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The Moklenic or Moken–Moklen languages consist of a pair of two closely related but distinct languages, namely Moken and Moklen. Larish (1999) establishes the two languages as forming two distinct subgroups of a larger Moken–Moklen branch. Larish (2005) suggests Moklenic as an alternative name for Moken–Moklen, the latter term which was originally used by Larish (1999).

Languages

There are two Moklenic languages.

• Moken, spoken by about 2,500-3,000 Moken people or "Sea Gypsies" of Thailand and Myanmar.
• Moklen, spoken by 2,500-3,000 Moklen people of southern Thailand.

Moken and Moklen are linguistically and culturally related but distinct from each other, with Moken speakers primarily being sea-based hunter-gatherers, while Moklen speakers are land-based people living in villages and towns of southern Thailand (Larish 2005). Comparative studies of Moken and Moklen include those of Leerabhandh (1984), Makboon (1981), and Larish (1999).

The Moklenic languages are spoken along a 650-kilometer stretch of the west coast of southern Myanmar and southern Thailand, from Tavoy Island, Burma to Phi Phi Island, Thailand (Larish 2005). Moken has a very wide distribution, while Moklen is exclusively spoken on the western coast of southern Thailand. Moklen displays heavy Southern Thai influence and is more endangered than Moken.

Urak Lawoi’ is spoken by another group of Sea Gypsies in southern Thailand. It is one of the Malayic languages, and is not a Moklenic language. On Phuket Island, Urak Lawoi’ is in contact with Moken.

External relationships

Larish (1999, 2005)

Larish (1999, 2005) considers Moklenic to be a sister of the Chamic and Malayic languages rather than as part of them. Moklenic languages have also been strongly influenced by Austroasiatic languages, with many of those Austroasiatic loanwords, such as 'bird', also found in Chamic.

Larish (1999) classifies the two languages Moken and Moklen as part of a larger Moklenic–Acehnese-Chamic-Malayic ("MACM") subgroup.

Moklenic–Acehnese-Chamic-Malayic

• "Funan"?
• Moklenic (displays *q > *k sound change)
  • Moken
  • Moklen
• Acehnese-Chamic-Malayic (displays *q > *h sound change)
  • Acehnese-Chamic
  • Malayic

While the Acehnese-Chamic-Malayic languages display a Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *q > *h sound change, Moklenic languages instead display a Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *q > *k sound change. In Duano, although belongs to the Malayic branch, *q changes into *k instead of usual *h (*qulu → Duano kulu, but Proto-Malayic *hulu), shared with Moklenic.

Larish (1999) also speculates that the unknown extinct language (or languages) of the Funan Empire in southern Vietnam may have been an early split from Proto-Moklenic–Acehnese-Chamic-Malayic.

Smith (2017)

In a recent classification of the western Malayo-Polynesian languages, Smith (2017: 459) argues based on phonological evidence that Moklenic is a primary branch from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian.

Reconstruction

Proto-Moken-Moklen has been reconstructed by Larish (1999).

References

1. ^ Larish, Michael. 2005. "Moken and Moklen." in Alexander Adelaar and Nikolaus P. Himmelmann (eds.), The Austronesian languages of Asia and Madagascar, 513-533. London: Routledge. ISBN 0-7007-1286-0.
2. Leerabhandh, S. (1984) Phonological reconstruction of Proto Orang-Laut, MA Thesis at Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom: Institute of Language and Culture for Rural Development, Salaya Campus.
3. Makboon, S. (1981) Survey of Sea People’s dialects along the West Coast of Thailand, MA Thesis at Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom: Institute of Language and Culture for Rural Development.
4. ^ Larish, Michael David. 1999. The Position of Moken and Moklen Within the Austronesian Language Family. Doctoral dissertation, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa.
5. Anderbeck, Karl (2012). "The Malayic speaking Orang Laut: Dialects and directions for research". Wacana: Journal of the Humanities of Indonesia. 14 (2): 265–312. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
6. Smith, Alexander D. (2017). "The Western Malayo-Polynesian Problem". Oceanic Linguistics. 56 (2): 435–490. doi:10.1353/ol.2017.0021.

Further reading

• Larish, Michael David (1991). ‘The special relationship between Moken, Acehnese, Chamic and Mon-Khmer: Areal influence or genetic affinity?’ Unpublished paper presented at the Sixth International Conference on Austronesian Linguistics, Honolulu University of Hawai'i.
• Larish, Michael David (1993) ‘Who are the Moken and Moklen on the Islands and Coasts of the Andaman Sea?’ in Pan-Asiatic Linguistics: Proceedings of the Third International Symposium on Language and Linguistics, Chulalongkorn University, January 8–10, 1992, volume III:1305–19, Bangkok: Chulalongkorn University Printing House.
• Larish, Michael David (1997) ‘Moklen-Moken phonology: Mainland or insular Southeast Asian typology?’, in C. Odé and W. Stokhof (eds), Proceedings of the Seventh International Conference on Austronesian Linguistics, 125–50, Amsterdam: Rodopi.
• Naw Say Bay. 1995. "The phonology of the Dung dialect of Moken", in Papers in Southeast Asian Linguistics No. 13, Studies in Burmese Languages, ed. D. Bradley, vol. 13, pp. 193–205. Pacific Linguistics, the Australian National University.

v t e Languages of Thailand
Official language	Thai
Other Thais	Lao–Phutai Isan Phu Thai Chiang Saen Northern Thai Tai Lü Phuan Thai Song Sukhothai Southern Thai Northwestern Khün Shan Tai Nüa
Minority by languages groups	Austroasiatic Bru Chong Chung Jahai Kensiu Khmer Northern Western Kintaq Kuy Mlabri Mon Nyah Kur Palaung Ten'edn Thavung Vietnamese Austronesian Cham Malay Bangkok Malay Pattani Malay Satun Malay Moken Moklen Urak Lawoi’ Hmong-Mien Hmong Iu Mien Sino-Tibetan Akha Eastern Pwo Lisu Sinitic Cantonese Teochew Hakka Hokkien Hainanese Hokchew Nuosu Mpi Northern Pwo Phrae Pwo Red Karen (Eastern Kayah) S'gaw Karen Ugong
Non-Indigenous	Immigrant language Burmese Hindi Punjabi Russian Southwestern Mandarin Working language English Japanese Korean
Sign languages	Thai Sign Language Ban Khor Sign

• Moklenic languages
• Malayo-Polynesian languages
• Languages of Myanmar
• Languages of Thailand