The Fundamental Frequencies of Tai Yuan Tones Spoken by Lua’ (Mal) Speakers in Nan Province, Thailand

Abstract

Lua’ (Mal), a Mon-Khmer language, has been reconstructed as a non-tonal language. However, it has been found that the Lua’ (Mal) spoken in Ta Luang Village in the Pua District of Nan Province is becoming a tonal language due to contact with Tai Yuan, the majority language of Nan Province. There are two groups of lexical pitches in the Ta Luang variety: high and low. This paper aims to analyze and compare the fundamental frequencies of the Tai Yuan tones as spoken by female Lua’ (Mal) speakers in Ta Luang Village and those of female native speakers of Tai Yuan from Pua District.