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Lao language

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</style><table class="infobox vevent infobox-has-images-with-white-backgrounds"><tbody><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-above above" style="font-size:125%; color: black; background-color: lavender;">Lao</th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-subheader" style="font-size:110%; color: black; background-color: lavender;">ພາສາລາວ, Phasa Lao</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-image"></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="white-space:nowrap;padding-right:0.65em;">Pronunciation</th><td class="infobox-data" style="line-height:1.3em;">[pʰáː.sǎː láːw]</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="white-space:nowrap;padding-right:0.65em;">Native to</th><td class="infobox-data" style="line-height:1.3em;"><a href="Laos" title="Laos">Laos</a> <a href="Thailand" title="Thailand">Thailand</a> (<a href="Isan" title="Isan">Isan</a>) <a href="Cambodia" title="Cambodia">Cambodia</a> (<a href="Stung_Treng_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Stung Treng Province">Stung Treng</a>, <a href="Preah_Vihear_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Preah Vihear Province">Preah Vihear</a> and <a href="Ratanakiri_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Ratanakiri Province">Ratanakiri</a>) <a href="Vietnam" title="Vietnam">Vietnam</a> (<a href="%C4%90i%E1%BB%87n_Bi%C3%AAn_province" title="Điện Biên province">Điện Biên</a>, <a href="Lai_Ch%C3%A2u_province" title="Lai Châu province">Lai Châu</a> and <a href="S%C6%A1n_La_province" title="Sơn La province">Sơn La</a>) <a href="China" title="China">China</a> (<a href="Xishuangbanna_Dai_Autonomous_Prefecture" title="Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture">Xishuangbanna</a>)</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="white-space:nowrap;padding-right:0.65em;">Ethnicity</th><td class="infobox-data" style="line-height:1.3em;"><a href="Lao_people" title="Lao people">Lao</a> <a href="Isan_people" title="Isan people">Isan</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="white-space:nowrap;padding-right:0.65em;">Speakers</th><td class="infobox-data" style="line-height:1.3em;"><a href="First_language" title="First language">L1</a>: 3.7 million (2015)<a href="#cite_note-e27-1">[1]</a> <a href="Second_language" title="Second language">L2</a>: 800,000 (no date)<a href="#cite_note-2">[2]</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="white-space:nowrap;padding-right:0.65em;"><div style="display: inline-block; line-height: 1.2em; padding: .1em 0;"><a href="Language_family" title="Language family">Language family</a></div></th><td class="infobox-data" style="line-height:1.3em;"><div style="text-align:left;"><a href="Kra%E2%80%93Dai_languages" title="Kra–Dai languages">Kra–Dai</a>

<a href="Tai_languages" title="Tai languages">Tai</a><ul style="line-height:100%;margin-left:0.45em;padding-left:0;"><li><a href="Southwestern_Tai_languages" title="Southwestern Tai languages">Southwestern</a><ul style="line-height:100%;margin-left:0.45em;padding-left:0;"><li><a href="Southwestern_Tai_languages" title="Southwestern Tai languages">Lao–Phutai</a><ul style="line-height:100%;margin-left:0.45em;padding-left:0;"><li>Lao</li></ul></li></ul></li></ul></li></ul></div></td></tr><tr class="plainlist"><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="white-space:nowrap;padding-right:0.65em;">Dialects</th><td class="infobox-data" style="line-height:1.3em;">

<ul><li>Northern Lao (Louang Phrabang Lao)</li>

<li>Northeastern Lao (Phuan)</li>

<li>Central Lao</li>

<li>Southern Lao</li>

<li>Western Lao (Isan)</li></ul>

</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="white-space:nowrap;padding-right:0.65em;"><div style="display: inline-block; line-height: 1.2em; padding: .1em 0;"><a href="Writing_system" title="Writing system">Writing system</a></div></th><td class="infobox-data" style="line-height:1.3em;"><a href="Lao_script" title="Lao script">Lao script</a> in Laos <a href="Thai_script" title="Thai script">Thai script</a> in Thailand <a href="Thai_and_Lao_Braille" title="Thai and Lao Braille">Thai and Lao Braille</a></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="color: black; background-color: lavender;">Official status</th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="white-space:nowrap;padding-right:0.65em;"><div style="display: inline-block; line-height: 1.2em; padding: .1em 0;">Official language in</div></th><td class="infobox-data" style="line-height:1.3em;"> <a href="Laos" title="Laos">Laos</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="white-space:nowrap;padding-right:0.65em;"><div style="display: inline-block; line-height: 1.2em; padding: .1em 0;">Recognised minority language in</div></th><td class="infobox-data" style="line-height:1.3em;"><div style="vertical-align:middle;"> <a href="Thailand" title="Thailand">Thailand</a> <a href="Cambodia" title="Cambodia">Cambodia</a>

