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46-694: The Moken identify in a common culture; there are 1500 men and 1500 women who speak the Moken language , a distinct Austronesian language . Attempts by both Myanmar and Thailand to assimilate the Moken into the wider regional culture have met with very limited success. However, the Moken face an uncertain future as their population decreases and their nomadic lifestyle and unsettled legal status leave them marginalized by modern property and immigration laws, maritime conservation and development programs, and tightening border policies. The people refer to themselves as Moken. The name

92-543: A cognate with the Malay prefix məN- ( meng- ) and thus the reconstructed Proto-Malayo-Polynesian prefix *maN- , which are also used as a verbal prefix. This derivation method seems to no longer be productive, as more recent Thai loanwords do not carry the prefix. Similarly to the verbal prefix, a nominal prefix kʰa- is found in Moken, e.g. Thai muək → Moken kʰa muək ('hat'). This morpheme also appears to have lost its productivity. A male name marker ʔa- and

138-565: A distinct rainy season. Also subtropical areas like Florida , South and Southeast Texas, and southern Louisiana in the United States have a rainy season. Monsoon regions include the Indian subcontinent , Southeast Asia (including Indonesia and Philippines ), northern sections of Australia , Polynesia , Central America , western and southern Mexico , the Desert Southwest of

184-422: A female name marker ʔi- are obligatory before Moken and Moklen names, unless a kinship term is used. A phonologically reduced form of the numeral 'one' ʔa- is used as prefix, functioning as an indefinite article . Monsoon season The wet season (sometimes called the rainy season or monsoon season ) is the time of year when most of a region's average annual rainfall occurs. Generally,

230-622: A hybridized group formed when the Malay people settled the Lanta Islands where the proto-Malay Orang Sireh had been living. The Moken are considered to be mostly sedentary with more permanent villages in the provinces of Phang-nga, Phuket, Krabi, and Satun. These individuals also have closer ties to the countries in which they reside as they accept both the nationality and citizenship. Their children are also educated through local schools and are exposed to more mainstream cultural ideas. The Moken residing on

276-401: A net') Although nasals are indicative of verbs, many Moken verbs do not possess an initial nasal, e.g. kehaʔ ('to feel distressed, to be busy'), kəboːk ('to be lazy') and toloŋ ('to help'). The adaptation of loanwords into Moken show a verbal prefix ma-/mə- , e.g. Thai thām → Moken mə thaːm ('to ask for') and Thai ān → Moken m aːn ('to read'). This prefix is likely

322-576: A non-nasal consonant, by changing the initial consonant to a nasal. For example: c əkuːt ('rudder') → ɲ əkuːt ('to steer') cʰ ɔbaŋ ('earring') → ŋ ɔbaŋ ('to put on earring') cʰ uju:k ('pointing finger') → l uju:k ('to point') ʔ ɔbat ('medicine') → ŋ ɔbat ('to medicate') c əcik ('scale (fish)') → m əcik ('to scale a fish') s olaːy ('comb') → ɲ olaːy ('to comb') k apiːt ('claw (crab)') → ŋ apiːt ('to clip, to pinch') p əjaːn ('fishing net') → m əjaːn ('to throw

368-538: A variety of products to trade and to avoid the spread of deadly diseases. If an epidemic begins to spread, the infected members will remain at the location with a small amount of provisions, while healthy members will depart to a new location. The hope is that the provisions will allow the sick enough time to recuperate while not endangering the rest of the kin group with their sickness. The nomadic lifestyle can also reduce group conflict as affected parties may leave one kin group and enter another to give some distance and allow

414-615: A wet season in the winter months. Similarly, the wet season in the Negev Desert of Israel extends from October through May. At the boundary between the Mediterranean and monsoon climates lies the Sonoran Desert , which receives the two rainy seasons associated with each climate regime. The wet season is known by many different local names throughout the world. For example, in Mexico it

460-766: Is described as 'highly questionable' and it is likely an allophone of /d/. In the Surin Island dialect, [ɾ] and [r] are described as intervocalic allophones of /d/. /i/ has the allophone [ɪ] in closed syllables and /ɛ/ has the allophone [æ] in open syllables. Moken has a maximum CVC syllable structure. Consonant clusters are usually forbidden, which can be seen by the adaptation of loanwords (E.g. Thai nangsui → Moken lasiː ('book')) All consonants can occur syllable-initially, but in coda position only /m/, /n/, /ŋ/, /p/, /t/, /k/, /ʔ/, /h/, /w/ and /j/ can occur. Moken mostly consists of disyllabic words., however two-syllable words are frequently reduced to monosyllabic form through

