Tai Dam (), also known as Black Tai (; ; ; 'Black Tai language'; ), is a Tai language spoken by the Tai Dam in Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and China (mostly in Jinping Miao, Yao, and Dai Autonomous County).
The Tai Dam language is similar to Thai and Lao (including Isan), but it is not close enough to be readily understood by most Thai and Lao (Isan) speakers. In particular, the Khmer, Pali and Sanskrit additions to Thai and Lao (Isan) are largely missing from Tai Dam.
Geographical distribution Tai Dam is spoken in Vietnam, China, Laos, and Thailand. In central and western Thailand, it is known as Thai Song.
Tai Dam speakers in China are classified as part of the Dai nationality along with almost all the other Tai peoples. But in Vietnam they are given their own nationality (with the White Tai) where they are classified (confusingly for English speakers) as the Thái nationality (meaning Tai people).
In China, Tai Dam () people are located in the following townships of Yunnan, with about 20,000 people in Yunnan (Gao 1999).Gao Lishi 高立士. 1999. 傣族支系探微. 中南民族学院学报 (哲学社会科学版). 1999 年第1 期 (总第96 期). Maguan County 马关县: Muchang Township 木厂乡, Dalishu Township 大栗树乡, and Pojiao Township 坡脚乡 Wenshan County 文山县: Dehou Township 德厚乡, Panzhihua Township 攀枝花乡 Hekou County 河口县: Qiaotou Town 桥头镇 (in Baihei Village 白黑村 and Gantianzhai 甘田寨) Yuanjiang County 元江县: Dashuiping Township 大水平乡 (in Gaozhai 高寨 and Yangmahe 养马河)
Official status In Vietnam, all Tai peoples are taught a standardized Tai language based on the Tai Dam language, using the standardized Tai Viet script.
Phonology
Consonants
Initials
Labial Dental/ Alveolar (Alveolo-) Palatal Velar Glottalplainlab.PlosivetenuisaspiratedvoicedAffricate Nasal Fricative voiceless voiced Approximant
Sounds and can fluctuate to voiced implosive sounds , . may also fluctuate to a lateral sound . can fluctuate to sounds . In some rare cases can be realized as a sound.
Finals Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar GlottalPlosive Nasal Approximant
Final plosive sounds can be realized as unreleased .
Vowels FrontCentral-BackBackClose[ ~ ]Glide[][][]Mid[ ~ ]Open
There is also that corresponds to Proto-Tai *aɰ. can tend to fluctuate to a more open sound . fluctuates to a back unrounded sound .
Writing system
The Tai Dam language has its own system of writing, called Tai Viet, which consists of 31 consonants and 14 vowels. At the beginning, there was no tone marker although the language is tonal. Tone markers emerge in the 1970s in two sets: combining marks like Thai/Lao, and modifiers like New Tai Lue/Tai Nuea which are now less popular. According to Thai authors, the writing system is probably derived from the old Thai writing of the kingdom of Sukhotai.
Grammar
Pronouns Pronoun Formal Informal I (xɔy3) (ku1) We (sun4 xɔy3) (sum4 fu1) You (caw3) (mueng4) You (plural) (sun4 caw3) (su1) He/ she (puean5) (man4) They (sun4 puean5) (saw1) For the word "I" When addressing parents the word (luk5) is used instead. When addressing grandparents the word (lam1) is used instead. Pronoun Formal Informal My (xɔng1 xɔy3) (xɔng1 ku1) Our (xɔng1 sun4 xɔy3) (xɔng1 sum4 fu1) Your (xɔng1 caw3) (xɔng1 mueng4) Your (plural) (xɔng1 sun4 caw3) (xɔng1 su1) His/ her (xɔng1 puean5) (xɔng1 man4) Their (xɔng1 sun4 puean5) (xɔng1 saw1) For the word "my" When addressing parents the word (xɔng1 luk5) is used instead. When addressing grandparents the word (xɔng1 lam1) is used instead.
Syntax Tai Dam uses an SVO word order.
Vocabulary The Khmer, Pali and Sanskrit additions to Thai and Lao (Isan) are generally absent from Tai Dam. Tai Dam lacks many of the Khmer and Indic (via Khmer) loanwords found in Thai, Lao and Isan. + Lack of Khmer and Indic (via Khmer) loan words in Tai Dam Khmer loan word Isan Lao Thai Tai Dam Gloss ទន្លេtônlé /tɔːn leː/ ทะเลthale /tʰàʔ.le᷇ː/ ທະເລthalé /tʰāʔ.léː/ ทะเลthale /tʰáʔ.lēː/ noang luang /nɔŋ˨.luə̯ŋ˨/ 'sea' រៀនreăn /riən/ เฮียนhian /hi᷇an/ ຮຽນhian /hían/ เรียนrian /rīan/ ʼaep /ʔɛp̚˦˥/ 'to learn' भाषाbhāṣā /bʱaːʂaː/ ភាសាpheăsa /pʰiə saː/ ภาษาphasa /pʰa᷇ː.săː/ ພາສາphasa /pʰáː.săː/ ภาษาphasa /pʰāː.săː/ kwaam /kʷaːm˥/ 'language' राजrāja /raːdʒaː/ រាជាreăcheă /riə ɕiə/ ราชาracha /la᷇ː.sa᷇ː/ ຣາຊາraxa /láː.sáː/ ราชาracha /rāː.tɕʰāː/ pua /puə̯˨/ 'king' वेलाvelā /ʋe laː/ វេលាvéreǎ /veː liːə/ เวลาwela /we᷇ː.la᷇ː/ ເວລາvéla /wéː.láː/ เวลาwela /wēː.lāː/ nyaam /ɲaːm˥/ 'time' សប្បាយsǎpbay /sap baːj/ สบายsabai /sáʔ.bāːj/ ສບາຽ/ສະບາຍsabay /sáʔ.bàːj/ สบายsabai /sàʔ.bāːj/ xan doa /xan˧˩.dɔː˨/ 'to be well' រាក់raek /raːk/ ฮักhak /hàk/ ຮັກhak /hāk/ รักrak /rák/ hak /hak˥/ 'love' Khmer tônlé generally signifies 'lake' or 'large canal'. Similarly, the Tai Dam term for the sea means 'large lake'. Sanskrit source of following Khmer word. Thai and Lao adopted Sanskrit terms via Khmer, but restored their vowels pronunciations. The term rak was borrowed from Proto-Mon-Khmer *r[a]k meaning 'to love, beloved, dear' although now the term raek means 'friendly, cordial, pleasant; intimate, affectionate' in modern Khmer.
Further reading Miyake, Marc. 2014. Black and white evidence for Vietnamese phonological history. Miyake, Marc. 2014. *(C).r-usters in Black Tai and Bao Yen. Miyake, Marc. 2014. S-implificaition in Black Tai and Bao Yen.
References
External links Tai Dam alphabet Tai Dam Language, Literature, and Culture SIL Tai Heritage Pro fonts Basic Tai Dam phrases Tai Viet script notes