Editing Tai languages (section)

====Sound changes====
{{See also|Proto-Tai language}}
[[File:Zhuang-dialects-map.png|right|thumb|400px|Distribution of Central and Northern Tai languages (Zhuang, Tay-Nung and Bouyei included)]] 
The following phonological shifts occurred in the Q (Southwestern), N (Northern), B (Ningming), and C (Chongzuo) subgroups (Pittayaporn 2009:300–301).

{| class="wikitable"
|+Proto-Tai reflexes
!c=rf| [[Proto-Tai language|Proto-Tai]]
!c=01| Subgroup Q{{efn|Unless indicated otherwise, all phonological shifts occurred at the primary level (node A).}}
!c=02| Subgroup N{{efn|Unless indicated otherwise, all phonological shifts occurred at the primary level (node D).}}
!c=03| Subgroup B
!c=04| Subgroup C
|-
!c=rf| *ɤj, *ɤw, *ɤɰ
|c=01| *aj, *aw, *aɰ
|c=02| *i:, *u:, *ɯ:
|c=03| *i:, *u:, *ɯ:
|c=04| –
|-
!c=rf| *ɯj, *ɯw
|c=01| *iː, *uː{{efn|Also, the *ɯːk > *uːk shift occurred at node A.}}
|c=02| *aj, *aw{{efn|Innovation at node N}}
|c=03| *iː, *uː
|c=04| –
|-
!c=rf| *we, *wo
|c=01| *eː, *oː
|c=02| *iː, *uː
|c=03| *eː, *oː{{efn|For node B, the affected Proto-Tai syllable was *weː, *woː.}}
|c=04| *eː, *oː{{efn|For node C, the affected Proto-Tai syllable was *weː, *woː.}}
|-
!c=rf| *ɟm̩.r-
|c=01| *br-
|c=02| *ɟr-
|c=03| –
|c=04| *ɟr-
|-
!c=rf| *k.t-
|c=01| –
|c=02| *tr-
|c=03| –
|c=04| *tr-
|-
!c=rf| *ɤn, *ɤt, *ɤc
|c=01| –
|c=02| *an, *at, *ac{{efn|Innovation at node J}}
|c=03| –
|c=04| –
|}

Furthermore, the following shifts occurred at various nodes leading up to node Q.
* E: *p.t- > *p.r-; *ɯm > *ɤm
* G: *k.r- > *qr-
* K: *eː, *oː > *ɛː, *ɔː
* O: *ɤn > *on
* Q: *kr- > *ʰr-