THE Tal of MUONG VAT DO NOT SPEAK the BLACK Tal

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THE TAl OF MUONG VAT Daecha 1989, Kanchana Panka 1980, Suree Pengsombat 1990, Wipawan DO NOT SPEAK THE Plungsuwan 1981, Anculee Buranasing BLACK TAl LANGUAGE 1988, Orapin Maneewong 1987, Kantima Wattanaprasert & Suwattana Theraphan L-Thongkum1 Liarnprawat 1985, Suwattana (Liampra wat) Damkham & Kantima Wattana prasert 1997, Oraphan Unakonsawat Abstract 1993).

A word list of 3,343 items with Standard In most of these previous studies, Thai, English and Vietnamese glosses especially by Thai linguists, a Black Tai was used for eliciting the Black Tai or variety spoken at one location is Tai Dam language data at each of the described and in some cases compared twelve research sites: ten in northern with the other Tai or Lao dialcets spoken Vietnam, one in northern Laos, and one in nearby areas. The Black Tai varieties in central Thaialnd. The data collected spoken in Laos and Vietnam have never at two villages in Muong Vat could not been investigated seriously by Thai be used for a reconstruction of Old linguists. Contrarily, in the works done Black Tai phonological system and a by non-Thai linguists, generallingusitic lexicon because on a phonological basis characteristics of the language are and a lexical basis, the Tai dialect of attempted with no emphasis on the Muong Vat is not Black Tai, especially location where it is spoken. In other the one spoken at Ban Phat, Chieng Pan words, a description and explanation of sub-district and Ban Coc Lac, Tu Nang the so-called Common Black Tai is their sub-district, Son La province, Vietnam. major aim.

Introduction Not only Thai linguists but also Thai anthropologists and historians are The Black Tai (Tai Darn, Thai Song, Lao interested in the Black Tai of Sip Song Song, Lao Song Dam, Phu Tai Song Chou Tai. Some of them believe that Dam) language has been studied by various features in the language and many non-Thai and Thai linguists, and culture of the Black Tai can be taken as by Black-Tai language specialists. substantial clues for those of (Diguet 1895, Gedney 1964, Hartmann Southwestern Tais and the Thai 1985 and 1995, Don 1989, Fippinger (Siamese). To be able to react properly 1970, 1971, 1975a and 1975b, Hoang to this idea, the rasearch project "From Tran N ghich & Tong Kim An 1990, Cam Sip Song Chou Tai to Central Thailand: Cuong 1991, Witsarut Suwanwiwek Language, Social and Cultural Changes 1981, Meewan Leerawat et al 1982 of the Black Tai" was launched in 1997. ' Chakrit Anuntrawan 1978, Wilailak This research project has been funded by the Princess Mahachakri Sirindhorn Research Fund, Chulalongkorn 1 Ph.D., Professor, Department of Linguistics, University. The sub-project on the Balck Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkom University, Tai language is part of this project. Bangkok, Thailand.

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A well-known Thai anthropologist and Muong Nam Ma, Muong La), one in archaeologist, Srisakara Vallibhotama northern Laos (Muong Luang Nam Tha), (1991), and a Thai historian, Manoo and one in central Thailand (Khaw Yoy Udomwet (1995), who had an opportu district). The long word list which com nity to visit Muong Vat said that the Tai prises 3,343 items and the two short ad of Muong Vat were Black Tai from a ditional word lists of 20 and 153 items cultural point of view. For example, their were used for eliciting Black Tai vocabu clothing was similar to the one of the lary, tones, consonants and vowels. Petchaburi Lao Song or Black Tai. In Every item in the short word lists was this paper, the author, by using linguistic recorded on tape in order to check the evidence, would like to argue that the phonetic transcription based on auditory Tai of Muong Vat are not Black Tai in judgement and for acoustical measure the sense that they do not speak the ments to reconfirm the phonetic char Black Tai Language. acteristics of tones.

