Standard Lemma guide

Austro-Tai

adj · name · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈɒstɹəʊˌtaɪ/
  • UK, dated: /ˈɔːstɹəʊˌtaɪ/
  • US: /ˈɔstɹoʊˌtaɪ/
  • US, cot-caught-merger: /ˈɑstɹoʊˌtaɪ/

1

adj

Meaning 1

Pertaining to that language family.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • The paper contained some newly-proposed Austro-Tai etymons.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Narrower terms: Austronesian, Kra-Dai, Tai-Kadai

2

name

Meaning 2

A proposed language family comprising the Austronesian and Kra-Dai/Tai-Kadai families.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • She thinks the evidence for Austro-Tai is more convincing than for Dene-Yeniseian.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Narrower terms: Austronesian, Kra-Dai, Tai-Kadai

History

Etymology

From the names of the component Austro(nesian) and Tai(-Kadai) families; coined by Paul K. Benedict in 1966, referring to his 1942 proposal of the family.