æz ˈɜːli ˌɔːstɹoʊsɪˈæɾɪk spˈiːkɚz dɪspˈɜːst ɹˈæpɪdli vˈaɪə wˈɔːɾɚwˌeɪz, ðeɪ wʊdhɐv ɛŋkˈaʊntɚd spˈiːkɚz ʌv ˈoʊldɚ lˈæŋɡwɪdʒ fˈæmɪliz hˌuː wɜːɹ ɔːlɹˌɛdi sˈɛɾəld ɪnðɪ ˈɛɹiə, sˈʌtʃ ɐz sˈiːnoʊɾɪbˈɛtən.
As early Austroasiatic speakers dispersed rapidly via waterways, they would have encountered speakers of older language families who were already settled in the area, such as Sino-Tibetan.