E-Book Content
Comparative linguistics in Southeast Asia PACIFIC LINGUISTICS FOUNDING EDITOR: Stephen A. Wurm EDITORIAL BOARD: Malcolm D. Ross and Darrell T. Tryon (Managing Editors), Thomas E. Dutton, Andrew K. Pawley Pacific Linguistics is a publisher specialising in linguistic descriptions, dictionaries, atlases and other material on languages of the Pacific, the Philippines, Indonesia and southeast Asia. The authors and editors of Pacific Linguistics publications are drawn from a wide range of institutions around the world. Pacific Linguistics is associated with the Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies at the Australian National University. Pacific Linguistics was established in 1963 through an initial grant from the Hunter Douglas Fund. It is a non-profit-making body financed largely from the sales of its books to libraries and individuals throughout the world, with some assistance from the School. The Editorial Board of Pacific Linguistics is made up of the academic staff of the School's Department of Linguistics. The Board also appoints a body of editorial advisors drawn from the international community of linguists. Publications in Series A, B and C and textbooks in Series D are refereed by scholars with relevant expertise who are normally not members of the editorial board. To date Pacific Linguistics has published over 400 volumes in four series: • Series A: Occasional Papers; collections of shorter papers, usually on a single topic or area. • Series B: Monographs of intermediate length. • Series C: Books; publications of greater length, especially reference books such as dictionaries and grammars, and conference proceedings. • Series D: Special Publications; including archival materials, pedagogical works, maps, audiovisual productions, and materials that do not fit into the other series. Series C, Volume 142 COMPARATIVE LINGUISTICS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA Ilia Peiros Pacific Linguistics Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies The Australian National University Canberra Published by Pacific Linguistics Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies The Australian National University PO Box 1428 Canberra ACT 2601 Australia Copyright © The author First published 1998 National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry: Ilia Peiros Comparative linguistics in Southeast Asia Bibliography. ISSN 0078-7558 ISBN 0 85883 489 8 I. Comparative languages - Asia, Southeastern. 2. Asia, Southeastern - Languages. I. Australian National University. Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies. Pacific Linguistics. II. Title. (Series: Pacific Linguistics. Series C-142). 495 Copyedited by Basil Wilson Typeset by Jeanette Coombes Chinese characters typeset by Helen Lo Printed by ANU Printing Service, Canberra Bound by F & M Perfect Bookbinding, Canberra TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE vii ABBREVIATIONS AND CUE TITLES ix CHAPTER 1: METHODOLOGICAL PRELIMINARIES CHAPTER 2: AUSTRO-THAI LANGUAGES 2.1 2.2 1 11 The Kadai family 2.1.1 General information 2.1.2 Zhuang-Tai languages 2.1.3 Kam-Sui languages 2.1.4 Li dialects 2.1.5 Proto Kadai reconstruction The Austro-Thai hypothesis 11 11 17 31 44 53 75 CHAPTER 3: MI AO-AUSTROASIATIC LANGUAGES 104 3.1 3.2 Austroasiatic languages Miao-Yao languages 3.2.1 Proto Miao 3.2.2 Proto Yao 3.2.3 Proto Miao-Yao 104 114 114 122 135 3.3 The Miao-Austroasiatic and Austric hypotheses 155 CHAPTER 4: SINO-TIBETAN LANGUAGES 169 CHAPTER 5: SOUTHEAST ASIA: MAIN FEATURES OF LINGUISTIC PREHISTORY 218 APPENDICES: DATA FOR LEXICOSTATISTICAL CLASSIFICATIONS