The Role of Shan in the Greater Burma Zone

Shan varieties and Khuen are relatively recent arrivals in the northern Burma Zone. With close relatives in Core Mainland Southeast Asia, most prominently Lao and Thai, Shan and Khuen play a special role in the study of the dynamics between the two linguistic areas. Shan can be seen as a major factor in the formation of a convergence zone in northern Myanmar, covering Shan State and parts of Kachin and Kayah States, as well as adjacent areas in Northeast India and Southwest. It is a locally dominant and nationally subordinate language at the same time, and while being part of the linguistic landscape of the Greater Burma Zone, it also shares numerous features with languages in adjacent areas, especially Core Mainland Southeast Asia. This paper looks at the development, spread, and influence of Shan and other Tai languages in the area and puts these developments in a historical perspective. A case of special interest is the recent development of Khuen, a language very closely related to Northern Thai (Lan Na) but under increasing pressure from Burmese since the mid-twentieth century. This pressure is reflected in the replacement of traditional vocabulary by Burmese loans. This process moves Khuen away from Lan Na and brings it closer to Shan, equally influenced by Burmese.

Burmese language · Kachin State · Kayah State · Language contact · language convergence · Language shift · lexical borrowing · Northeast India · Shan language · Shan State · Southwest China · Tai languages · Linguistic and Sociocultural Studies · Linguistics and Language Studies · Linguistics, Language Diversity, and Identity