<a href="Vietnam" title="Vietnam">Vietnam</a></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="white-space:nowrap;padding-right:0.65em;"><a href="List_of_language_regulators" title="List of language regulators">Regulated by</a></th><td class="infobox-data" style="line-height:1.3em;">Educational Science Research Institute, Ministry of Education and Sports and Institute of Social Sciences, Faculty of Arts, <a href="National_University_of_Laos" title="National University of Laos">National University of Laos</a></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="color: black; background-color: lavender;">Language codes</th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="white-space:nowrap;padding-right:0.65em;"><a href="ISO_639-1" title="ISO 639-1">ISO 639-1</a></th><td class="infobox-data" style="line-height:1.3em;"><code><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.loc.gov/standards/iso639-2/php/langcodes_name.php?iso_639_1=lo">lo</a></code></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="white-space:nowrap;padding-right:0.65em;"><a href="ISO_639-2" title="ISO 639-2">ISO 639-2</a></th><td class="infobox-data" style="line-height:1.3em;"><code><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.loc.gov/standards/iso639-2/php/langcodes_name.php?code_ID=256">lao</a></code></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="white-space:nowrap;padding-right:0.65em;"><a href="ISO_639-3" title="ISO 639-3">ISO 639-3</a></th><td class="infobox-data" style="line-height:1.3em;">Either: <code><a href="https://iso639-3.sil.org/code/lao" class="extiw external" title="iso639-3:lao">lao</a></code> – PDR Lao <code><a href="https://iso639-3.sil.org/code/tts" class="extiw external" title="iso639-3:tts">tts</a></code> – <a href="Isan_language" title="Isan language">Isan (Thailand Lao)</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="white-space:nowrap;padding-right:0.65em;"><a href="Glottolog" title="Glottolog">Glottolog</a></th><td class="infobox-data" style="line-height:1.3em;"><code><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://glottolog.org/resource/languoid/id/laoo1244">laoo1244</a></code>  Lao <code><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://glottolog.org/resource/languoid/id/nort2741">nort2741</a></code>  Northeastern Thai</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="white-space:nowrap;padding-right:0.65em;"><a href="Linguasphere_Observatory" title="Linguasphere Observatory">Linguasphere</a></th><td class="infobox-data" style="line-height:1.3em;"><code><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.hortensj-garden.org/index.php?tnc=1&tr=lsr&nid=47-AAA-c">47-AAA-c</a></code></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-full-data" style="line-height:1.3em;"></td></tr><tr></tr></tbody></table><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236303919">

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Lao (Lao: ພາສາລາວ, [pʰáː.sǎː láːw]), sometimes referred to as Laotian, is the official language of <a href="Laos" title="Laos">Laos</a> and a significant language in the <a href="Isan" title="Isan">Isan</a> region of northeastern <a href="Thailand" title="Thailand">Thailand</a>, where it is usually referred to as the <a href="Isan_language" title="Isan language">Isan language</a>. Spoken by over 3 million people in Laos and 3.7 million in all countries, it serves as a vital link in the cultural and social fabric of these areas. It is written in the <a href="Lao_script" title="Lao script">Lao script</a>, an <a href="Abugida" title="Abugida">abugida</a> that evolved from ancient <a href="Tai_languages" title="Tai languages">Tai</a> scripts.<a href="#cite_note-3">[3]</a>

Lao is a <a href="Tone_(linguistics)" title="Tone (linguistics)">tonal language</a>, where the pitch or tone of a word can alter its meaning, and is <a href="Analytic_language" title="Analytic language">analytic</a>, forming sentences through the combination of individual words without inflection. These features, common in <a href="Kra%E2%80%93Dai_languages" title="Kra–Dai languages">Kra-Dai languages</a>, also bear similarities to <a href="Sino-Tibetan_languages" title="Sino-Tibetan languages">Sino-Tibetan</a> languages like <a href="Chinese_language" title="Chinese language">Chinese</a> or <a href="Austroasiatic_languages" title="Austroasiatic languages">Austroasiatic</a> languages like <a href="Vietnamese_language" title="Vietnamese language">Vietnamese</a>. Lao's <a href="Mutual_intelligibility" title="Mutual intelligibility">mutual intelligibility</a> with <a href="Thai_language" title="Thai language">Thai</a> and <a href="Isan_language" title="Isan language">Isan</a>, fellow <a href="Southwestern_Tai_languages" title="Southwestern Tai languages">Southwestern Tai</a> languages, allows for effective intercommunication among their speakers, despite differences in script and regional variations.<a href="#cite_note-4">[4]</a>

In Laos, Lao is not only the official language but also a <a href="Lingua_franca" title="Lingua franca">lingua franca</a>, bridging the linguistic diversity of a population that speaks many other languages. Its cultural significance is reflected in Laotian literature, media, and traditional arts. The <a href="Vientiane" title="Vientiane">Vientiane</a> dialect has emerged as the de facto standard, though no official standard has been established. Internationally, Lao is spoken among <a href="Laotian_diaspora" title="Laotian diaspora">diaspora communities</a>, especially in countries like the United States, France, and Australia, reflecting its global diasporic presence.

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Classification">Classification</h2></div>

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</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Further information: <a href="Tai%E2%80%93Kadai_languages" class="mw-redirect" title="Tai–Kadai languages">Tai–Kadai languages</a></div>

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<ul><li><a href="Hlai_languages" title="Hlai languages">Hlai languages</a></li>

<li><a href="Kam-Sui_languages" class="mw-redirect" title="Kam-Sui languages">Kam-Sui languages</a></li>

<li><a href="Kra_languages" title="Kra languages">Kra languages</a></li>

<li><a href="Be_language" class="mw-redirect" title="Be language">Be language</a></li>

<li><a href="Tai_languages" title="Tai languages">Tai languages</a>

<ul><li><a href="Northern_Tai_languages" title="Northern Tai languages">Northern Tai languages</a></li>

<li><a href="Central_Tai_languages" title="Central Tai languages">Central Tai languages</a></li>

<li><a href="Southwestern_Tai_languages" title="Southwestern Tai languages">Southwestern Tai languages</a>

<ul><li>Northwestern Tai languages

<ul><li><a href="Khamti_language" title="Khamti language">Khamti language</a></li>

<li><a href="Tai_Lue_language" title="Tai Lue language">Tai Lue language</a></li>

