Kam–Tai languages


The Kam–Tai languages, also called Dong–Tai or Zhuang–Dong in China, are a proposed primary branch of the Kra–Dai language family. The Kam–Tai grouping is primarily used in China, including by the linguists Liang & Zhang.
Liang & Zhang classify Kam–Sui, Be, and Tai together as the Dong-Tai 侗台 branch, due to the large number of lexical items shared by all three branches vis-a-vis the more divergent Kra and Hlai branches. Liang & Zhang also propose a reconstruction of Proto-Kam–Tai.
A Kam–Tai group consisting of Kam–Sui and Tai is accepted by Edmondson & Solnit. Hansell considers Be to be a sister of the Tai branch based on shared vocabulary, and proposes a Be–Tai grouping within Kam–Tai.
However, following Ostapirat, scholars outside China now usually do not make use of the Kam–Tai grouping.

History

Liang & Zhang estimate that the Kam-Sui, Tai, and Hlai branches had already formed by about 5,000 years B.P.

Reconstruction

Proto-Kam-Tai has been reconstructed by Liang & Zhang, drawing data from the Tai, Kam-Sui, Be, Lakkia, Biao, and Hlai branches but not the Kra branch. Wu presents a reconstruction of Proto-Kra-Dai, which is based on data from the Tai, Kam-Sui, Hlai, and Kra branches.