Karenic languages
| Karenic | |
|---|---|
| Geographic distribution | South-eastern Myanmar, Western Thailand |
| Ethnicity | Karen people |
Native speakers | 4.5 million (2017) |
| Linguistic classification | Sino-Tibetan
|
| Proto-language | Proto-Karenic |
| Subdivisions | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-2 / 5 | kar |
| Glottolog | kare1337 |
The Karen (/kəˈrɛn/) or Karenic languages are tonal languages spoken by some 4.5 million Karen people. They are of unclear affiliation within the Sino-Tibetan languages. The Karen languages are written using the Karen script. The three main branches are Sgaw (commonly known as Karen), Pwo and Pa'O. Karenni (also known as Kayah or Red Karen) and Kayan (also known as Padaung) are a branch of Karen languages. They are unusual among the Sino-Tibetan languages in having a subject–verb–object word order; other than Karen, Bai and the Chinese languages, Sino-Tibetan languages have a subject–object–verb order. This is likely due to influence from neighboring Mon and Tai languages.