Language data Due to all types of problems, both tech nical and non-technical, 632 items in the To investigate the language of the Black long word list which were collected by Tai, three word lists with Standard Thai, the two Vietnamese linguists had to be English and Vietnamese glosses were discarded. Therefore, only 2,711 items devised and used for eliciting the lan could be used for the comparative study. guage data at each of the twelve re The old black Tai phonological system search sites: ten in northern Vietnam2 and lexical comprising 2,300 entries, (Muong Vat 1, Muong Vat 2, Muong Lo, were reconstructed. In total, 1043 items in the long word list were discarded to control the quality of the data used for the analysis and reconstruction. Even 2 The data on Black Tai spoken at the two though a lot of data on Black Tai can be research sites in Laos and Thailand were col found in other publications and many un lected by the author. The rest was collected published M.A. theses, they were not by Professor Hoang Van Ma and Dr. Ta Van used because our Black Tai corpus was Thong, staff members of the linguistics In large enough for our research purposes. stitute, the National Center for Research on However, for a comparative and histori Social Sciences and Humanities of Vietnam. To be certain that their collection of data cal study, the data collected at Ban Phat, was consistent with the author's standards, Chieng Pan sub-district and Ban Coc two Black Tai speakers studying in Hanoi Lac, Tu Nang sub-district, in MuongVat were used as informants for a demonstra (Yen Chau) located in the province of tion during the workshop. All necessary in Son La had to be excluded. On a pho structions, including batteries, film, blank nological and a lexical basis, the Tai dia cassettes, and so forth, were provided. At lect of Muong Vat is not Black Tai. The each research location, besides making re detailed arguments can be found in the cordings, they were required to photograph next section. the village and the informants. In addition, brief information on the village where the data were collected and on the informants Tai Dialect of Muong Vat had to be provided. Notes on any other in teresting aspects were also encouraged. Chamberlain (1984: 73, and 1992: 154) points out that "The Tai of Muong Vat

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(Yen Chau) in Sip Song Chou Tai speak Muong Vat 1 (Ban Phat) a form of Thay Neua closer to that of Xieng Kho than to Black Tai Proper" On linguistic grounds, the author totally A B c DL DS agree with Chamberlain that the Tai of Muong Vat, at least the two groups which 24 live in Ban Phat and Ban Coc Lac, do - not speak Black Tai.3 Chamberlain's 33 21' 33 35 view is based only on the pattern of tonal development: Al-234, B123-4, C123-4, 53 DL and D_S 123-4. The pattern of tone split in column A and the phonetic char acteristics of the six tones in the Tai dia 41 45 42 44 lect of Muong Vat are not similar to those of Black Tai. The tonal analysis, the acoustical measurements of tones and the reconstruction of Old Black Tai tonal Muong Vat 2 (Ban Coc Lac) system which were done by the author support very well the idea proposed by Chamberlain, as illustrated in Figure l. A B c DL DS

Figure 1 Comparison of Muong Vat 35 and Muong Lo (Black Tai) patterns of t--- tone split 32 21 , 22 45

Muong Vat (Chamberlain 1984) 42

A B c DL DS 42 44 32 34

24 - 22 31' 22 34 Black Tai (Muong Lo) 33

42 55 42 44 A B c DL DS

11 25 21 25- 35

3 Since the data on Tai Nuea spoken in Laos is not available, the author can neither sup port nor reject Chamberlain's claim that the 55 33 42 33-34 Tai of Muong Vat speak a form ofTai Nuea closer to that of Xie ng Kho.

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The patterns of sound changes as can Regarding the Tai dialect of Muong Vat, be seen in the above examples help sup it is reconfirmed by both phonological port the view that Tai Muong Vat is not and lexical evidence that the one spo a variety of Black Tai. Even though the ken at Ban Phat, Chieng Pan sub-dis speakers of Tai Muong Vat live in the trict and Ban Coc Lac, Tu Nang sub area (Sonia province) which is occupied district, is not Black Tai. The Tai Muong by the Black Tai people, they do speak Vat dialect belongs to the PH language different Tai dialect Not only phonologi groups as the Lao language, whereas all cal differences but also lexical differ of the Black Tai varieties spoken in Viet ences between Tai Muong Vat and nam, Laos and Thailand belong to the P Black Tai can be detected, as in the fol language group. The author's analysis lowing: of tone split and tone merger patterns supports Chamberlain's first claim in Tai Muong Vat Old Black Tai 1984, based solely on his tonal analysis 'to call' ki:~k 02 *khe?o1 that the Tai of Muong Vat do not speak Black Tai. The other phonological evi 'to shoot' JUIJ A2 *ben 81 dence shown in this paper also help prove 'to crave zaaJc OLI *?e 01 that our findings can not be wrong. If for' the historians and anthropologists still 'cheap' hE AI *thu?o1 believe that the Tai of Muong Vat are

