Karenic languages

The Karen or Karenic languages are tonal languages spoken by around 4.5 million Karen people. Scientists are still unsure where they belong in the larger group of Sino-Tibetan languages. These languages use a special set of symbols called the Karen script.

There are three main groups of Karen languages: Sgaw (often just called Karen), Pwo, and Pa'O. Two more groups, Karenni (also known as Kayah or Red Karen) and Kayan (also known as Padaung), are also part of the Karen family.

What makes Karen languages special compared to most other Sino-Tibetan languages is the order of words in a sentence. While most of these languages follow a "subject–object–verb" order, Karen languages use "subject–verb–object". This likely happened because of influence from nearby Mon and Tai languages. Only a few other Sino-Tibetan languages, like Bai and the Chinese languages, share this feature.

Classification

The Karen languages are a group of tonal languages spoken by around 4.5 million people. They are different from other Tibeto-Burman languages in how their words are shaped and put together.

There are three main groups of Karen languages: Northern, Central, and Southern. The Northern group includes Pa'o. The Central group, which has the most variety, includes Kayah (also called Red Karen or Karenni), Kayaw, Bwe, Geba, and many others. The Southern group includes Pwo and Sgaw. Kayan (Padaung) is a mix between the Northern and Central groups. The languages with the most speakers are Sgaw, Pwo, and Pa'o.

Reconstruction

Main article: Proto-Karenic language

The Karen languages are a group of tonal languages spoken by many people. These languages are part of the larger Sino-Tibetan language family. They have their own special way of writing called the Karen script.