<li><a href="Shan_language" title="Shan language">Shan language</a></li>

<li>others</li></ul></li>

<li>Chiang Saen languages

<ul><li><a href="Northern_Thai_language" title="Northern Thai language">Northern Thai language</a></li>

<li>Sukhothai language

<ul><li><a href="Thai_language" title="Thai language">Thai language</a></li>

<li><a href="Southern_Thai_language" title="Southern Thai language">Southern Thai language</a></li></ul></li></ul></li>

<li>Lao-Phuthai languages

<ul><li><a href="Tai_Yo_language" title="Tai Yo language">Tai Yo language</a></li>

<li><a href="Phu_Thai_language" title="Phu Thai language">Phuthai language</a></li>

<li>Lao language (PDR Lao, <a href="Isan_language" title="Isan language">Isan language</a>)</li></ul></li></ul></li></ul></li></ul></li></ul>

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The Lao language falls within the Lao-Phuthai group of languages, including its closest relatives, <a href="Phu_Thai_language" title="Phu Thai language">Phuthai</a> (BGN/PCGN Phouthai, RTGS Phu Thai) and <a href="Tai_Yo_language" title="Tai Yo language">Tai Yo</a>. Together with Northwestern Tai—which includes <a href="Shan_language" title="Shan language">Shan</a>, <a href="Ahom_language" title="Ahom language">Ahom</a> and most <a href="Dai_people" title="Dai people">Dai</a> languages of China, the Chiang Saen languages—which include Standard Thai, Khorat Thai, and <a href="Northern_Thai_language" title="Northern Thai language">Tai Lanna</a>—and Southern Tai form the <a href="Southwestern_Tai_languages" title="Southwestern Tai languages">Southwestern</a> branch of Tai languages. Lao (including Isan) and Thai, although they occupy separate groups, are mutually intelligible and were pushed closer through contact and Khmer influence, but all Southwestern Tai languages are mutually intelligible to some degree. The Tai languages also include the languages of the <a href="Zhuang_people" title="Zhuang people">Zhuang</a>, which are split into the <a href="Northern_Tai_languages" title="Northern Tai languages">Northern</a> and <a href="Central_Tai_languages" title="Central Tai languages">Central</a> branches of the Tai languages. The Tai languages form a major division within the <a href="Kra-Dai_languages" class="mw-redirect" title="Kra-Dai languages">Kra-Dai language family</a>, distantly related to other languages of southern China, such as the <a href="Hlai_language" class="mw-redirect" title="Hlai language">Hlai</a> and <a href="Be_language" class="mw-redirect" title="Be language">Be</a> languages of <a href="Hainan" title="Hainan">Hainan</a> and the <a href="Kra_languages" title="Kra languages">Kra</a> and <a href="Kam-Sui" class="mw-redirect" title="Kam-Sui">Kam-Sui</a> languages on the Chinese Mainland and in neighbouring regions of northern Vietnam.<a href="#cite_note-ethny-5">[5]</a>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="History">History</h2></div>

<div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Further information: <a href="Tai_languages" title="Tai languages">Tai languages</a> and <a href="Tai_peoples" title="Tai peoples">Tai peoples</a></div>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Tai_migration_(8th–12th_century)">Tai migration (8th–12th century)</h3></div>

The ancestors of the Lao people were speakers of Southwestern Tai dialects that migrated from what is now southeastern China, specifically what is now <a href="Guangxi" title="Guangxi">Guangxi</a> and northern <a href="Vietnam" title="Vietnam">Vietnam</a> where the diversity of various Tai languages suggests an <a href="Linguistic_homeland" title="Linguistic homeland">Urheimat</a>. The Southwestern Tai languages began to diverge from the Northern and Central branches of the Tai languages, covered mainly by various <a href="Zhuang_languages" title="Zhuang languages">Zhuang languages</a>, sometime around 112 CE, but likely completed by the <a href="Sixth_century" class="mw-redirect" title="Sixth century">sixth century</a>.<a href="#cite_note-migration-6">[6]</a> Due to the influx of <a href="Han_Chinese" title="Han Chinese">Han Chinese</a> soldiers and settlers, the end of the <a href="Third_Chinese_domination_of_Vietnam" class="mw-redirect" title="Third Chinese domination of Vietnam">Chinese occupation</a> of Vietnam, the fall of <a href="Jiaozhi" title="Jiaozhi">Jiaozhi</a> and turbulence associated with the decline and fall of the <a href="Tang_dynasty" title="Tang dynasty">Tang dynasty</a> led some of the Tai peoples speaking Southwestern Tai to flee into Southeast Asia, with the small-scale migration mainly taking place between the <a href="Eighth_century" class="mw-redirect" title="Eighth century">eighth</a> and <a href="Twelfth_century" class="mw-redirect" title="Twelfth century">twelfth</a> centuries. The Tais split and followed the major river courses, with the ancestral Lao originating in the Tai migrants that followed the <a href="Mekong_River" class="mw-redirect" title="Mekong River">Mekong River</a>.<a href="#cite_note-7">[7]</a>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Divergence_and_convergence">Divergence and convergence</h3></div>

As the Southwestern Tai-speaking peoples diverged, following paths down waterways, their dialects began to diverge into the various languages today, such as the Lao-Phuthai languages that developed along the Mekong River and includes Lao and its Isan sub-variety and the Chiang Saen languages which includes the Central Thai dialect that is the basis of Standard Thai. Despite their close relationship, there were several phonological divergences that drifted the languages apart with time such as the following examples:<a href="#cite_note-Pittay-8">[8]</a><a href="#cite_note-PWST1-9">[9]</a><a href="#cite_note-PWST2-10">[10]</a>