'gun' tbUIJ 81 *?OIJ 01 Black Tai, we do need a solid proof from them. ·to practise· th-rp OS2 *?ep o1

' spear' caw 81 *h:~?o1

'soaking wet' llltnk OSI *cm111 A2

'smaJl basket' sa-bc1 *s:>IJ Cl

'to fan' phYIJ A2 *vi-bi A2

'dip-net' vilJ AI *ka-sa AI Conclusion Even though the Black Tai living in northern Laos and central Thailand left their homeland in Sip Song Chou Tai more than two hundred years ago, they have maintained their language very welL Perhaps language is regarded by them as the most important indices of their ethnic identity. They remain proud of their origins and the old kingdom from which they were forced to flee because of wars and for political reasons. In comparison with lexical differences caused by borrowings from Vietnamese,

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References Wisarut Suwanwiwek. 1981 . Song writing system. Unpublished M .A. thesis, Silpakom University. In Thai

Anchulee Buranasing. 1988. An analysis of lexical change among three generations In English in Thai Song dialect. Unpublished M.A. thesis, Mahidol University. Cam Cuong. 1991. Black Thai language and other dialects in the system of Chakrit Anuntrawan. 1978. The phonemic Thai languages in Vietnam, its origin system of Thai Dam dialect spoken at and development. Hanoi: Thai Studies Muban Napanat, Tambon K.hao Kaeo, Program, Hanoi University. Ampho e Chiang Khan, Changwat Loei. Chamberlain, James R. 1984. The Tai dialects Unpublished M.A. thesis, Srinakbarin of Khammouan province: Their wirot University. diversity and origins. Science of Kanchana Panka. 1980. The phonological language, 4:62-95. characteristics of Lao dialects spoken Chamberlain, James R. 1992. A review of in Amp hoe M uang N akbon Pathom. historical dictionary of Laos by Unpublished M .A. thesis, Chula Martin Stuart-Fox and Mary Kooyman. longkom University. Asian historical dictionaries no.6. Manoo Udomwet. 1995. The Tai Dam of Metuchen, N.J. and London: The Muong Vat. The earth magazine 2000, Scarecrow Press Inc. Journal oft he 2.16:69-76. Siam Society 8, part 1. Meewan Leerawat et al. 1982. A comparative Don, Baccam. 1989. Ta i Dam-English, dictionary of Bangkok Thai-Kham English-Tai Dam vocabulary b ook. Mliang-Tai Lue-Tai Dam. Chiangmai: Eastlake, Ca: Summer Institute of Faculty of Humanities, Chiangmai Linguistics. University. Diguet, Edouard. 1895. Etude de Ia langue Orapan Unakonsawat. 1993. A comparative tai. Hanoi. study of Phu Tai and Lao Song Fippinger, Jay W. and Dorothy C. phonological systems. Unpublished Fippinger. 1970. Black Tai phonemes M.A. thesis, Silpakom University. with reference to White Tai. Sisakara Vanllibhotarna. 1991 . The belief in Anthropological linguistics 12.3: 8 3- Taen of the Black Tai: The primitive 93. religion of the Thai. Muang B oran Gedney, William J., Jimmy G Harris and journal, 17.3: 12-35. James R. Chamberlain ( eds. ), pp. 130- Suwattana (Liamprawat) D amkbam and 169. Bangkok: Central Institute of Kantima Wattanaprasert. 1997. An English Language, Office of State analysis of lexical i.I se and variation University. among three generations in Lao Gedney, William J. 1964. A comparative language communities of the Thachin sketch of White, Black and Red Tai. River Basin. Journal of Silpakorn Th e social science review (Bangkok), University (special issue): 82-90. 14: 1-47. Wilailuck D aecha. 1987. A comparative Hartmann, John F. 1985. Dating White study of the phonology of six Tai Thai and Black Thai scripts. Paper dialects spoken in Amphoe Tha Tako, presented at the l8'h International Changwat Nakhon Sawan. Conference on Sino-Tibetan Unpublished M.A. thesis, Languages and Linguistics, organized Chulalongkorn Univerity. by Ramkhamhaeng Univers ity, Bangkok,August27-29, 1985.

