Bolyu is a Mon-Khmer language: even if Benedict says so!

This paper re-evaluates the classification of Bolyu (Lai), a recently described language of Guangxi Province, China. Initially identified by Benedict (1990) as a Mon-Khmer (MK) language, Bolyu’s classification has faced skepticism. Using Edmondson’s 1995 lexicon, the study confirms Bolyu’s MK affiliation through established criteria: lexical comparisons, regular phonological correspondences, and basic vocabulary. While subgrouping within MK remains uncertain due to loanword interference, numeral evidence suggests Bolyu belongs to East Mon-Khmer. The paper also discusses broader debates in historical linguistics regarding genetic classification, contrasting extreme and conservative methodologies. Ultimately, Bolyu provides a compelling case for rigorous comparative analysis and highlights the challenges of linguistic subgrouping in contact-rich environments (AI generated abstract, Copilot)