East Asian Languages - Mainland Southeast Asia Linguistic Area

Mainland Southeast Asia Linguistic Area

The Mainland Southeast Asia (MSEA) linguistic area stretches from Thailand to China and is home to speakers of languages of the Sino-Tibetan, Hmong–Mien (or Miao–Yao), Tai-Kadai, Austronesian (represented by Chamic) and Austro–Asiatic families. Neighbouring languages across these families, though presumed unrelated, often have similar typological features, which are believed to have spread by diffusion.

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