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Hartmann, John F. 1995. Transmutation in a multicultural world: A comparative study of Old Lao and Tai Dam manuscript versions of the tale of prince Hoang Tran Nghich and Tong Kim An. 1990. Black Tai-Vietnamese dictionary. Hanoi: Nha Xuat Ban Khoa Hoc Xa Hoi. Maneewong, Orapin. 1987. A comparative phonological study of Lao Song in Petchaburi and Nakhon Pathom provinces. U npublisbed M.A. thesis, Mahidol University. Pengsombat, Suree. 1990. A study of pronominal usage in spoken Tai Song. Unpublished M.A. thesis, Mahidol University. Plungsuwan, Wipawan. 1981. A tonal comparison of Tai dialects in Ratchaburi province. Unpublished M.A. thesis, Mahidol University. Tbeung or Terng. Proceedings of the International Conference on Tai Languages and Cultures, pp. 73-102. Bangkok: Thammasart University.

Note Most of the English titles of the Tai Dam materials written in Thai are provided by their authors.

Acknowledgement

I would like to thank the National Center for Research on Social Sciences and Humanities of Vietnam and the Ministry of Information and Culture of Laos PDR for their kind co-operation. Without their assistance, the investigation of Black T.ai language would not have been possible.

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Editor's Note: language can have different tonal developments. For example, Gedney Comments from readers are beneficial reported Red Tai with three different to the author in making his/her paper types of tonal development as shown clearer or more interesting. In some below. cases, the author may not agree with the comments and has reasons to RTI RTII RTIII support his/her ideas. Both the 12322 12352 12322 reader's comments and the author's 12322 42352 1 2 3 2 2 reasons for the disagreement to the 12322 42352 12322 comment are educational. The editor 43523 43543 43521 would like to thank both Assoc. Prof Wilaiwan Kanitthanan and Prof (From Gedney, William. 1994. Theraphan L-Thongkum for allowing Southwestern Tai Dialects. In Thomas us to publish their views here. John Hudak (ed.) Papers on South and Southeast Asia.) Reflections on "The Tai of It seems that for many Tai scholars, Muong Vat do not speak the such as Gedney, different tonal Black Tai Language" developments are not used as a criterion to group or to separate subdialects. 1. "The Tai of Muong Vat do not speak Gedney also reported different the BlackTai language"is a contribution languages with the same type of tonal to the study of the development of development, for example, Black Tai of B lackTai 's phonology. The article gives Son La and White Tai from Lai Chao. the detail of tonal, consonant as well as vowel developments of four Black Tai Black Tai White Tai dialects, three of Muong Vat and one of 12322 12322 MoungLo. 12322 12322 12322 12322 2. Based on Chamberlain's claim on 45655 45644 Muong Vat Tai that it was more like a "Tai Nuea" than a Black Tai proper, the Both groups show development from author set out to prove that tbe Tai of Proto-Tai *b *d *g to" p-, t-, k-". Ban Phat and Ban Coc Lac of Muang Vat do not speak the Black Tai language. 5. Areal features have an important role (Without the word "proper" after Black in language development in North Tai) Vietnam. North Vietnam is a great show case of areal linguistics with 54 tribes. 3. The author proves by showing that Languages of different language the two Tai dialects of Muang Vat have families share a lot of common different tonal, consonant as well as vocabulary. Languages of the same vowel developments from those of Black language family may use different Tai in other places. vocabulary if they are far apart and on the contrary,different Tai languages, i.e. 4. The proof is unconvincing in that we Tay and Nung, can have many features often find that subdialects of the same in common. Tone Cl in most Tai and

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Answers to Dr. Wilaiwan were phonetic characteristics of the six tones and the variation of few tones in Khanittanan's reflections one or two dialects which could have been caused by language contact, such l. The author would like to reconfirm as tone A l in the Black Tai varieties of that the varieties of Black Tai which the Chiang Khan (Loei) a nd Khaw Yoy author came across in available Black (Phetchaburi). Tai dictionaries, research reports and in her linguistic field trips had the same type The pattern of tonal development and of tone system and tonal development, the phonetic characteristics of tones in i.e., six tones (A1, A2, Bl, B2, Cl, C2, fifteen Black Tai dialects or varieties are 01 =B 1, D2=B2). The differences found shown below.