506-603: Is equally distributed throughout the year. Some areas with pronounced rainy seasons will see a break in rainfall mid-season, when the Intertropical Convergence Zone or monsoon trough moves to higher latitudes in the middle of the warm season. When the wet season occurs during a warm season, or summer , precipitation falls mainly during the late afternoon and early evening. In the wet season, air quality improves, fresh water quality improves, and vegetation grows substantially, leading to crop yields late in

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552-568: Is in actuality distantly related. They are also regarded as "sea people" as the speakers are primarily concentrated within the Andaman Sea. An oral language, Moken is a Malayo-Polynesian language formed after the migration of the Austronesians from Taiwan 5,000–6,000 years ago, resulting in the development of this Austronesian language. While the population consists of 4,000 Moken, only an estimated 1,500 native speakers remain as of 2009, causing

598-503: Is known as "storm season". Different names are given to the various short "seasons" of the year by the First Nations of Northern Australia : the wet season typically experienced there from December to March is called Gudjewg . The precise meaning of the word is disputed, although it is widely accepted to relate to the severe thunderstorms, flooding, and abundant vegetation growth commonly experienced at this time. In tropical areas, when

644-525: Is under threat. There is much speculation as to the historical origins of the Moken people. It is thought that, due to their Austronesian language, they originated in Southern China as agriculturalists 5000–6000 years ago. From there, the Austronesian peoples dispersed and settled various South Asian Islands. It is theorized that the Moken were forced off of these coastal islands into a nomadic lifestyle on

690-687: Is used for all of the Austronesian speaking tribes who inhabit the coast and islands in the Andaman Sea on the west coast of Thailand , the provinces of Satun , Trang , Krabi , Phuket , Phang Nga , and Ranong , up through the Mergui Archipelago of Myanmar. The group includes the Moken proper, the Moklen (Moklem), the Orang Sireh ( Betel -leaf People), and the Orang Lanta. The last, the Orang Lanta, are

736-615: The Orang Laut . In Thailand, acculturated Moken are called Thai mai ("new Thais"). Because of their nomadic lifestyle, the Moken are also called "sea gypsies" (unrelated to the Romani people ), a generic term that applies to a number of peoples in Southeast Asia (see Sea Gypsies (disambiguation) ). The Urak Lawoi are sometimes classified with the Moken, but they are linguistically and ethnologically distinct, being much more closely related to

782-586: The Surin Islands retain their more traditional methods and lifestyle. The Burmese call the Moken Salone . In Thailand they are called chao le , which can mean people who "live by the sea and pursue a marine livelihood" or those who speak the Austronesian language. Another term that can be used is chao nam ("people of the water"), although these terms are also used loosely to include the Urak Lawoi and even

828-541: The Malay people. Their knowledge of the sea enables them to live off its fauna and flora by using simple tools such as nets and spears to forage for food, which allows them to impact the environment more minimally than other more intensive forms of subsistence. Furthermore, their frequent movement in kin groups of between two and ten families also allows the land to rest and prevents overuse. Moken are considered hunter-gatherers due to their nomadic lifestyle and lack of material good accumulation. They also believe strongly in

874-462: The Moken suffered severe devastation to housing and fishing boats in common with other Moken communities. Moken language Moken is a Malayo-Polynesian language spoken by inhabitants in southern Myanmar and Southern Thailand , who refer to themselves as Moken (people) and Mawken. The language is closely related to the Moklen language , and can be mistaken to be similar to Urak Lawoi' but

920-422: The Moken used to live on their boats called kabang , which served not just as transportation, but also as a kitchen, bedroom, and living area. The last kabang of the Surin Islands was built in 2006 and an initiative to revive the tradition started in 2018. Previously the Moken used a kabang koman , "a dug-out boat equipped with a salacca gunwale [where] Salacca is a light wood with a long stem". To construct

966-735: The Surin Islands, where a great many Moken reside, experienced a great tsunami in December 2004 as their ancestors have integrated legends of the "seven rollers" and the "laboon" (giant wave). The language of Moken is spoken in Burma and Thailand, and its derived languages are spoken around the Andaman Sea. Dung, Jait, Lebi, and Niawi are spoken in Myanmar, and Jadiak in Thailand. The Burmese varieties have not been adequately investigated. The phonemic status of /r/

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1012-787: The United States, southern Guyana , and northeast Brazil . Northern Guyana has two wet seasons: one in early spring and the other in early winter. In western Africa, there are two rainy seasons across southern sections, but only one across the north. Within the Mediterranean climate regime, the west coast of the United States, the southwest coast of Australia and South Africa, the Mediterranean coastline of Italy, Spain, Greece, Lebanon, Syria, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, and Turkey, as well as areas further inland in Western Asia which include Jordan, Northern Iraq and most parts of Iran, experience

