In this article, we are going to explore the fascinating life of Pakanic languages, an individual who has left his mark throughout history. From his humble beginnings to his most outstanding achievements, Pakanic languages has been an influential figure in his field. Through a detailed analysis of his career, we will discover the reasons behind his success and the impact he has had on the world around him. With an in-depth look at his experiences, achievements, and challenges, we hope to shed light on the importance of Pakanic languages and his lasting legacy.
| Pakanic | |
|---|---|
| Geographic distribution | Southern China |
| Linguistic classification | Austroasiatic
|
| Proto-language | Proto-Pakanic |
| Subdivisions | |
| Glottolog | boly1240 |
The Pakanic languages constitute a branch of two Austroasiatic languages, Bolyu and Bugan. They are spoken in Guangxi and Yunnan provinces of southern China. Mang was formerly included, but is now considered by Paul Sidwell to form its own separate branch within Austroasiatic.
Jenny & Sidwell (2015) consider Pakanic to be an independent branch of Austroasiatic.
Various classifications had previously been proposed for individual Pakanic languages. In 1990, Paul K. Benedict argued that Bolyu constitutes a separate Mon-Khmer branch. Edmondson & Gregerson (1996) listed many phonological and lexical similarities shared by Bolyu and Vietic languages. However, Gérard Diffloth later suggested that Pakanic (i.e., Bolyu and Bugan) shares an affinity with Palaungic languages and was part of a wider Northern Mon-Khmer group.
Mangic, a proposed language grouping that includes Mang as a sister to Pakanic within a unified subgroup of Austroasiatic, is recognized by Ilia Peiros (2004) and Sidwell's earlier classifications. Nguyen Van Loi also classified Mang within the Samtau group of Waic with Palaungic, although he later classified Mang as a sister of Waic (Sidwell 2009:133).
Proto-Pakanic, the proto-language ancestral to Bolyu and Bugan but not Mang, was reconstructed by Andrew Hsiu (2016). Hsiu (2017), citing Li Xulian (1999), notes that Pakanic languages were formerly spoken further up north in Guizhou and were in close contact with Gelao. Hsiu (2017) also notes that Pakanic languages display loanword influence from Kra languages, and have also influenced Kra languages.