Karenic languages facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Karenic |
|
|---|---|
| Ethnicity: | Karen people |
| Geographic distribution: |
South-eastern Myanmar, Western Thailand |
| Linguistic classification: | Sino-Tibetan
|
| Proto-language: | Proto-Karenic |
| Subdivisions: |
Sgaw
Pa'O
Pwo
|
| ISO 639-2 and 639-5: | kar |
 |
|
The Karen or Karenic languages are special languages spoken by about 4.5 million Karen people. These languages use different tones to change the meaning of words. They are mainly spoken in parts of Myanmar and Thailand.
Karen languages are written using their own special writing system called the Karen script. The three most common Karen languages are Sgaw, Pwo, and Pa'O. Other important Karen languages include Karenni (also called Kayah) and Kayan (also known as Padaung).
Karen languages are quite unique among the larger Sino-Tibetan languages family. Most Sino-Tibetan languages put the subject, then the object, then the verb in a sentence (like "I apple eat"). But Karen languages are different! They use a subject–verb–object order (like "I eat apple"), similar to English. This might be because they have been influenced by nearby languages like Mon and Tai languages.
How Linguists Group Karenic Languages
Linguists, who study languages, often group Karenic languages in different ways. One common way is to divide them into three main geographical groups:
- Northern Karen: This group includes languages like Pa’o.
- Central Karen: This area has many different Karen languages. Some examples are Kayah (Red Karen), Kayaw, Bwe, and Geba.
- Southern Karen: This group includes the widely spoken languages like Pwo and Sgaw.
Kayan (Padaung) languages are seen as a mix between the Northern and Central groups. The languages with the most speakers are Sgaw, Pwo, and Pa’o.
Different Ways to Classify Karenic Languages
Experts have different ideas about how all the Karenic languages are related. For example, a linguist named Theraphan Luangthongkum (in 2019) also recognized three main branches for Proto-Karen (the ancient language that all Karenic languages came from):
- Northern Branch: This includes Northern and Southern Pa-O.
- Central Branch: This branch has languages like Kayan, Kayah, Western Bwe (like Blimaw and Geba), and Kayaw.
- Southern Branch: This group includes Northern and Southern Sgaw, and Northern and Southern Pwo.
Some Karenic languages, like Western Bwe Karen, have special sounds called "implosives" or "preglottalised obstruents." These are sounds made by sucking air in or stopping it in your throat before releasing it. They also have voiceless sounds like "hn" or "hl."
See also
In Spanish: Lenguas karénicas para niños
