Languages of AsiaPart 1: East and Southeast

Asia

Languages of AsiaPart 1: East and Southeast

Asia

ASIAN 401

Spring 2009

ASIAN 401

Spring 2009

22

Relationships Among Languages

Relationships Among Languages

Languages can be classified in different ways:

Genetic (common ancestor)Typological (common features)Areal (common geography)

Languages can be classified in different ways:

Genetic (common ancestor)Typological (common features)Areal (common geography)

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Genetic RelationshipGenetic Relationship

Languages descended from a common ancestor language belong to the same language family and are genetically related

Example: The Romance languages are a family of languages descended from Latin

Languages descended from a common ancestor language belong to the same language family and are genetically related

Example: The Romance languages are a family of languages descended from Latin

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Languages FamiliesLanguages Families

There are five major language families of East and Southeast Asia

If we add North Asia, we get one (or several) more

There are also some language isolates

There are five major language families of East and Southeast Asia

If we add North Asia, we get one (or several) more

There are also some language isolates

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Languages of AsiaLanguages of Asia

There are hundreds of languages spoken in Asia, by over 2 billion people

You should memorize the major families, and at least two languages in each

You should also know isolates

There are hundreds of languages spoken in Asia, by over 2 billion people

You should memorize the major families, and at least two languages in each

You should also know isolates

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EAST ASIA

SOUTH ASIA

SOUTHEAST ASIA

NORTH ASIA

peninsular

insular

CENTRAL ASIA

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EAST ASIA

ChinaKorea

Japan

Japanese: Isolate

Korean: Isolate

Chinese (Mandarin, Cantonese, etc.): Sino-Tibetan family

Hmong, Mien: Hmong-Mien family

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SOUTHEAST ASIAChina

Malaysia

Indonesia

Thai, Lao: Tai-Kadai Family

Malaysian, Indonesian, Tagalog: Austronesian family

Burmese: Sino-Tibetan family

Vietnamese, Khmer: Austroasiatic family

PhilippinesVietnam

Burma

Thailand

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NORTH ASIA

China

Mongolian: Altaic family

Uighur: Altaic family

Mongolia

Russia

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Languages FamiliesLanguages Families

Altaic: Mongolia, China, “stans”Sino-Tibetan: China, Tibet,

Burma, HimalayasHmong-Mien: China, VietnamTai-Kadai: China, Thailand,

LaosAustroasiatic: Cambodia,

Vietnam, Burma, IndiaAustronesian: Malaysia,

Indonesia, Philippines, Hawaii …

Altaic: Mongolia, China, “stans”Sino-Tibetan: China, Tibet,

Burma, HimalayasHmong-Mien: China, VietnamTai-Kadai: China, Thailand,

LaosAustroasiatic: Cambodia,

Vietnam, Burma, IndiaAustronesian: Malaysia,

Indonesia, Philippines, Hawaii …

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Sample LanguagesSample Languages

Altaic: Mongolian, UighurSino-Tibetan: Chinese,

Tibetan, BurmeseHmong-Mien: Hmong, MienTai-Kadai: Thai, Lao, ZhuangAustroasiatic: Khmer,

Vietnamese, MundaAustronesian: Malaysian,

Indonesian, Tagalog

Altaic: Mongolian, UighurSino-Tibetan: Chinese,

Tibetan, BurmeseHmong-Mien: Hmong, MienTai-Kadai: Thai, Lao, ZhuangAustroasiatic: Khmer,

Vietnamese, MundaAustronesian: Malaysian,

Indonesian, Tagalog

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AltaicAltaic

~60 languages, ~350 million speakers

Consists of Mongolic, Tungusic, and Turkic languages; perhaps also Japanese and Korean

Mongolia, NW China, “stans”, Turkey

Simple syllables, vowel harmony

~60 languages, ~350 million speakers

Consists of Mongolic, Tungusic, and Turkic languages; perhaps also Japanese and Korean

Mongolia, NW China, “stans”, Turkey

Simple syllables, vowel harmony

1313

Sino-TibetanSino-Tibetan

>300 languages, >1 billion speakers

Sinitic (= Chinese) in China, hundreds of lgs in SE, W, S Asia

In E and SE Asia, these languages tend to be tonal and monosyllabic

>300 languages, >1 billion speakers

Sinitic (= Chinese) in China, hundreds of lgs in SE, W, S Asia

In E and SE Asia, these languages tend to be tonal and monosyllabic

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Hmong-MienHmong-Mien

~35 languages, ~10 million speakers

Southern China, northern parts of SE Asia (Vietnam, Thailand, Laos)

Tonal, many complex consonant clusters as in mpzha ‘ear’

~35 languages, ~10 million speakers

Southern China, northern parts of SE Asia (Vietnam, Thailand, Laos)

Tonal, many complex consonant clusters as in mpzha ‘ear’

1515

Tai-KadaiTai-Kadai

~60 languages, ~50 million speakers

Southern China, Thailand, LaosTonal

~60 languages, ~50 million speakers

Southern China, Thailand, LaosTonal

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AustroasiaticAustroasiatic

>100 languages, ~100 million speakers

Spoken throughout peninsular SE Asia

Large numbers of vowels (> 20 in some lgs)

voice register distinctions

>100 languages, ~100 million speakers

Spoken throughout peninsular SE Asia

Large numbers of vowels (> 20 in some lgs)

voice register distinctions

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AustronesianAustronesian

~1000 languages, ~300 million speakers

Spoken on Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, and Pacific islands

Inclusive/Exclusive 2nd person plural pronouns

~1000 languages, ~300 million speakers

Spoken on Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, and Pacific islands

Inclusive/Exclusive 2nd person plural pronouns

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