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Languages of Southeast Asia and Oceania - geography.

Publié le 27/05/2013

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Languages of Southeast Asia and Oceania - geography. Overview In the distant past, Austro-Asiatic languages probably prevailed across mainland Southeast Asia. Centuries of southward expansion by Chinese-speaking peoples may have driven speakers of languages in other families, including Tibeto-Burman (a branch of the Sino-Tibetan family) and Tai, to migrate south and occupy parts of the Southeast Asian mainland. From Malaysia to the Pacific islands, most of the region's people speak languages in the Austronesian family. Although most Austronesian speakers live in this region, many scholars believe that Austronesian languages originated elsewhere, on the island of Taiwan (see East Asia Map Trek). Skilled mariners, Austronesian speakers spread...

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