KraDai

Kra-Dai, also known as Kra-Dai or Tai-Kadai, is a proposed language family of East and Southeast Asia. It encompasses a broad group of languages spoken across southern China, parts of Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, and Malaysia. Estimates of total speakers range in the tens of millions, with the largest languages including Thai, Lao, Zhuang, and Bouyei.

Classification within Kra-Dai is not universally settled. The most widely used framework groups several subfamilies, among them Tai (which includes Thai, Lao, Shan, and Zhuang/Bouyei) and Kam-Sui (comprising languages such as Kam and Sui). Hlai (Hlai languages) is often treated as another branch within the family. Some scholars have proposed more expansive or alternative relationships, including the Austro-Tai hypothesis that links Kra-Dai to Austroasiatic, but such connections remain controversial and widely debated.

Geographically, the core of Kra-Dai is centered in southern China (notably Guangxi and Yunnan) and extends into Mainland Southeast Asia, with sizable communities in Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, and Myanmar. Smaller migrant and minority communities exist in neighboring regions, including parts of Malaysia.

Linguistically, Kra-Dai languages typically exhibit tonal systems and analytic grammar. Word order varies, but many Tai languages display subject–verb–object tendencies, with a heavy reliance on particles and classifiers in some subgroups. Phonological inventories often include a rich set of vowels and tones.

Writing systems vary by language. Thai and Lao use their own scripts, Zhuang employs a Latin-based script today alongside traditional scripts, and several other Kra-Dai languages use adapted or indigenous scripts or are written with national alphabets.