Vietnamese, another key language, surprisingly belongs to this family and not to the Sino-Tibetan family, as many assume due to China’s proximity and historical influence. Austroasiatic: Primarily encompassing languages from mainland Southeast Asia, the most prominent language from this family is Khmer, spoken in Cambodia.This family also encompasses various ethnic languages in the region. Sino-Tibetan: Burmese, the official language of Myanmar, falls under this category.It includes Filipino (Tagalog) from the Philippines, Malay (used in Malaysia, Brunei, and Singapore as Bahasa Malaysia, Bahasa Melayu, or Bahasa Indonesia in Indonesia), and Javanese from Indonesia. Austronesian: This is the most widespread language family in the region.Southeast Asian languages mainly belong to four major language families: Austronesian, Sino-Tibetan, Austroasiatic, and Tai-Kadai. From the bustling streets of Bangkok to the serene landscapes of Bali, language plays a crucial role in defining the unique identities of these nations. With a combined population of over 650 million people, the linguistic landscape of this region is as diverse and vibrant as its ecosystems. Southeast Asia, a region that comprises ten countries, is a melting pot of cultures, religions, and, importantly, languages.
