Khmu language

Not to be confused with Khmer language.

Khmu
Kmhmu
ກຶມຫມຸ
กำมุ
Native toLaos, Vietnam, Thailand, China
EthnicityKhmu
Native speakers
(798,400 cited 1990–2015 census)[1][2]
Lao, Latin, Thai
Language codes
ISO 639-3Either:
kjg – Khmu
khf – Buddhist Khmu (Kmhmu' Khwen)[3][4]
Glottologkhmu1255

Khmu [kʰmuʔ] is the language of the Khmu people of the northern Laos region. It is also spoken in adjacent areas of Vietnam, Thailand and China. Khmu lends its name to the Khmuic branch of the Austroasiatic language family, the latter of which also includes Khmer and Vietnamese. Within Austroasiatic, Khmu is often cited as being most closely related to the Palaungic and Khasic languages.[5] The name "Khmu" can also be seen romanized as Kmhmu, Khmu', Kammu, or Khamuk in various publications or alternatively referred to by the name of a local dialect.

  1. ^ "Kmhmu'". Ethnologue. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  2. ^ "Khuen". Ethnologue. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  3. ^ Hammarström (2015) Ethnologue 16/17/18th editions: a comprehensive review: online appendices
  4. ^ "Mon-Khmer Classification (Draft)".
  5. ^ Diffloth, Gérard (2005). "The contribution of linguistic palaeontology and Austroasiatic". in Laurent Sagart, Roger Blench and Alicia Sanchez-Mazas, eds. The Peopling of East Asia: Putting Together Archaeology, Linguistics and Genetics. 77–80. London: Routledge Curzon.