Which Tai languages belong to the Southwestern Tai group?

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The Southwestern Tai group is the most geographically widespread branch of the Tai language family, accounting for approximately two-thirds of the total Tai-speaking population. These languages are spoken across Thailand, Laos, northern Vietnam, Myanmar, and Yunnan, China.1

According to linguistic classification based on lexical and phonological criteria, the Southwestern Tai group includes the following languages:1

  • Thai1
  • Lao1
  • Shan1
  • Khün1
  • Lü1
  • White Tai1
  • Black Tai1

This group represents a linguistic expansion that occurred in relatively recent historical periods. While other Tai languages are categorized into the Central or Northern groups, the Southwestern languages remain the most prominent, with Thai and Lao serving as the official languages of their respective nations.12