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</style><div class="interlinear" style="margin-left:3em"><div style="float: left; margin-bottom: 0.3em;margin-right: 1em;">  *mlɯn'slippery'</div><div style="float: left; margin-bottom: 0.3em;margin-right: 1em;">  <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="{\displaystyle \rightarrow }">

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</div>

<dl><dt>PSWT *r (initial) > Lao /h/, > Thai /r/</dt></dl>

<div class="interlinear" style="margin-left:3em"><div style="float: left; margin-bottom: 0.3em;margin-right: 1em;">  *raːk'to vomit'</div><div style="float: left; margin-bottom: 0.3em;margin-right: 1em;">  <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="{\displaystyle \rightarrow }">

</mstyle>

</mrow>

<annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{\displaystyle \rightarrow }</annotation>

</semantics>

</math><img src="./53e574cc3aa5b4bf5f3f5906caf121a378eef08b.svg" class="mwe-math-fallback-image-inline mw-invert skin-invert" aria-hidden="true" style="vertical-align: -0.338ex; width:2.324ex; height:1.843ex;" alt="{\displaystyle \rightarrow }" loading="lazy"> </div><div style="float: left; margin-bottom: 0.3em;margin-right: 1em;">ຮາກhak/hâːk/ </div><div style="float: left; margin-bottom: 0.3em;margin-right: 1em;">  <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="{\displaystyle \rightarrow }">

</mstyle>

</mrow>

<annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{\displaystyle \rightarrow }</annotation>

</semantics>

</math><img src="./53e574cc3aa5b4bf5f3f5906caf121a378eef08b.svg" class="mwe-math-fallback-image-inline mw-invert skin-invert" aria-hidden="true" style="vertical-align: -0.338ex; width:2.324ex; height:1.843ex;" alt="{\displaystyle \rightarrow }" loading="lazy"> </div><div style="float: left; margin-bottom: 0.3em;margin-right: 1em;">รากrak/râːk/ </div>{} {} ຮາກ {} ราก{} {} hak {} rak*raːk <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="{\displaystyle \rightarrow }">

</mstyle>

</mrow>

<annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{\displaystyle \rightarrow }</annotation>

</semantics>

</mstyle>

</mrow>

<annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{\displaystyle \rightarrow }</annotation>

</semantics>

</div>

<div class="interlinear" style="margin-left:3em"><div style="float: left; margin-bottom: 0.3em;margin-right: 1em;">  *ɲuŋ'mosquito'</div><div style="float: left; margin-bottom: 0.3em;margin-right: 1em;">  <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="{\displaystyle \rightarrow }">

</mstyle>

</mrow>

<annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{\displaystyle \rightarrow }</annotation>

</semantics>

</math><img src="./53e574cc3aa5b4bf5f3f5906caf121a378eef08b.svg" class="mwe-math-fallback-image-inline mw-invert skin-invert" aria-hidden="true" style="vertical-align: -0.338ex; width:2.324ex; height:1.843ex;" alt="{\displaystyle \rightarrow }" loading="lazy"> </div><div style="float: left; margin-bottom: 0.3em;margin-right: 1em;">ຍູງnyung/ɲúːŋ/ </div><div style="float: left; margin-bottom: 0.3em;margin-right: 1em;">  <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="{\displaystyle \rightarrow }">

</mstyle>

</mrow>

<annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{\displaystyle \rightarrow }</annotation>

</semantics>

</math><img src="./53e574cc3aa5b4bf5f3f5906caf121a378eef08b.svg" class="mwe-math-fallback-image-inline mw-invert skin-invert" aria-hidden="true" style="vertical-align: -0.338ex; width:2.324ex; height:1.843ex;" alt="{\displaystyle \rightarrow }" loading="lazy"> </div><div style="float: left; margin-bottom: 0.3em;margin-right: 1em;">ยุงyung/jūŋ/ </div>{} {} ຍູງ {} ยุง{} {} nyung {} yung*ɲuŋ <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="{\displaystyle \rightarrow }">

</mstyle>

</mrow>

<annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{\displaystyle \rightarrow }</annotation>

</semantics>

</mstyle>

</mrow>

<annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{\displaystyle \rightarrow }</annotation>

</semantics>

</div>

Similar influences and proximity allowed for both languages to converge in many aspects as well. Thai and Lao, although separated, passively influenced each other through centuries of proximity. For instance, the Proto-Southwestern Tai *mlɛːŋ has produced the expected Lao /m/ outcome maeng (ແມງ mèng, /mɛ́ːŋ/) and the expected Thai /l/ outcome laeng (แลง /lɛ̄ːŋ/), although this is only used in Royal Thai or restricted academic usage, with the common form malaeng (แมลง /máʔ.lɛ̄ːŋ/), actually an archaic variant. In slang and relaxed speech, Thai also has maeng (แมง /mɛ̄ːŋ/), likely due to influence of Lao.<a href="#cite_note-Pittay-8">[8]</a>

