Bit–Khang languages

Bit–Khang
Geographic distribution:	Laos, Vietnam, China
Linguistic classification:	Austroasiatic Palaungic Bit–Khang
Glottolog:	khao1243[1]

The Bit–Khang languages consist of:

• Bit (AKA Khabit, Psing, Buxing)
• Quang Lam
• Kháng
• Bumang

The Bit–Khang languages are spoken in southern China, northern Laos, and northwestern Vietnam.

Classification

Paul Sidwell (2014)^[2] proposes that these languages constitute a subgroup of Palaungic, since they display lexical innovations within Palaungic such as 'eye', 'fire', 'blood', and 'laugh'.

Sidwell (2014) speculates that Bit–Khang may have originally been Eastern Palaungic, due to various isoglosses shared with Waic, Lametic, and Angkuic, but was later heavily relexified by Khmuic as Bit-Khang speakers migrated eastward into Khmuic territory.

References

1. Hammarström, Harald; Forkel, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin; Bank, Sebastian, eds. (2016). "Khao–Bit". Glottolog 2.7. Jena: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History.
2. Sidwell, Paul. 2014. "Khmuic classification and homeland". Mon-Khmer Studies 43.1:47-56.