Tai languages
| Tai | |
|---|---|
| Zhuang–Tai, Daic | |
| Geographic distribution | Southern China (esp. Guangxi, Guizhou, Yunnan and Guangdong), Southeast Asia, Northeast India |
| Linguistic classification | Kra–Dai |
| Proto-language | Proto-Tai |
| Subdivisions |
|
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-2 / 5 | tai |
| Glottolog | daic1237 |
Distribution of Tai languages: Northern Tai / Northern Zhuang
Central Tai / Southern Zhuang
Southwestern Tai / Thai | |
The Tai, Zhuang–Tai, or Daic languages (Ahom: 𑜁𑜪𑜨 𑜄𑜩 or 𑜁𑜨𑜉𑜫 𑜄𑜩 kwáam tái ; Shan: ၵႂၢမ်းတႆး; Thai: ภาษาไท or ภาษาไต, RTGS: phasa thai or phasa tai; Lao: ພາສາໄຕ, phasa tai) are a branch of the Kra–Dai language family. The Tai languages include the most widely spoken of the Tai–Kadai languages, including Standard Thai or Siamese, the national language of Thailand; Lao or Laotian, the national language of Laos; Myanmar's Shan language; and Zhuang, a major language in the Southwestern China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, spoken by the Zhuang people (壯), the largest minority ethnic group in China, with a population of 15.55 million, living mainly in Guangxi, the rest scattered across Yunnan, Guangdong, Guizhou, and Hunan provinces.