Thai and Lao also share similar sources of loan words. Aside from many of the deeply embedded Sinitic loan words adopted at various points in the evolution of Southwestern Tai at the periphery of Chinese influence, the Tais in Southeast Asia encountered the Khmer. Khmer loan words dominate all areas and registers of both languages and many are shared between them. Khmer loan words include body parts, urban living, tools, administration and local plants. The Thai, and likely the Lao, were able to make Khmer-style coinages that were later exported back to Khmer.<a href="#cite_note-Huffy-11">[11]</a> The heavy imprint of Khmer is shown in the genetics of Tai speakers, with samples from Thai and Isan people of Lao descent showing proof of both the Tai migration but also intermarriage and assimilation of local populations. Scholars such as Khanittanan propose that the deep genetic and linguistic impact of the autochthonous Khmer and their language indicates that the earliest days of <a href="Ayutthaya_Kingdom" title="Ayutthaya Kingdom">Ayutthaya</a> had a largely bilingual population.<a href="#cite_note-12">[12]</a> Although evidence and research in Lao is lacking, major Lao cities were known to have been built atop existing Khmer settlements, suggesting assimilation of the locals. Isan and Lao commonly use a Khmer loan not found in Thai, khanong (ຂະໜົງ/ຂນົງ khanông, /kʰáʔ.nŏŋ/), 'doorframe', from Khmer khnâng (ខ្នង, /knɑːŋ/), which means 'building', 'foundation' or 'dorsal ridge'.<a href="#cite_note-Huffy-11">[11]</a><a href="#cite_note-13">[13]</a>

Indic languages also pushed Thai and Lao closer together, particularly Sanskrit and Pali loan words that they share. Many Sanskrit words were adopted via the Khmer language, particularly concerning Indian concepts of astrology, astronomy, ritual, science, kingship, art, music, dance and mythology. New words were historically coined from Sanskrit roots just as European languages, including English, share Greek and Latin roots used for these purposes, such as 'telephone' from Greek roots τῆλε tēle, 'distant' and φωνή phōnē which was introduced in Thai as thorasap (โทรศัพท์, /tʰōː.ráʔ.sàp/) and spread to Isan as thorasap (ໂທຣະສັບ/ໂທລະສັບ thôrasap, /tʰóː.làʔ.sáp/) from Sanskrit dura (दूर, /d̪ura/), 'distant', and śabda (शब्द, /ʃabd̪a/), 'sound'. Indic influences also came via <a href="Pali" title="Pali">Pali</a>, the <a href="Liturgical_language" class="mw-redirect" title="Liturgical language">liturgical language</a> of <a href="Theravada_Buddhism" class="mw-redirect" title="Theravada Buddhism">Theravada Buddhism</a>.

The effects of Khmer and Indic vocabulary did not affect all the Tai languages of Southeast Asia equally. The <a href="Tai_Dam_people" title="Tai Dam people">Tai Dam</a> of northern Vietnam were shielded from the influence of the Khmer language and the Indic cultural influences that came with them and remain traditionally a non-Buddhist people. Although the Tai Dam language is a Chiang Saen language, albeit with a lexicon and phonology closer to Lao, the lack of Khmer, Sanskrit and Pali loan words makes the language unintelligible to Thai and Lao speakers.<a href="#cite_note-Diller-14">[14]</a>

Taking advantage of rapid decline in the Khmer Empire, Phra Chao <a href="Fa_Ngum" title="Fa Ngum">Fa Ngoum</a> (ຟ້າງູ່ມ /fâː ŋūːm/) defeated the Khmer and united the Tai mueang of what is now Laos and Isan into the <a href="Mandala_(Southeast_Asian_political_model)" class="mw-redirect" title="Mandala (Southeast Asian political model)">mandala kingdom</a> of <a href="Lan_Xang" title="Lan Xang">Lan Xang</a> in 1354. Fa Ngoum was a grandson of the ruler of <a href="Muang_Sua" title="Muang Sua">Muang Xoua</a> (RTGS Mueang Sawa), modern-day Louang Phrabang. Lan Xang was powerful enough to thwart Siamese designs from their base at <a href="Sukhothai_Kingdom" title="Sukhothai Kingdom">Sukhothai</a> and later <a href="Ayutthaya_Kingdom" title="Ayutthaya Kingdom">Ayutthaya</a>.<a href="#cite_note-15">[15]</a>

Khmer, and Sanskrit via Khmer, continued to influence the Lao language. Since Fa Ngoum was raised in the Khmer court, married to a Khmer princess and had numerous Khmer officials in his court, a now-extinct speech register known as rasa sap (ຣາຊາສັບ /láː.sáː sáp/) was developed to address or discuss the king and high-ranking clergy. Khmer and Sanskrit also contributed many belles-lettres as well as numerous technical, academic and cultural vocabulary, thus differentiating the Lao language from the tribal Tai peoples, but pushing the language closer to Thai, which underwent a similar process. The end of the Lao monarchy in 1975 made the Lao raxasap obsolete, but as Thailand retains its monarchy, Thai <a href="Rachasap" class="mw-redirect" title="Rachasap">rachasap</a> is still active.<a href="#cite_note-Diller-14">[14]</a>

The 16th century would see the establishment of many of the hallmarks of the contemporary Lao language. Scribes abandoned the use of written Khmer or Lao written in the Khmer alphabet, adopting a simplified, cursive form of the script known as <a href="Tai_Noi_script" title="Tai Noi script">Tai Noi</a> that with a few modifications survives as the <a href="Lao_script" title="Lao script">Lao script</a>.<a href="#cite_note-Toad-16">[16]</a> Lao literature was also given a major boost with the brief union of Lan Xang with Lan Na during the reign of <a href="Setthathirath" title="Setthathirath">Xay Xétthathirat</a> (ໄຊເສດຖາທິຣາດ /sáj sȅːt.tʰăː.tʰīʔ.lȃːt/) (1546–1551). The libraries of <a href="Chiang_Mai" title="Chiang Mai">Chiang Mai</a> were copied, introducing the <a href="Tai_Tham_script" title="Tai Tham script">tua tham</a> (BGN/PCGN toua tham, RTGS tua tham) or 'dharma letters' which was essentially the <a href="Mon_script" class="mw-redirect" title="Mon script">Mon</a>-influenced script of Lan Na but was used in Lao specifically for religious literature.<a href="#cite_note-Toad-16">[16]</a> The influence of the related Tai Lan Na language was strengthened after the capitulation of Lan Na to the Burmese, leading many courtiers and people to flee to safety to Lan Xang.

