Khmuic peoples
Encyclopedia
Khmuic peoples refers to a group of ethnic groups of Southeast Asia
.
and neighboring areas in Vietnam
, although they can also be found in Thailand
, Burma and China
.
There are also the Khao and Bit
peoples which were once thought to be Khmuic, although recent linguistic studies suggest they are probably Palaungic
.
, with a homeland somewhere within the borders of the modern-day People's Republic of China
. The prevalence of Y-DNA Haplogroup O
among Austro-Asiatic peoples suggests a common ancestry with the Sino-Tibetan
, Austronesian
, and Hmong–Mien peoples some 35,000 years ago in China. Haplogroup O is a subclade
of Y-DNA Haplogroup K
, which is believed to have originated approximately 40,000 years ago somewhere between Iran and Central China. In addition to the ethnicities previously mentioned, the progenitor of Haplogroup K was the patrilineal ancestor of nearly all modern Melanesians
and Native Americans
. Haplogroup K, in turn, is a subclade of Y-DNA Haplogroup F, which is believed to have originated in Northern Africa some 45,000 years ago. In addition to the ethnicities previously mentioned, the progenitor of Haplogroup F was probably the ancestor of all Indo-Europeans
.
language family, which is a branch of the Austro-Asiatic
language family. Most scholars agree that the Khmuic languages are part of the Mon–Khmer branch of the Austro-Asiatic family, but such classification has been recently challenged.
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
.
Geographic distribution
The Khmuic peoples are aboriginal to Laos and surrounding areas. Most Khmuic peoples live in northern LaosLaos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
and neighboring areas in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, although they can also be found in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Burma and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
Individual Khmuic ethnic groups
The individual Khmuic ethnic groups are as follows:- KhmuKhmu peopleThe Khmu is one of the largest ethnic groups based in northern Laos. They can also be found in Burma, southwest China , Thailand, and Vietnam, where they are an officially recognized ethnic group...
- KhuenKhuen peopleThe Khuen people are an aboriginal ethnic group of Laos.-Name Variation:The Khuen have appeared in research under several different English spellings including Khuen, Kuan, Kuanhua, Kween, Khween, and Khouen.-Language:...
- LuaLua peopleThe Lua People are a minority cultural group native to Laos, although some also live in Thailand.Animism, Shamanism and Theravada Buddhism are common spiritual practices for the Lua....
- MalMal peopleThe Mal are an aboriginal ethnic group in Laos and Thailand.-Language:The Mal speak a language also called Mal, which is a Khmuic language. The Khmuic languages are Austro-Asiatic...
(also known as the Tin in Thailand and the Thin in Laos) - MlabriMlabriThe Mlabri or Mrabri are an ethnic group of Thailand and Laos, and have been called "the most interesting and least understood people in Southeast Asia". Only about 300 or fewer Mlabris remain in the world today, with some estimates as low as 100. A hill tribe in northern Thailand along the border...
(also known as the Yumbri) - O DuO Du peopleThe Ơ Đu are an aboriginal ethnic group in Vietnam and Laos. Their total population is more than 570.-Name variation:The Ơ Đu are also commonly referred to as O'Du, O Du, Iduh, Tay Hat, Hat, and Haat.-Culture:...
- PhaiPhai peopleThe Phai are an ethnic group in Thailand and Laos.-Name Variation:The Phai are also commonly referred to as Phay, Thung Chan Pray, Kha Phay, and Prai. In Laos they are also referred to as Htin.-Language:...
- PrayPray peopleThe Pray are an ethnic group in Thailand.-Name Variation:The Pray are also commonly referred to as Pray 3 among social scientists, to disambiguate them from the related Phai people, who are also sometimes referred to as Pray .-Language:...
- Xinh MulXinh Mul people-Subgroups:the Xinh Mul are divided linguistically into three subgroups:*The Kháng of Vietnam*The Phong-Kniang of Laos*The Puoc of Vietnam and Laos-Language:...
