Phu Thai (Phuu Thai; Thai, Phu Thai: Phasa Phuthai,
ภาษาผู้ไท or ภูไท) is a
Southwestern Tai language spoken in
Laos,
Thailand and
Vietnam. Although it appears different from the
Isan and the
Lao languages, it is spoken in areas where these languages are predominant and has been
influenced by them. Comparisons of Phu Thai with other
Tai languages such as
Tay Khang[citation needed] have not yet been done systematically enough to yield convincing results.
Another aspect of Phu Thai is its contact with the
Katuic languages, a branch of the
Austroasiatic languages. Whether in the Phu Thai areas of Central
Laos or in more recent locations of Northeastern Thailand, one can find, along with Phu Thai, a few Katuic dialects known locally as
Bru, So or Katang. James R. Chamberlain (2012) focusing on anthropological issues describes “the Phou Thay – Brou relationship” as a “
symbiosis” and states that “the Phou Thay – Brou relationship has never evolved into a
feudal system”.
Speakers identified as (or identifying themselves as) Phu Thai or Phu Tai in Vietnam speak other dialects with different tone systems.
Tai Gapong or Tai Kapong found in the Nape District of Ban Nahuong,
Bolikhamsai Province, Laos speak a slightly different dialect.[2]
In Vietnam the Phu Thai are included in the group of the
Thái people, together with the
Thái Đen ('Black Tai'),
Thái Đỏ ('Red Tai'),
Thái Trắng ('White Tai'),
Tày Thanh and
Thái Hàng Tổng. The group of the Thái people is the third largest of the fifty-four ethnic groups recognized by the Vietnamese government.
Status
Despite its rich heritage, and regional use, in Thailand this language group is increasingly becoming integrated into the mainstream
Isan language.
Phonology
The following information is of the Waritchaphum dialect:
^Schliesinger, Joachim. 2003. Ethnic Groups of Laos. 2 vols. Bangkok: White Lotus Press.
^Gedney, William J.; Hudak, Thomas J. (1997). The Tai Dialect of Waritchaphum. William J. Gedney’s Tai dialect studies: glossaries, texts, and translations: The University of Michigan. pp. 347–350.
Miller, John and Miller, Carolyn. 1996. Lexical comparison of Katuic Mon-Khmer languages with special focus on So-Bru groups in Northeast Thailand. The Mon-Khmer Studies Journal 26:255-290.
Chamberlain, James R. 2012. Phou Thay and Brou Symbiosis. International Workshop: Peoples and Cultures of the Central Annamite Cordillera: Ethnographic and Ethno‐Historical Contributions – Towards a Comparative and Inter-Disciplinary Dialogue. Institute of Anthropology and Religion (Laos) and University of Gothenburg (Sweden), Vientiane.
Pacquement, Jean. 2015. Languages in contact: the case for Phu Thai. Presentation at SEALS 25. Payap University. Chiang Mai. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.36053.73441
Pacquement, Jean. 2016. The Loeng Nok Tha, Don Tan and Chanuman (Micro-)Linguistic Area and the A Column 1-234 Split in Phu Thai (pht). Presentation at SEALS 26. Century Park Hotel. Manila.
Pacquement, Jean and Thongmany, Vanh. 2019. Phu Thai Data for Subgrouping Southwestern Tai. Presentation at SEALS 29. 貸し会議室 KFC Hall & Rooms. Tokyo.
About Some Linguistic Variations in Phu Tai
https://mekongjournal.kku.ac.th/Vol07/Issue01/02.pdf Pacquement, Jean. 2011. About Some Linguistic Variations in Phu Tai. Journal of Mekong Societies : Vol.7 No.1 January–April 2011, pp. 17–38
Multilinguisme, plurilinguisme et compétence linguistique chez les Phu Thaï du centre du Laos et du nord-est de la Thaïlande : le cas des étudiants phu thaï de l'Université de Savannakhet
http://gerflint.fr/Base/Mekong4/pacquement.pdf Pacquement, Jean and Phongphanith, Sipaseuth. 2012. Multilinguisme, plurilinguisme et compétence linguistique chez les Phu Thaï du centre du Laos et du nord-est de la Thaïlande : le cas des étudiants phu thaï de l'Université de Savannakhet. Synergies Pays Riverains du Mékong n°4 - 2012, pp. 129–139
Phou Thay and Brou Symbiosis
https://www.academia.edu/28104238/Phou_Thay_and_Brou_Symbiosis Chamberlain, James R. 2012. Phou Thay and Brou Symbiosis. International Workshop: Peoples and Cultures of the Central Annamite Cordillera: Ethnographic and Ethno‐Historical Contributions – Towards a Comparative and Inter-Disciplinary Dialogue. Institute of Anthropology and Religion (Laos) and University of Gothenburg (Sweden), Vientiane.
Contribution à l'étude du système tonal de la langue phu thai : les tons du dialecte phu thai de Ban Phak Kha Nya
https://www.academia.edu/35444426/Contribution_à_létude_du_système_tonal_de_la_langue_phu_thai_les_tons_du_dialecte_phu_thai_de_Ban_Phak_Kha_Nya_district_de_Atsaphone_province_de_Savannakhet_Laos Phongphanith, Sipaseuth. 2017. Contribution à l'étude du système tonal de la langue phu thai : les tons du dialecte phu thai de Ban Phak Kha Nya (district de Atsaphone, province de Savannakhet, Laos. PowerPoint de soutenance: Pré-mémoire de Master 1 présenté par Sipaseuth Phongphanith. Sous la direction de Joseph Thach. Consultant du mémoire: Jean Pacquement. INALCO, Paris, France. MANUSASTRA Projet international de formation à la recherche, délocalisé à la Faculté d'Archéologie, Université royale des beaux-arts, Phnom Penh.