How are Tai languages related to Kam-Sui and Li languages?

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map of Tai languages — Tai languages Major divisions of the Tai languages and related languages.

Tai languages are genetically related to the Kam-Sui and Li (Hlai) languages, as they all belong to a broader language family known as Tai-Kadai (or simply Kadai).1

While earlier theories once suggested that Tai languages were part of the Sino-Tibetan family, this view is no longer widely accepted by scholars. The similarities in phonological systems, such as tone, are not considered definitive evidence of a relationship with Chinese, as many basic vocabulary items in Tai languages are distinct from those in Chinese.1

Some researchers have proposed a potential link between the Tai-Kadai family and Austronesian languages, though this connection remains a subject of ongoing debate and has not yet been established to the satisfaction of the broader linguistic community.12