(including Kháng, Phong-Kniang and Puoc speakers)
There are also the Khao and Bit
Bit people
The Bit or Bid are an ethnic group living in Louang Namtha Province, Laos. There are around 1,500 people left, mainly in a single village, as well as a further 500 or so over the border in China. They speak Bit, a Mon–Khmer language, although most also speak Lao.The Bit live in houses built on...
peoples which were once thought to be Khmuic, although recent linguistic studies suggest they are probably Palaungic
Palaungic languages
The nearly thirty Palaungic or Palaung–Wa languages form a branch of the Austro-Asiatic languages.Most of the Palaungic languages lost the contrastive voicing of the ancestral Austro-Asiatic consonants, with the distinction often shifting to the following vowel...
.
Origin
The Khmuic peoples are believed to have migrated by land from China to Laos, where they have resided for at least 4,000 years. Some 10,000 years ago, they were probably part of a largely homogenous ethnicity, now referred to as the Austro-Asiatic peoplesAustro-Asiatic languages
The Austro-Asiatic languages, in recent classifications synonymous with Mon–Khmer, are a large language family of Southeast Asia, also scattered throughout India and Bangladesh. The name Austro-Asiatic comes from the Latin words for "south" and "Asia", hence "South Asia"...
, with a homeland somewhere within the borders of the modern-day People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. The prevalence of Y-DNA Haplogroup O
Haplogroup O (Y-DNA)
In human genetics, Haplogroup O is a Y-chromosome DNA haplogroup. Haplogroup O is a close cladistic brother group with Haplogroup N, and is one of several descendants of Haplogroup K ....
among Austro-Asiatic peoples suggests a common ancestry with the Sino-Tibetan
Sino-Tibetan languages
The Sino-Tibetan languages are a language family comprising, at least, the Chinese and the Tibeto-Burman languages, including some 250 languages of East Asia, Southeast Asia and parts of South Asia. They are second only to the Indo-European languages in terms of the number of native speakers...
, Austronesian
Austronesian people
The Austronesian-speaking peoples are various populations in Oceania and Southeast Asia that speak languages of the Austronesian family. They include Taiwanese aborigines; the majority ethnic groups of East Timor, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei, Madagascar, Micronesia, and Polynesia,...
, and Hmong–Mien peoples some 35,000 years ago in China. Haplogroup O is a subclade
Subclade
In genetics, subclade is a term used to describe a subgroup of a subgenus or haplogroup. It is commonly used today in describing genealogical DNA tests of human mitochondrial DNA haplogroups and human Y-chromosome DNA haplogroups....
of Y-DNA Haplogroup K
Haplogroup K (Y-DNA)
In human genetics, Haplogroup K is a Human Y-chromosome DNA haplogroup. This haplogroup is a descendant of Haplogroup IJK. Its major descendant haplogroups are Haplogroup LT and Haplogroup K...
, which is believed to have originated approximately 40,000 years ago somewhere between Iran and Central China. In addition to the ethnicities previously mentioned, the progenitor of Haplogroup K was the patrilineal ancestor of nearly all modern Melanesians
Melanesians
Melanesians are an ethnic group in Melanesia. The original inhabitants of the group of islands now named Melanesia were likely the ancestors of the present-day Papuan-speaking people...
and Native Americans
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
. Haplogroup K, in turn, is a subclade of Y-DNA Haplogroup F, which is believed to have originated in Northern Africa some 45,000 years ago. In addition to the ethnicities previously mentioned, the progenitor of Haplogroup F was probably the ancestor of all Indo-Europeans
Indo-European languages
The Indo-European languages are a family of several hundred related languages and dialects, including most major current languages of Europe, the Iranian plateau, and South Asia and also historically predominant in Anatolia...
.
Language
Their languages belong to the KhmuicKhmuic languages
Khmuic languages are a subgroup of the Mon–Khmer languages.*Khao: Khao, Bit *Mlabri: Mlabri, Yumbri*Xinh Mul: Khang, Phong-Kniang, Puoc...
language family, which is a branch of the Austro-Asiatic
Austro-Asiatic languages
The Austro-Asiatic languages, in recent classifications synonymous with Mon–Khmer, are a large language family of Southeast Asia, also scattered throughout India and Bangladesh. The name Austro-Asiatic comes from the Latin words for "south" and "Asia", hence "South Asia"...
language family. Most scholars agree that the Khmuic languages are part of the Mon–Khmer branch of the Austro-Asiatic family, but such classification has been recently challenged.