speakers By population There is a total of about 2 million Kam–Sui speakers. The four largest Kam–Sui ethnic groups, the Dong, Shui, Mulao, and Maonan, are officially recognized by the Chinese government. Non-recognized Kam–Sui ethnic groups (Chadong, Then, Mak, Ai-Cham) who can still speak their own languages number less than 50,000. Dong: about 1,500,000 speakers; 1.7 million in 1995 Sui: 300,000 speakers Mulam: 86,000 speakers (ethnic population: 200,000) Maonan: 30,000 speakers (ethnic population: 100,000) Chadong: 20,000 speakers Then: 15,000 speakers Mak: 10,000 speakers Ai-Cham: 2,700 speakers Other languages The following language varieties are closely related to, or part of, Southern Dong. Mjuniang 谬娘 or Cao Miao 草苗 (ISO 639-3: cov): 60,000 (1991) in Liping, Tongdao, and Sanjiang; closely related to Dong. Speakers are classified as ethnic Miao. Naxi Yao 那溪瑶 (autonym: mu2 ɲiu1) is spoken by 2,500 people in Naxi Township 那溪瑶族乡, Dongkou County, Hunan Province, China. Diao 调 (刁人): 2,000 (1999) in southeastern Guizhou around Liping and Congjiang; may speak Chinese or Dong. Speakers are classified as ethnic Dong. Diao (tjau13) is a Cao Miao subgroup according to Shi (2015:43). The Sanqiao language (Qiaohua 锹话) is a mixed language of Miao, Dong, and Chinese origins. Sanqiao 三锹 (三橇) is spoken by 5,000 people (1999) in Liping and Jinping counties, Guizhou. Speakers are classified as either ethnic Miao or Dong. The following peoples may also speak Kam–Sui languages. Xialusi 下路司: 3,000 (1999) in southeastern Guizhou; classified as Dong, but their linguistic affiliation is unknown (possibly Kam-Sui). Speakers are classified as ethnic Dong. Shui of Yunnan: 6,800 (1990) in Huangnihe 黃泥河 and Gugan 古敢水族乡, Fuyuan County, Yunnan; 490 (1990) in Dahe and Long'an of Yiliang County. In Gugan, there is a village cluster known as the "Five Shui Villages" 水五寨, consisting of Buzhang 补掌, Dongla 咚喇, Reshui 热水, Dazhai 大寨, and Duzhang 都章. It is still spoken in Xinbao Village 新堡村, Laochang Township 老厂乡, Fuyuan County, Yunnan. Also in Dacunzi 大村子, Geyi Township 格宜镇, Xuanwei City. However, these are actually all Northern Tai languages (Bouyei) according to Hsiu (2013). There are also some languages in southeastern Guizhou, northern Guangxi, and southwestern Hunan that have been influenced by Kam–Sui languages, such as Suantang 酸汤 and Tongdao Pinghua, a Pinghua lect spoken in Tongdao Dong Autonomous County, Hunan. Kam–Sui languages are also in contact with Suantang 酸汤, a Sinitic language spoken by about 80,000 ethnic Miao in Baibu 白布, Dihu 地湖, Dabaozi 大堡子,