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Glite Dictionary
White Tai

White Tai

9.9
A Tai language spoken in northern Vietnam by local people
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : White Tai
  • The White Tai language is spoken by several ethnic groups in northern Vietnam.

Examples

  • Researchers have documented unique vocabulary and grammar features of the White Tai.

  • My friend is studying White Tai as part of her linguistic fieldwork.

  • The White Tai language is rich in culture.

  • Many White Tais live in Lai Chau Province.

  • The White Tai language is spoken by several ethnic groups in northern Vietnam.

  • My friend is studying White Tai as part of her linguistic fieldwork.

  • Researchers have documented unique vocabulary and grammar features of the White Tai.

Surface Forms

White Tai singular
White Tais plural

Morphology

White + Tai

The label 'White Tai' is a transparent compound of the color adjective 'white' plus the ethnolinguistic noun 'Tai', so its meaning as a particular Tai-speaking group or variety is directly inferable. This color+ethnonym naming pattern is common cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows 'white' and 'Tai' would reasonably understand it denotes a specific branch/variety even without detailed background knowledge.

Etymology

White Tai comes from a group of Tai people who used to wear white clothes, so others called them the white Tai. Today the name refers to their 'language'.