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Theravada_Buddhism">Theravada Buddhism</h4></div>

Lan Xang was religiously diverse, with most of the people practicing <a href="Tai_folk_religion" title="Tai folk religion">Tai folk religion</a> albeit somewhat influenced by local Austroasiatic <a href="Animism" title="Animism">animism</a>, as well as the <a href="Historical_Vedic_religion" title="Historical Vedic religion">Brahmanism</a> and <a href="Mahayana_Buddhism" class="mw-redirect" title="Mahayana Buddhism">Mahayana Buddhism</a> introduced via the Khmer and Theravada Buddhism which had been adopted and spread by the <a href="Mon_people" title="Mon people">Mon people</a>. Although Lao belief is that the era of Lan Xang began the period of Theravada Buddhism for the Lao people, it was not until the mid-<a href="Sixteenth_century" class="mw-redirect" title="Sixteenth century">sixteenth century</a> that the religion had become the dominant religion.<a href="#cite_note-17">[17]</a>

With Theravada Buddhism came its liturgical language, Pali, an Indic language derived from the <a href="Prakrit" title="Prakrit">Prakrit</a>. Many Pali terms existed alongside earlier Sanskrit borrowings or were Sanskritized, leading to doublets such as Sanskrit maitri (ໄມຕີ/ໄມຕຣີ /máj.tìː/) and Pali metta (ເມດຕາ/ເມຕຕາ /mȇːt.tàː/), both of which signify 'loving kindness' although the Sanskrit term is more generally used for 'friendship'. The spread of Theravada Buddhism spread literacy, as monks served as teachers, teaching reading and writing as well other basic skills to village boys, and the <a href="Tai_Noi_script" title="Tai Noi script">Tai Noi script</a> was used for personal letters, record-keeping, and signage, as well as to record short stories and the <a href="Klon_(poetry)" title="Klon (poetry)">klon</a> (ກອນ /kɔ̀ːn/) poetry that were often incorporated into traditional folksongs.<a href="#cite_note-Toad-16">[16]</a>

<caption>Shared Pali loan words from Theravada Buddhism

</caption>

<th>Pali

</th>

<th>Isan

</th>

<th>Thai

</th>

<th>Lao

</th>

<th>Gloss

</th></tr>

<tr>

<td>पुञ्ञ puñña /puɲɲa/

</td>

<td>บุญ bun [būn]

</td>

<td>บุญ bun [būn]

</td>

<td>ບຸນ bun [bùn]

</td>

<td>'merit' 'virtue'

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>दुक्ख dukkha /d̪ukkʰa/

</td>

<td>ทุกข์ thuk [tʰùk]

</td>

<td>ทุกข์ thuk [tʰúk]

</td>

<td>ທຸກ thuk [tʰūk]

</td>

<td>'suffering' 'misery'

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>पापकम्म pāpakamma /paːpakamma/

</td>

<td>บาปกรรม bap kam [bàːp kām]

</td>

<td>บาปกรรม bap kam [bàːp kām]

</td>

<td>ບາບກຳ/ບາບກັມ bap kam [bȁːp kàm]

</td>

<td>'sin' 'transgression'

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>अनुमोदना anumōdanā /ʔanumoːd̪anaː/

</td>

<td>อนุโมทนา anumo thana [ʔā.nù(ʔ).môː tʰā.nâː]

</td>

<td>อนุโมทนา anumo thana [ʔā.nú(ʔ).mōː tʰā.nāː]

</td>

<td>ອະນຸໂມທະນາ anoumo thana [ʔā.nū(ʔ).móː tʰā.náː]

</td>

<td>'to share rejoicing'

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>सुख sukha /sukʰa/

</td>

<td>สุข suk [sȕk]

</td>

<td>สุข suk [sùk]

</td>

<td>ສຸກ suk [súk]

</td>

<td>'health' 'happiness'

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>विज्जा vijja /ʋiɟdʒaː/

</td>

<td>วิชชา witcha [wìt.sâː] [wì(ʔ).sâː]

</td>

<td>วิชชา witcha [wít.tɕʰāː]

</td>

<td>ວິຊາ wisa [wī(ʔ).sáː]

</td>

<td>'knowledge' 'wisdom'

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>च‍क्कयुग cakkayuga /tʃakkajuga/

</td>

<td>จักรยาน chakkrayan [tɕǎk.kā.ɲâːn]

</td>

<td>จักรยาน chakkrayan [tɕàk.krā.jāːn]

</td>

<td>ຈັກກະຍານ chakkanyan [tɕák.kā.ɲáːn]

</td>

<td>'bicycle'

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>धम्म ḍhamma /ɖʱamma/

</td>

<td>ธรรม tham [tʰâm]

</td>

<td>ธรรม tham [tʰām]

</td>

<td>ທຳ/ທັມ tham [tʰám]

</td>

<td>'dharma' 'morals'

</td></tr></tbody></table>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Lao_Three_Kingdoms_period_(1713–1893)">Lao Three Kingdoms period (1713–1893)</h3></div>

