Bit–Khang languages
{{Infobox language family
|name=Bit–Khang
|ethnicity=
|familycolor=Austro-Asiatic
|fam2=Khasi–Palaungic
|fam3=Palaungic
|glotto=khao1243
|glottorefname=Khao–Bit
}}
The Bit–Khang languages consist of:
The Bit–Khang languages are spoken in southern China, northern Laos, and northwestern Vietnam. The Bit-Khang branch was first proposed by Paul Sidwell (2014).
Classification
At first, Bit–Khang languages were usually classified as Khmuic, but Sidwell (2014) has since demonstrated the Palaungic affiliation of Bit-Khang, as well as its unity. Paul Sidwell (2014){{Cite journal |last=Sidwell |first=Paul |date=2014 |title=Khmuic Classification and Homeland |url=https://www.academia.edu/11935141 |journal=Mon-Khmer Studies |language=en |volume=43 |issue=1 |pages=47–56 |via=Academia.edu}} proposes that these languages constitute a subgroup of Palaungic, since they display lexical innovations characteristic of the Palaungic branch such as 'eye', 'fire', 'blood', and 'laugh'.
| class="wikitable" | |
| eye | *ˀŋaːj |
| blood | *snaːm |
| fire | *ŋal |
| laugh | *kəɲaːs |
Sidwell (2014) suggests that Bit–Khang may have originally been Eastern Palaungic, due to various isoglosses shared with Waic, Lametic, and Angkuic, but was later heavily relexified by Khmuic as Bit-Khang speakers migrated eastward into Khmuic territory.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Austroasiatic languages}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bit-Khang languages}}