Glottolog None | ||
 | ||
Geographic
distribution East, South and Southeast Asia Linguistic classification proposed language family Subdivisions Sino-Tibetan
Austronesian
Tai–Kadai | ||
Sino-Austronesian or Sino-Tibetan-Austronesian is a proposed language family suggested by Laurent Sagart in 1990. Using reconstructions of the Old Chinese language, Sagart argued that the Austronesian languages are related to the Sinitic languages phonologically, lexically and morphologically. Sagart later acknowledged that the Sino-Tibetan languages are a valid group and extended his proposal to include the rest of Sino-Tibetan. Additionally, the Tai–Kadai languages were placed internally within the Austronesian family as a sister branch of Malayo-Polynesian. The proposal is controversial (see below), but still being debated.
Contents
Classification
Criticism
Ostapirat (2005) supports the link between Austronesian and Kra–Dai (Sagart built upon Ostapirat's findings), but rejects a link to Sino-Tibetan. He notes that the apparent cognates are rarely found in all branches of Kra–Dai, and almost none are in core vocabulary.
Blust (2014) notes that Sagart circumvents valid use of the comparative method, saying his "device for manufacturing evidence of genetic relationship where none exists is what can be called 'fishing for dregs'", and that basic vocabulary is hardly represented in the comparisons.
Sagart (2016) responds to some of the criticisms by Blust (2009).