Revisiting “aberrant” features in Saek

Abstract

This study challenges the notion of Saek as an aberrant member of Tai by proposing that certain features previously considered archaic are, in fact, contact-induced innovations. Specifically, it argues that multiple correspondences involving /j-/ and the alleged split of the Proto-Tai *A1 tone can be traced back to Vietnamese and Lao or Thai influence. Additionally, this paper asserts that Saek is closely related to Fusui, a Northern Tai dialect spoken in southwestern Guangxi. This paper concludes that Saek is a Tai language with some unique retentions and traces of contact with neighboring languages.