Siamese tones in the late 16th century as reflected in the Sino-Siamese Manual of Translation

Abstract This study aims to reconstruct the tone system of late 16th century Siamese by analyzing the Sino-Siamese Manual of Translation. The compilers’ preference for transcribing Siamese tonal categories using Chinese characters suggests that late 16th century Siamese had seven phonemic tones with phonetic characteristics aligned with the broader picture of tonal development in Siamese. This case study serves as an example of how to reconstruct tonal systems using Chinese primary sources.