Kam–Sui peoples explained

The Kam–Sui peoples are a group of related ethnic groups in China and neighboring portions of Northern Laos and Vietnam. They are defined as speakers of Kam–Sui languages, which belong linguistically to the Kra–Dai languages.^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]}

Kam–Sui of China

See also: Tai ethnic groups in China.

• Bouyei of Guizhou Province (including Ai-Cham, Mak and T'en, although most Bouyei are nuclear Tai)
• Dong of Guizhou, Hunan and Guangxi Provinces (also referred to as the Kam people)
• Mulao of Guizhou Province
• Maonan of Guangxi Province
• Sui of Guizhou, Yunnan and Guangxi Provinces (also spelled "Shui")

Cao Miao people

The Cao Miao people of Guizhou, Hunan and Guangxi Provinces speak a Kam-Sui language called Mjiuniang, although it is believed that the people are of Hmong–Mien descent.

Biao people

Whether or not the Biao people of China are of Kam-Sui descent is an issue of present debate in the scientific community. They are, however, a Tai ethnic group.

Kang people

The Kang people of Yunnan Province (referred to as Tai Khang in Laos) speak a Kam–Sui language, but ethnically descend from the Dai people.

Kam–Sui of Vietnam

The following Kam–Sui ethnic groups originating in China have population clusters in Vietnam:

• Dong (also referred to as the Kam people)
• Sui (also referred to as the Shui people in China)

Tai Khang people of Laos

See also: Ethnic groups in Laos. The Tai Khang people of Laos (referred to as Kang in China) speak a Kam–Sui language, but ethnically descend from the Dai people.

References

1. Edmondson, Jerold A. and David B. Solnit, editors. 1988. Comparative Kadai: Linguistic studies beyond Tai. Summer Institute of Linguistics and the University of Texas at Arlington Publications in Linguistics, 86. Dallas: Summer Institute of Linguistics and the University of Texas at Arlington. vii, 374 p.
2. Edmondson, Jerold A. and David B. Solnit, editors. 1997. Comparative Kadai: the Tai branch. Summer Institute of Linguistics and the University of Texas at Arlington Publications in Linguistics, 124. Dallas: Summer Institute of Linguistics and the University of Texas at Arlington. vi, 382 p.
3. Ostapirat, Weera. (2000). "Proto-Kra." Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area 23 (1): 1-251.
4. Norquest, Peter K. 2007. A Phonological Reconstruction of Proto-Hlai. Ph.D. dissertation, Department of Anthropology, University of Arizona.
5. Book: Norquest, Peter. A Phonological Reconstruction of Proto-Hlai. Brill. 2015-09-29. 978-90-04-30052-1. 10.1163/9789004300521. 10150/194203.
6. Norquest, Peter. 2020. A Hypothesis on the Origin of Preglottalized Sonorants in Kra-Dai. 38th West Coast Conference on Formal Linguistics. Vancouver: Department of Linguistics, University of British Columbia.