An attempt to plot the source languages of village names on a map of Kachin State, Myanmar

Abstract

The Kachin State of Myanmar is home to a variety of ethnic groups, including Kachin, Tai, and Burmese. This is a result of the ethnic migrations and expansions that have occurred in the area. Determining the source language of a village name and plotting it on a map could provide clues to the present and past distribution of the ethnic groups, and also supporting evidence for presumed ethnic migrations and expansions. In this paper, I will outline methods for determining the source languages of village names in Kachin State based on the resources such as descriptions on maps, information gathered through interviews, names of families and clans and so on. I will also present the results of an attempt to plot the source languages on a map at the current stage.