Semelaic | |
---|---|
Southern Aslian | |
Geographic distribution: |
Peninsular Malaysia |
Linguistic classification: |
Austroasiatic
|
Glottolog: | seme1246 |
The Semelaic languages are a sub-branch of the Aslian branch of Mon–Khmer group of languages. They are based in the southern part of the central Malaysian plain, and are thus sometimes referred to as the Southern Aslian languages. The four languages that make up the branch are,
Of these languages, Mah Meri is the most divergent (Benjamin 2011).
These languages are spoken by tribal groups, numbering no more than 10,000 speakers in total. The languages are considered endangered due to social disruption in the area and the dominance of Malay.