Endangered Languages Project

ALSO KNOWN AS		Aitonia, Sham Doaniya
CLASSIFICATION		Tai-Kadai, Kam-Tai, Be-Tai, Tai, Southwest-Central Tai, Southwestern Tai
ORTHOGRAPHY		Derived from Shan, which was derived from Burmese
CODE AUTHORITY		ISO 639-3; Glottolog
LANGUAGE CODE		aio; aito1238
DOWNLOAD		As csv
MORE RESOURCES		OLAC search

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Information from: “Tai Aiton (Assam, India) - Language Snapshot” . Deepmoni Kakoty (2020) , Peter K. Austin · ELPublishing

Threatened

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available
1,500
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
8000

DATE OF INFO: 2006

DOMAINS OF USE

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS

TRANSMISSION

MORE ON VITALITY

The language is used at home and in community social gatherings and religious ceremonies.

SPEAKER ATTITUDE

The Aiton speak their language with family and community members, and generally Assamese with others. They are very conscious about their language, culture, and traditions which they try to pass on to the younger generations. Few Tai monks know the language anymore, so they can no longer teach it to young monks.

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT

Recognized by the Indian government as a Scheduled Tribe (Hill), and as Man-Tai speaking by the Assam government

OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

Tai
Assamese
English
Hindi

Scripts (Writing system)

Derived from Shan, which was derived from Burmese

More on Orthography

Few people are literate in the traditional Tai writing system, which was brought when they migrated to Assam. Literacy in other languages is 85-90%, and Assamese and English words are borrowed.

PLACES: The original homeland of the Aiton was the Aiton district of the Upper Chindwin Valley of Myanmar, and they migrated to Assam sometime in the 16th-17th century. The Tai Aiton presently live in the villages of Golaghat and Karbi Anglong districts in the Upper Assam, along with the Turung people.

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
1,500
Native speakers worldwide
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
Data for the number of native speakers comes from Morey (2006).

Scripts (Writing system): Myanmar (Burmese) script

PLACES: India;

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: Assam, Jorhat, Karbi Anglong districts, Doboroni, Banlung, Ahomoni, Balipathar, Kaliyani, Chakihula, Tengani, Barhula villages.

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
2,000
Native speakers worldwide

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
5,000
Native speakers worldwide

Threatened

60 percent certain, based on the evidence available
>1,000
Native speakers worldwide
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
Children are learning the language.

TRANSMISSION
LANGUAGE CONTEXT COMMENTS: Currently undergoing a revival of cultural activity

PLACES: Assam, India

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: Eight villages in Golaghat and Karbi Anglong districts along Dhonsiri River

Severely endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
Numbers unknown but now dwindling.

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS

PLACES: India

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: Assam state, Lakhimpur and Sibsagar, Naga Hills

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: This Shan ethnic group settled there to flee persecution in the nineteenth century from Burma.

			16	2009	Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 16th Edition (2009)			M. Paul Lewis	SIL International			Dallas, TX		http://www.ethnologue.com/		Lewis, M. Paul (ed.). 2009. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 16 edn. http://www.ethnologue.com/home.asp. (15 February, 2011.)	ll_pub		1,500		1000-9999	Data for the number of native speakers comes from Morey (2006).					Threatened (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)						India;	Assam, Jorhat, Karbi Anglong districts, Doboroni, Banlung, Ahomoni, Balipathar, Kaliyani, Chakihula, Tengani, Barhula villages.
				2007	South Asia and the Middle East	Encyclopedia of the World's Endangered Languages	289-348	Christopher Mosely	London and NewYork: Routledge				4		George Van Driem	Driem, George Van. 2007. "South Asia and the Middle East." In Encyclopedia of the World's Endangered Languages, edited by Christopher Mosely. 289-348. London and NewYork: Routledge.						Numbers unknown but now dwindling.					Severely Endangered (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)				14	This Shan ethnic group settled there to flee persecution in the nineteenth century from Burma.	India	Assam state, Lakhimpur and Sibsagar, Naga Hills
			3rd	2010	Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger				UNESCO Publishing			Paris		http://www.unesco.org/culture/en/endangeredlanguages/atlas	Christopher Moseley (ed.)	Moseley, Christopher (ed.). 2010. Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger, 3rd edn. http://www.unesco.org/culture/en/endangeredlanguages/atlas. (03 June, 2011.)	ll_pub		2,000		1000-9999						Threatened (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)								26.6523,94.2901
				2007	East and Southeast Asia	Encyclopedia of the World's Endangered Languages	349-424	C. Moseley	London & New York: Routledge						David Bradley	Bradley, David. 2007. "East and Southeast Asia." In Encyclopedia of the World's Endangered Languages, edited by C. Moseley. 349-424. London & New York: Routledge.	HHOLD		>1,000		1000-9999	Children are learning the language.				Currently undergoing a revival of cultural activity	Threatened (60 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	11					Assam, India	Eight villages in Golaghat and Karbi Anglong districts along Dhonsiri River
					World Oral Literature Project									http://www.oralliterature.org		"World Oral Literature Project." Online: http://www.oralliterature.org.			5,000		1000-9999						Threatened (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)
ISSN: 1740-6234	Language Snapshots	July		2020	Tai Aiton (Assam, India) - Language Snapshot			Peter K. Austin	ELPublishing	Language Documentation and Description	17			http://www.elpublishing.org/docs/1/17/ldd17_05.pdf	Deepmoni Kakoty	Kakoty, Deepmoni. 2020. Tai Aiton (Assam, India) – Language Snapshot. In Peter K. Austin (ed.) Language Documentation and Description 17, 76-81. London: EL Publishing. http://www.elpublishing.org/PID/183		8000	1,500	2006	1000-9999		Tai, Assamese, English, Hindi	Recognized by the Indian government as a Scheduled Tribe (Hill), and as Man-Tai speaking by the Assam government	The Aiton speak their language with family and community members, and generally Assamese with others. They are very conscious about their language, culture, and traditions which they try to pass on to the younger generations. Few Tai monks know the language anymore, so they can no longer teach it to young monks.		Threatened (100 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	10	The language is used at home and in community social gatherings and religious ceremonies.	13	11		The original homeland of the Aiton was the Aiton district of the Upper Chindwin Valley of Myanmar, and they migrated to Assam sometime in the 16th-17th century. The Tai Aiton presently live in the villages of Golaghat and Karbi Anglong districts in the Upper Assam, along with the Turung people.

Tai Aiton

Language metadata

Language information by source

Threatened

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available

1,500

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

1,500

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

2,000

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

5,000

Threatened

60 percent certain, based on the evidence available

>1,000

Severely endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

Discussion

Tai Aiton

Language metadata

Language information by source

Threatened

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available

1,500

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

1,500

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

2,000

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

5,000

Threatened

60 percent certain, based on the evidence available

>1,000

Severely endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

Discussion

Suggest information or improvement

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Sources of information

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