This lecture presents the origin and mechanisms of the spread of languages in East and Southeast Asia. The aim is to illustrate how the expansion of languages is driven by multiple factors: the physical characteristics of the region and its weather; agriculture — specifically, the domestication of crops and animals; trade both by land and sea, as well as political and religious contacts.
Moreover, the lecture demonstrates that the interaction between languages in this region is ancient, with evidence of this contact visible in the spread of loanwords. These loanwords often pertain to everyday matters, adding to the historical and archaeological understanding of the past.
Important concepts:
Slides: Asia before Colonial Times, František Kratochvíl (2021)