1058-403: The beginning of the wet season. The onset of the rainy season signals the departure of the monarch butterfly from Mexico. Tropical species of butterflies show larger dot markings on their wings to fend off possible predators and are more active during the wet season than the dry season . Within the tropics and warmer areas of the subtropics, decreased salinity of near shore wetlands due to

1104-434: The boat, the different pieces are fitted into each other with the natural resources the Moken can find on land. The boat's usage was discontinued more than 40 years ago as the salt water eroded the wood within three to sixth months, therefore new techniques were devised to create more robust boats. The kabang lasts longer and one anthropologist, Jacques Ivanoff, suggests that the boat with its bifurcated bow and stern represent

1150-554: The charging of local aquifers during the wet season. Water also softens, as the concentration of dissolved materials reduces during the rainy season. Erosion is also increased during rainy periods. Arroyos that are dry at other times of the year fill with runoff, in some cases with water as deep as 10 feet (3.0 m). Leaching of soils during periods of heavy rainfall depletes nutrients. The higher runoff from land masses affects nearby ocean areas, which are more stratified , or less mixed, due to stronger surface currents forced by

1196-423: The children see better underwater than European children: their "spatial resolution ... [is] more than twice as good". The researchers showed that the Moken children have the ability to constrict their pupils when underwater and the ability to increase the power of their eyes' lenses to the maximum when underwater. Decreasing the size of the pupil improves the eye's depth of field , reducing blur; increasing

1242-419: The feud to die down. After some time has passed and the arguing parties see each other once more, the intensity of the argument will have decreased leading to more amicable relationships. The Moken use 83 plant species for food, 33 for medicinal purposes, 53 for construction of huts, boats and tools, and 54 species for other purposes. During the dry north-east monsoon season (when the sea is relatively calm),

1288-482: The first word will maintain a level intonation and the second word ends with a rising intonation. In terms of syllables, monosyllabic words with have a levelled amount of stress throughout pronunciation; while words composed of a prefixed syllable and a major syllable will have stress placed on the major syllable. In other words, the last syllable will always be stressed and its absence gives clue to word breaks. Moken verbs are derived from nouns, which usually start with

1334-740: The heavy rainfall runoff. High rainfall can cause widespread flooding, which can lead to landslides and mudflows in mountainous areas. Such floods cause rivers to burst their banks and submerge homes. The Ghaggar-Hakra River , which only flows during India's monsoon season, can flood and severely damage local crops. Floods can be exacerbated by fires that occurred during the previous dry season, which cause soils which are sandy or composed of loam to become hydrophobic, or water repellent. In various ways governments may help people deal with wet season floods. Flood plain mapping identifies which areas are more prone to flooding. Instructions on controlling erosion through outreach are also provided by telephone or

1380-459: The human body. In monsoon season, which falls between the months of May and October, they set temporary camps on the mainland. During the monsoon season, they build additional boats and forage for food in the forest. Some of the Burmese Moken are still nomadic people who roam the sea most of their lives; however, much of their traditional life, which is built on the premise of life as outsiders,

1426-633: The idea that natural resources cannot be owned individually but are rather something that the entire community has access to without restrictions. Their egalitarian society follows into their ancestral worship as they regularly present supernatural beings with food offerings. Aside from ancestor worship , the Moken have no religion. More recently, they have reached out and begun trading some food ( sea cucumbers and edible bird's nests ) as well as marine products like pearls for other necessities at local markets. Trading and epidemics ( cholera and smallpox ) also lead to their nomadic lifestyles in order to collect

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1472-560: The internet. The wet season is the main period of vegetation growth within the Savanna climate regime. However, this also means that wet season is a time for food shortages before crops reach their full maturity. This causes seasonal weight changes for people in developing countries, with a drop occurring during the wet season until the time of the first harvest, when weights rebound. Malaria incidence increases during periods of high temperature and heavy rainfall. Cows calve, or give birth, at

1518-421: The land due to their lack of knowledge and involvement in legal protocol. The islands the Moken inhabit received much attention during the recovery from the 2004 tsunami . As they are keenly attuned to the ocean, the Moken in the Surin Islands knew the tsunami that struck on 26 December 2004 was coming and managed to preserve many lives. However, in the coastal villages of Phang Nga Province , like Tap Tawan ,

1564-583: The language to be threatened with extinction. Out of the ethnic population, the main speakers of Moken are the elder generations as its lack of literacy becomes difficult in the transference of the language, however its lack of literacy has also helped conserve the language. Their title of "sea people" alludes to their grand knowledge of the sea, as that was their way of migration, and the traditional lifestyle of remaining within villages has built generations of marine and forest knowledge as well as boating skills. The advantages of their lifestyle were capitalised when

