Comparative Kadai: The Tai Branch (SIL International and the University of Texas at Arlington Publications in Linguistics, vol.124)

Comparative Kadai: The Tai Branch defines the linguistic range of an immense, interrelated, and varied area extending from eastern India to southern China and includes the southeast Asian peninsula. This area is comprised of many millions of people with histories, languages, and traditions largely unknown to the Westerner. Powerfully interesting economic, political, and social forces are emerging in the countries of this part of the world. Of particular interest from a linguist s point of view are the characteristics of this huge area, what research has been completed, and what further work needs to be done.

In the past it has generally been assume that Tai is a part of a grand Sino-Tibetan family, but inevitably questions have arisen: What languages are involved, how diverse are they, and how are the language families interrelated?

Those who wish to study these varied Kadai languages have serious research materials available in Comparative Kadai.

Table of Contents

Introduction Jerold A. Edmondson and David B. Solnit
Maps

I. Zhuang

1. The Tonal Cylinder in Sanfang Zhuang Wei Feng and Jerold A. Edmondson
2. The Interaction between Zhuang and the Yue (Cantonese) Dialects Huang Yuanwei
3. Regional Variants and Vernaculars in Zhuang Zhang Yuans/zeng and Wei Xingyun
4. Village Names in Guangxi Province and Northeastern Thailand Pranee Kullavanijaya
5. Wuming Zhuang Tone Sandhi: A Phonological, Syntactic, and Lexical Investigation Wil C. Snyder and Lu Tianqiao

II. Other Northern Tai

1. Front /a/ and Back / / in Biandan Mountain Bouyei Ni Dabal
2. The Sound System of the Bouyei Language and Its Special Feature Wang Wei
3. Linguistic Prediction: The Case of Saek Paul K. Benedict

III. Central Tai

1. Implications of the Retention of Proto-Voiced Plosives and Fricatives in the Dai Tho Language of Yunnan Province for a Theory of Tonal Development and Tai Language Classification Theraphan L-Thongkum
2. The Sound System of the Tày language of Cao Bàng Province, Vietnam Hoàng Van Ma

IV. Southwestern Tai Languages and General Tai

1. A Preliminary Examination of Tay Tac Jean Donaldson and Jerold A. Edmondson
2. 'Near' and 'Far' in Tai William J. Gedney
3. Tai-Kadai Arthropods: A Preliminary Biolinguistic Investigation James R. Chamberlain
4. The Emergence of the Length Distinction in the Mid-front Vowels e-ee in Thai Puttachart Dhananjayananda
5. Comparative Shan Jerold A. Edmondson and David B. Solnit

Cited Forms Index
Authors, Languages, and Subjects

SIL International and the University of Texas at Arlington Publications in Linguistics 124