Bisoid languages
The Bisoid languages belong to the Southern Loloish branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family. Most Bisoid languages are spoken in Phongsaly Province, northern Laos, with smaller numbers of speakers living in China, Vietnam, Myanmar, and northern Thailand.
Languages
The Bisoid languages are:- Bantang
- Bisu
- Cantan
- Cauho
- Cốông
- Habei
- Khongsat
- Laomian
- Laopan
- Laopin
- Laoseng
- Phongku
- Phongset
- Phunoi
- Phunyot
- Pyen
- Sangkong
- Sinsali
- Tsukong
Classification
Bradley (2007)
David Bradley considers the following Bisoid dialects to be closely related.- Bisu: 500 ethnic members in northern Thailand, with far fewer speakers
- Hpyin : already reported as moribund in 1900, and replaced by Lahu
- Laomian: 4,000 speakers in central Lancang County
- Laopin: fewer than 1,000 speakers in Menghai County
- '
- Sinsali proper
- '
- '
- '
Udomkool (2006)
Kitjapol Udomkool, citing data from Wright, also lists the following Bisoid languages.Kitjapol Udomkool gives the following computational classification for the Bisoid group, using the UPGMA method.
Wright (n.d.)
Wright tentatively classifies the Singsali languages of Phongsaly Province, Laos as follows. Phongku may or may not belong as the same group as Laoseng, Phongset, Cantan, and Singsali.Hsiu (2016, 2018)
Bisoid languages were also analyzed in a 2016 computational phylogenetic lexical analysis by Hsiu.The Bisoid classification above was subsequently revised by Hsiu as follows, with Habei added to Bisoid.
;Bisoid
- Bisu cluster: Bisu, Laomian, Laopin, Pyen, Laopan
- Singsali cluster: Phunoi, Singsali, Cantan, Laoseng, Phongku, Phongset, Phunyot
- Coong cluster: Cốông, Sangkong, Tsukong
- Cauho
- Bantang
- Khongsat
- Habei