Despite the long presence of Lan Xang and Lao settlements along the riverbanks, the <a href="Khorat_Plateau" title="Khorat Plateau">Khorat Plateau</a> remained depopulated since the <a href="Post-Angkor_Period" class="mw-redirect" title="Post-Angkor Period">Post-Angkor Period</a> and a long series of droughts during the 13th–15th centuries. The Lao settlements were found only along the banks of the Mekong River and in the wetter northern areas such as <a href="Nong_Bua_Lamphu_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Nong Bua Lamphu Province">Nong Bua Lamphu</a>, <a href="Loei_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Loei Province">Loei</a>, <a href="Nong_Khai_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Nong Khai Province">Nong Khai</a>, with most of the population inhabiting the wetter left banks. This began to change when the golden age of Lao prosperity and cultural achievements under King <a href="Sourigna_Vongsa" title="Sourigna Vongsa">Sourignavôngsa</a> (ສຸຣິຍະວົງສາ /súʔ.līʔ.ɲāʔ wóŋ.sǎː/) (1637–1694) ended with a successional dispute, with his grandsons, with Siamese intervention, carving out their separate kingdoms in 1707. From its ashes arose the kingdoms of <a href="Kingdom_of_Luang_Phrabang" title="Kingdom of Luang Phrabang">Louang Phrabang</a>, <a href="Kingdom_of_Vientiane" title="Kingdom of Vientiane">Vientiane</a> and later in 1713, the <a href="Kingdom_of_Champasak" title="Kingdom of Champasak">Champasak</a>. The arid hinterlands, deforested and depopulated after a series of droughts, likely led to the collapse of the Khmer Empire, was only occupied by small groups of Austroasiatic peoples and scattered outposts of Lao mueang in the far north. In 1718, Mueang Suwannaphum (ສຸວັນນະພູມ Muang Souvannaphoum, /súʔ.wán.nāʔ.pʰúːm/) in 1718 in what is now <a href="Roi_Et_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Roi Et Province">Roi Et Province</a>, was founded as an outpost of Champasak, establishing the first major Lao presence and the beginning of the expansion of Lao settlement along the <a href="Chi_River" title="Chi River">Si</a> (ຊີ /síː/) and <a href="Mun_River" title="Mun River">Mun</a> (ມູນ) rivers.

The bulk of the Lao, however, settled after 1778 when King <a href="Taksin" title="Taksin">Taksin</a>, Siamese king during the <a href="Thonburi_Kingdom" title="Thonburi Kingdom">Thonburi Period</a> (1767–1782) conquered Champasak and Vientiane and raided <a href="Muang_Phuan" title="Muang Phuan">Phuan areas</a> for slaves, seizing the <a href="Emerald_Buddha" title="Emerald Buddha">Emerald Buddha</a> and <a href="Phra_Bang" title="Phra Bang">Phra Bang</a> (although the latter was eventually returned) and forcing some of the Lao across the river to settle in Isan. Louang Phrabang was spared most of the destruction by submitting to Siamese overlordship.<a href="#cite_note-18">[18]</a> Although the kingdoms remained nominally autonomous, the Siamese demanded tribute and taxes, kept members of the respective royal houses as hostages to ensure loyalty and required the three Lao kings to come to the capital several times a year to hold an audience with the Siamese king. When the kingdoms revolted, the Siamese armies retaliated by rounding up entire villages, tattooing them to mark them as slaves and forced to settle what is now Isan, forced to serve as soldiers or manpower in <a href="Corv%C3%A9e" title="Corvée">corvée</a> projects to build roads, to grow food, build canals, or serve as domestics. The greatest population transfer occurred after the <a href="Laotian_Rebellion" class="mw-redirect" title="Laotian Rebellion">Laotian Rebellion</a> by Chao <a href="Anouvong" title="Anouvong">Anouvông</a> (ອານຸວົງ/ອານຸວົງສ໌, /ʔàː.nùʔ.wóŋ/) in 1828 which led to the death of Anouvông and most of his family. The Siamese abducted nearly the entire population of Vientiane and its surrounding area and forced them to the right bank. Continued raids of people continued until the end of the nineteenth century.<a href="#cite_note-19">[19]</a>

In addition to forced transfers, many Lao were encouraged to settle in Isan, with some disillusioned princes granted lofty titles in exchange for loyalty and taxation, robbing the Lao kings of taxation and wealth as well as what little nominal authority they had left. This greatly expanded the Lao population of Isan and caused assimilation of the local peoples into the mix, a process that is occurring on a smaller scale even now. Siamese intervention paradoxically strengthened the Lao character of the region as the Siamese left the Lao areas alone as long as they continued to produce rice and continued to pay tribute. Direct Siamese rule did not extend past <a href="Nakhon_Ratchasima" title="Nakhon Ratchasima">Nakhon Ratchasima</a>, and the Lao mueang, whether paying their tribute directly to Bangkok or the remaining Lao kings and princes, were still nominally part of the separate kingdoms. Temples built in what is now Isan still featured the Tai Noi script on its murals and although Siam would intervene in some matters, daily administration was still left to the remaining kings and various Lao princes that served as governors of the larger mueang. The result of the population movements re-centered the Lao world to the right bank, as today, if Isan and Lao speakers are counted together, Isan speakers form 80 percent of the Lao-speaking population.

