}
===Sidwell (2014)=== Based on developments of Proto-Khmuic *aː₁, Paul Sidwell (2014) classifies the Khmuic languages as follows.
{{tree list}} *'''Khmuic''' **''Khmu'' **Mlabri-Pram ***''Mlabri'' ***Phay-Pram ****''Phay/Mal/T'in'' ****''Khsing Mul'' ****Pramic *****''Tai Hat'' *****''Phong Laan, Phong Phène, Phong Tapouang'' *****''Kniang, Phong Piat (Phong Saloey)'' *****''Tayten'' {{tree list/end}}
The developments of Proto-Khmuic *aː₁ according to Sidwell (2014) are:
{{tree list}} *Proto-Khmuic: *aː₁ **Khmu: *aː **Proto-Mlabri-Pram: *ɛː ***Proto-Pray-Pram: *iə ****Proto-Pramic *iː {{tree list/end}}
==See also== *Khmu language *Khmu people
==References== <references/>
== Further reading == *Chazée, Laurent. 1999. ''The Peoples of Laos: Rural and Ethnic Diversities''. Bangkok: White Lotus. *Cheeseman, Nathaniel; Paul Sidwell and Anne Osborne. 2017. [https://evols.library.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10524/52401/1/10CheesemanSidwellOsbourne2017Khmuic.pdf Khmuic Linguistic Bibliography with Selected Annotations]. JSEALS vol. 10 issue 1. pages i-xlvi. *Filbeck, David. 1978. T’in: a historical study. Pacifijic Linguistics Series B-49. Canberra: Australian National University. [Includes a reconstruction of Proto-T’inic] *Peiros, Ilia J. 2004. ''Geneticeskaja klassifikacija aystroaziatskix jazykov''. Moskva: Rossijskij gosudarstvennyj gumanitarnyj universitet (doktorskaja dissertacija). *Sidwell, Paul. 2014. "[https://www.academia.edu/11935141/Khmuic_classification_and_homeland Khmuic classification and homeland] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160203083335/http://www.academia.edu/11935141/Khmuic_classification_and_homeland |date=2016-02-03 }}". ''Mon-Khmer Studies'' 43.1:47-56
== External links == *[http://projekt.ht.lu.se/rwaai RWAAI (Repository and Workspace for Austroasiatic Intangible Heritage)] **[http://projekt.ht.lu.se/en/rwaai/austroasiatic/the-kammu-project/ The Kammu Project (Lund University)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180526190329/http://projekt.ht.lu.se/en/rwaai/austroasiatic/the-kammu-project/ |date=2018-05-26 }} *http://hdl.handle.net/10050/00-0000-0000-0003-66E8-9@view Khmuic languages in RWAAI Digital Archive
{{Austro-Asiatic languages}}
Category:Khmuic languages Category:Austroasiatic languages