KamSui

Kam-Sui is a branch of the Kra-Dai language family, spoken primarily in southern China with communities in Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. The languages are associated with several ethnic groups, including those identified as Kam and Sui, among others in Guangxi, Guizhou, and neighboring areas. The classification and exact boundaries of Kam-Sui varieties vary among researchers, but the group is widely recognized as a coherent branch within Kra-Dai.

The Kam-Sui languages are typically divided into two main subgroups: Kamic and Sui. The Kamic subgroup includes languages associated with the Kam-speaking communities, while the Sui subgroup comprises the Sui languages spoken by Sui communities. In addition to these two core lines, a number of smaller Kam-Sui languages and dialects are documented, with continued research refining their relationships and classifications.

Linguistically, Kam-Sui languages are tonal and exhibit features common to many Kra-Dai languages, such as complex consonant inventories and analytic grammar. The specific phonology, lexicon, and grammatical patterns vary considerably from one language to another, reflecting long-term diversification within the branch.

Sociolinguistically, Kam-Sui languages face pressures from dominant regional languages, including Mandarin Chinese in China and national languages in Southeast Asian countries. Some varieties have relatively large speaker bases and institutional support, while others are endangered. Documentation, description, and community-driven language maintenance efforts are ongoing to preserve this diverse group of languages.