Tai Laing language

Tai Laing
  • Tai Leng
  • Tai Lai
  • Shanni
  • Shan-ni
တႆးလႅင်
Native toMyanmar
RegionKachin, Sagaing
Native speakers
100,000 (2010)[1]
Kra–Dai
Burmese script (Tai Laing variant)
Language codes
ISO 639-3tjl
Glottologtail1248

Tai Laing (Shan: တႆးလႅင်, lit. 'red Tai'; variously spelt Tai Lai or Tai Nai), also known as Shan-ni (Burmese: ရှမ်းနီ, lit. 'red Shan'), is a Tai language of Burma, closely related to Khamti and Shan. It is written in its own variant of Burmese script, and though not taught in schools, is experiencing a cultural revival, albeit still small. There is no census of speakers, but they are estimated to number around 100,000.

Alternate names for Tai Laing are Shan Bamar, Shan Kalee, Tai Laeng, Tai Lang, and Tai Naing.[1]

  1. ^ a b Tai Laing at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)