Padaung or Padaung Karen, also known as Kayan, is a Karen language of Burma, spoken by the Kayan people.

Distribution

• Pekon, southern Shan State
• northwestern Kayah State
• Thandaung township, Kayin State
• Pyinmana township, Mandalay Region
• Kayan Lahwi dialect: Lahwi and northwest Dimawso, Kayah State; southern Pekon, southern Shan State
• Kayan Kangan dialect: Dimawso area, northwestern Kayah State

Internal classification

The Kayan languages are spoken in Kayah State, southern Shan State, and northern Karen State. There are four branches according to Shintani (2016),^[2] namely:^[3]

• Kangan ("lowland dwellers")
• Kakhaung ("highland dwellers")
• Lawi ("South")
• Latha ("North")

Nangki (sometimes called Langki), documented in Shintani (2016), is one of the Kayan languages belonging to the Kakhaung subgroup. It is spoken only in one village.

Pekong Kayan is documented in Manson (2010).

Sonkan Kayan and Dosanbu Kayan are documented in Shintani (2018a, b).^[4][5] Shintani has also documented:

• Phulon Kayan^[6]
• Lagu Kayan^[7]
• Totan Kayan^[8]
• Dokhoncon Kayan^[9]
• Natwei Kayan^[10]
• Pimon Kayan^[11]
• Sonplao Kayan^[12]
• Dolan Kayan^[13]
• Thaoku Kayan^[14]
• Diklon Kayan^[15]
• Pulon Kayan^[16]
• Kabla Kayan^[17]
• Kathan Kayan^[18]
• Kalondei Kayan^[19]

Dimawso Kayan, a Kayan variety spoken in Wanbanbalo village, Dimawso township, Kayah State, Myanmar, is described in Lew (2018).^[20]

Ethnologue lists Padaung (Kayan) dialects as:

• Standard Pekon (prestige dialect)
• Kayan Lahwi
• Kayan Kangan (Yeinbaw, Yinbaw)