1610-421: The monsoon arrives, high daytime high temperatures drop and overnight low temperatures increase, thus reducing diurnal temperature variation . During the wet season, a combination of heavy rainfall and, in some places such as Hong Kong , an onshore wind, improve air quality . In Brazil, the wet season is correlated with weaker trade winds off the ocean. The pH level of water becomes more balanced due to

1656-471: The northwestern coast of Phuket Island, and on the nearby Phi Phi Islands of Krabi Province . The Andaman Sea off the Tenasserim coast was the subject of keen scrutiny from Myanmar's regime during the 1990s due to offshore petroleum discoveries by multinational corporations including Unocal , Petronas and others. Reports from the late-1990s told of forced relocation by Myanmar's military regime of

1702-407: The optional deletion of unaccented initial syllables in actual connected speech. The Moken language follows similar to English phonology regarding intonation in sentences. Rising contour intonations occur when saying sentences that end as questions or as exclamations. Falling contour intonations are used within regular sentences. When it comes to two words in Moken that are pronounced in sequences;

1748-507: The power of the eyes' lenses also reduces blur. The researchers ruled out other possible explanations for the Moken children's underwater abilities: They had not, at some state of their evolutionary history, traded off focussing power from the corneas to their eyes' lenses. Their eyes are not shortsighted . Their ability to alter the power of their lenses is not superior. Later, Gislén and others trained European children to see better underwater, for example by crossing their eyes, which increases

1794-626: The power of their lenses and reduces the diameter of their pupils. They found that the European children could then see as well underwater as the Moken children. The Burmese and Thai governments have made attempts at assimilating the people into their own culture, but these efforts have met with limited success. Thai Moken have been permanently settled in villages located in the Surin Islands ( Mu Ko Surin National Park ), in Phuket Province , on

1840-558: The sea nomads to mainland sites. It was claimed most of the Moken peoples had been relocated by 1997, which is consistent with a pervasive pattern of forced relocation of suspect ethnic, economic and political groups, conducted throughout Myanmar during the 1990s. In Thailand, the Moken have been the target of land grabs by developers contesting their ownership of ancestral lands. Although nomadic peoples have resided in Thailand's Andaman coastal provinces for several centuries, they have historically neglected to register official ownership of

1886-743: The season lasts at least one month. The term green season is also sometimes used as a euphemism by tourist authorities. Areas with wet seasons are dispersed across portions of the tropics and subtropics . Under the Köppen climate classification , for tropical climates , a wet season month is defined as a month where average precipitation is 60 millimetres (2.4 in) or more. In contrast to areas with savanna climates and monsoon regimes, Mediterranean climates have wet winters and dry summers. Dry and rainy months are characteristic of tropical seasonal forests : in contrast to tropical rainforests , which do not have dry or wet seasons, since their rainfall

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1932-412: The season. Rivers overflow their banks, and some animals retreat to higher ground. Soil nutrients diminish and erosion increases. The incidence of malaria and dengue increases in areas where the rainy season coincides with high temperatures, particularly in tropical areas. Some animals have adaptation and survival strategies for the wet season. Often, the previous dry season leads to food shortages in

1978-472: The tropics can have two wet seasons, because the monsoon trough, or Intertropical Convergence Zone , can pass over locations in the tropics twice per year. However, since rain forests have rainfall spread evenly through the year, they do not have a wet season. Areas with a savanna climate in Sub-Saharan Africa , such as Ghana , Burkina Faso , Darfur , Eritrea , Ethiopia , and Botswana have

2024-454: The water due to rising sea levels. For most of the human population, unaided vision underwater is very poor because the eye's cornea fails to focus light onto the retina . In the air, the cornea accomplishes two thirds of the focussing of light; this is missing when underwater, yielding blur . Moken children, however, are able to see underwater while freediving to collect clams, sea cucumbers, and more. Anna Gislén and colleagues showed that

2070-414: The wet season is mainly due to daytime heating, which leads to diurnal thunderstorm activity within a pre-existing moist airmass , so the rain mainly falls in late afternoon and early evening in savanna and monsoon regions. Much of the total rainfall each day occurs in the first minutes of the downpour, before the storms mature into their stratiform stage. Most places have only one wet season, but areas of

2116-474: The wet season, as the crops have yet to mature. Crops which can be successfully planted during the wet or rainy season are cassava , maize , groundnut , millet , rice and yam . The temperate counterpart to the tropical wet season is spring or autumn . In areas where the heavy rainfall is associated with a wind shift, the wet season is known as the monsoon season. Many tropical and subtropical climates experience monsoon rainfall patterns. Rainfall in

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