The Vietic languages: a phylogenetic analysis
We present a new internal classification of the Vietic languages, covering all recognized sub-groups and languages for which we could source suitably comparable data. The analysis reconciles results from two distinct methodologies: (1) computational phylogenetics based on a 116-item basic word list, and (2) historical phonological changes among syllable codas. The analysis identifies five principal sub-groups: Thavung-Malieng (TM), Chut-Arem, Pong-Toum, Cuoi-Tho, and Viet-Muong (VM). While the identification of these subgroups is not original, aspects of the branching structure are. We find that the Vietic tree has a binary structure at the root, splitting between TM and the rest of the branch, which we may call the Eastern Vietic clade. Within that Eastern clade, we further find a north-south division, in which the northern VM group is most innovative while those to the south are more conservative. Previously, scholars have tended to group TM and Chut together as archaic lects based on broad typological features of word structure without suggesting specific common phonological innovations to link them. Our findings suggest that syllable restructuring and tonogenesis, which are hallmarks of Vietic languages, have developed largely independently among subgroups, notwithstanding very broad commonalities in phonological change which have contributed to strong areal convergence. Additionally, the Vietic homeland question is briefly discussed, with a northern locus of dispersal arguably supported by old loanword evidence and archaeological data.1