| Population |
9,550 in Myanmar (2000). Population total all countries: 9,650. |
| Region |
East Shan state. Also in China, Laos, Thailand. |
| Alternate names |
Samtau, Samtuan |
| Classification |
Austro-Asiatic, Mon-Khmer, Northern Mon-Khmer, Palaungic, Eastern Palaungic, Angkuic |
| Language use |
Vigorous. Home, village. Positive attitude. |
| Comments |
Samtao is used among the Palaungic to refer to unintelligible dialects of Plang. In China, Samtao refers to the Plang in Burma and occasionally to the Plang from other China-based varieties not understood. ‘Samtao’ can mean ‘non-standard speaker of Plang’, but could also refer to south Mong La region in East Shan state between the China border and Nam Lwe River. A third meaning refers to Plang who live in Samtao region. Wan Phii Plang is a Samtao variety similar to and intelligible with Wan Sen and Wan Nyet, ancient Plang villages along Mong La-Kentung Road further west. A fourth meaning of ‘Samtao’ refers to Palaunic varieties more similar to Wa, such as Wa, Pangloh, who refer to themselves as Samtao as well. One Samtao village in Veng Phu Kha insists they speak the ancient Samtao language, but lexically it’s Lao with Mon-Khmer phonology. |