Pattern of tonal development

PT *A *B *C *D Tones 111-3 Tl T3 T5 T3 2/4 T2 T4 T6 T4 t t

Phonetic characteristics of the tones in non-checked syllables

Tonel Tone2 Tone3 Tone4 ToneS Tone6 Location J.Al) _(A2l J!!.l) . (B~ _(Cl) JC2l Vietnam M.Lo 11 55 25 33 21 42 M.Mua 22 44 24 33 21 32 M.Than 22 55 25 44 21- 12 43 M.Thanh 22 44 35 33 21 41 M.Kway 11 44 24 33 21 42 M.Muay 22 44 24 33 21 42 M.NamMa 22 44 25 33 21 31 M.La 33 55 34 44 21 31 Laos M.Luang 22 55 31 , 42' NamTha 35 33 M.NamBak 22 454 24 33 31, 453' M.May 22 44 24 33 31 , 42' Thailand A.KhawYoy 22- 33 55 35 33 31, 453 A. Chiang 332- 343 454 35 33 31, 352 Khan A.Muong 24 354 35 44 33 43 (N.Prathom) A.Tha Tako 14 343 35 33 22' 42 (N.SawaJ!l

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Besides Black Tai, the author also had and Laos at four locations.The typical an opportunity to work with the pattern of tone split and merger in Red speakers of Red Tai living in Vietnam Tai can be summarized and illustrated as below.

Pattern of tonal development

PTTones *A *B *C *DL *DS T2ff5ff21 111-3 Tl T3 T4 T3 T3

Tlff3ff5/ 2/4 T2 T4 T5 T4 T2 t t

Phonetic characteristics of the tones in non-checked syllables

Tonel Tone2 Tone3 Tone4 ToneS Location (Al) (A2) (Bl) (B2&Cl) (C2) MaiHa 33 22 35 13' 41 (Mai Chau) BaoLa 454 342 44 35 31 (Mai Chao) Phon Hom 232 343 44 24' 31 (NamBak) Nong Bua Thong 343 22 33 24' 44 (Sikhottabong)

The data given above confirm that in small number of speakers and the non-checked or live syllables, the Red diverse nature of linguistic areas are the Tai language has five tones with the major causes of Red Tai varieties. In merger of B2/B4 tone to C1/C1-3 tone. Vietnam and Laos, being Black Tai The diverse behavior of tones DS liDS 1- seems to be more prestigious than being 3 and DS2/DS4 in Red Tai can be used White Tai, Red Tai or the other Tai ethnic as a criterion for classifying and groups. The Black Tai have more power subgrouping the Red Tai language into and more roles to play at national level, different varieties. especially in administration and politics in the two countries. The feeling of Even though the number of Red Tai superiority makes them feel proud and speakers is less than that of Black Tai, try to maintain their ethnicity and there can be more varieties of Red Tai language. For Red Tai and other small due to language contact. Language Tai ethnic groups, it is natural that they diversity in the areas where the would like to be affiliated with the Black speakers of Red Tai inhabit has Tai since it is a way to raise their social reinforced the situation. In other words, status.

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Regarding White Tai, the author has also the pattern of tonal development of worked on some White Tai varieties White Tai (WT) and Black Tai (BT) are spoken in Vietnam and Laos. Certainly, the same as illustrated below.

BlackTai

PTTones *A *B *C *D 1/1-3 T1 T3 T5 T3 2/4 T2 T4 T6 T4 t t

WhiteTai

PTTones *A *B *C *D 111-3 T1 T3 T5 T3 2/4 T2 T4 T6 T4 t t

Phonetic characteristics of the six White Tai tones (non-checked syllable)

Tonel Tone2 Tone3 Tone4 ToneS T one6 Location I (A1) (A2) (B1) (B2) (Cl) (C2) ·-1- M.So 22 453' 35 44 213' 41 (Lai Cau) M.Baeng 22 44' 33 452 34' 41 (Oudomxi)

However the development of diphthongs *i;} , *m;}, *u;} and *am differ as shown below.

Proto-Tai Black-tai White Tai *i;} 1;} e *m;} m;} '¥'

*U;} u~ 0 *am am am

Regarding the development of diphthongs, Black Tai and White Tai are distinct.

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