KHASIAN LANGUAGES

group of languages spoken primarily in the Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya state of northeastern India. The Khasian languages form the westernmost branch of the Mon-Khmer language family, itself a part of the Austroasiatic stock, and are the only Mon-Khmer languages spoken outside of Southeast Asia. Speakers of Khasian languages number about 900,000, most of whom speak Khasi; other languages of the group include Amwi (War), Synteng (Pnar), and Lyng-ngam.