ABSTRACT
Saek in Nakhon Phanom has been referred to by those who study it as a ‘displaced’ language. It shows basic features of the Northern branch of Tai, including many characteristic Northern lexical items, but is undergoing substantial contact-induced change from nearby Southwestern varieties. It is endangered (Boltz 1991; Wilaiwan Khanittanan 1976; Gedney 1970, 1993) but there are efforts to preserve it (see below). The purpose here is to follow up and briefly to update earlier more extensive descriptions of Saek (Gedney 1970, 1993; Wilaiwan Khanittanan 1976). The reader is referred to these studies for further detail and for diachronic discussion.