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="French_Laos_(1893–1953)">French Laos (1893–1953)</h3></div>

<div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="French_protectorate_of_Laos" title="French protectorate of Laos">French protectorate of Laos</a></div>

During French rule, missing words for new technologies and political realities were borrowed from French or Vietnamese, repurposed from old Lao vocabulary as well as coined from Sanskrit. These Sanskrit-derived neologisms were generally the same, although not always, as those that developed in Thai.<a href="#cite_note-Vacha-20">[20]</a><a href="#cite_note-Platt-21">[21]</a>

Whilst previously written in a mixture of etymological and phonetical spellings, depending on audience or author, Lao underwent several reforms that moved the language towards a purely phonetical spelling. During the restoration of the king of Louang Phabang as King of Laos under the last years of French rule in Laos, the government standardized the spelling of the Lao language, with movement towards a phonetical spelling with preservation of a semi-etymological spelling for Pali, Sanskrit and French loan words and the addition of archaic letters for words of Pali and Sanskrit origin concerning Indic culture and Buddhism.

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Independence_and_Communist_rule_(1953–present)">Independence and Communist rule (1953–present)</h3></div>

<div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="History_of_Laos_since_1945" class="mw-redirect" title="History of Laos since 1945">History of Laos since 1945</a></div>

Spelling reforms under the communist rule of Laos in 1975 were more radical, with the complete abolition of semi-etymological spelling in favor of phonetical spelling, with the removal of silent letters, removal of special letters for Indic loan words, all vowels being written out explicitly and even the elimination or replacement of the letter '<big>ຣ</big>' /r/ (but usually pronounced /l/) in official publications, although older people and many in the Lao diaspora continue to use some of the older spelling conventions.<a href="#cite_note-22">[22]</a>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Dialects">Dialects</h2></div>

The standard written Lao based on the speech of Vientiane has leveled many lexical differences between dialects found in Laos, and although spoken regional variations remain strong, speakers will adjust to it in formal situations and in dealings with outsiders.<a href="#cite_note-23">[23]</a>

<caption>Lao Dialects

</caption>

<td>Dialect</td>

<td>Lao Provinces</td>

<td>Thai Provinces

</td></tr>

<td>Vientiane Lao

</td>

<td><a href="Vientiane" title="Vientiane">Vientiane</a>, <a href="Vientiane_Prefecture" title="Vientiane Prefecture">Vientiane Prefecture</a>, <a href="Bolikhamsai_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Bolikhamsai Province">Bolikhamxay</a> and southern <a href="Xaisomboun_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Xaisomboun Province">Xaisômboun</a>

</td>

<td><a href="Nong_Khai_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Nong Khai Province">Nong Khai</a>, <a href="Nong_Bua_Lamphu_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Nong Bua Lamphu Province">Nong Bua Lamphu</a>, <a href="Chaiyaphum_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Chaiyaphum Province">Chaiyaphum</a>, <a href="Udon_Thani_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Udon Thani Province">Udon Thani</a>, portions of <a href="Yasothorn_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Yasothorn Province">Yasothon</a>, <a href="Bueng_Kan_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Bueng Kan Province">Bueng Kan</a>, <a href="Loei_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Loei Province">Loei</a> and <a href="Khon_Kaen_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Khon Kaen Province">Khon Kaen</a> (Khon Chaen)

</td></tr>

<td>Northern Lao Louang Phrabang Lao

</td>

<td><a href="Luang_Prabang_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Luang Prabang Province">Louang Phrabang</a>, <a href="Sainyabuli_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Sainyabuli Province">Xaignbouli</a>, <a href="Oudomxay_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Oudomxay Province">Oudômxay</a>, <a href="Phongsaly_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Phongsaly Province">Phôngsali</a>, <a href="Bokeo_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Bokeo Province">Bokèo</a>, and <a href="Luang_Namtha_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Luang Namtha Province">Louang Namtha</a>, portions of <a href="Houaphanh_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Houaphanh Province">Houaphan</a>

</td>

<td><a href="Loei_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Loei Province">Loei</a>, portions of <a href="Udon_Thani_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Udon Thani Province">Udon Thani</a>, <a href="Khon_Kaen" title="Khon Kaen">Khon Kaen</a>(Khon Chaen), also <a href="Phitsanulok_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Phitsanulok Province">Phitsanulok</a>, <a href="Phetchabun_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Phetchabun Province">Phetchabun</a> (Phetsabun) and <a href="Uttaradit_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Uttaradit Province">Uttaradit</a> (outside Isan)

</td></tr>

<td>Northeastern Lao Phuan (Phouan) Lao

</td>

<td><a href="Xiangkhouang_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Xiangkhouang Province">Xiangkhouang</a>, portions of <a href="Houaphanh_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Houaphanh Province">Houaphan</a> and <a href="Xaisomboun_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Xaisomboun Province">Xaisômboun</a>

</td>

<td>Scattered in isolated villages of <a href="Chaiyaphum_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Chaiyaphum Province">Chaiyaphum</a>, <a href="Sakon_Nakhon_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Sakon Nakhon Province">Sakon Nakhon</a>, <a href="Udon_Thani_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Udon Thani Province">Udon Thani</a>, <a href="Bueng_Kan_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Bueng Kan Province">Bueng Kan</a>, <a href="Nong_Khai_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Nong Khai Province">Nong Khai</a> and <a href="Loei_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Loei Province">Loei</a><a href="#cite_note-24">[a]</a>

</td></tr>

<td>Central Lao (ລາວກາງ)

</td>

<td><a href="Khammouane_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Khammouane Province">Khammouan</a> and portions of <a href="Bolikhamsai_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Bolikhamsai Province">Bolikhamxay</a> and <a href="Savannakhet_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Savannakhet Province">Savannakhét</a>

</td>

<td><a href="Mukdahan_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Mukdahan Province">Mukdahan</a>, <a href="Sakon_Nakhon_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Sakon Nakhon Province">Sakon Nakhon</a>, <a href="Nakhon_Phanom_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Nakhon Phanom Province">Nakhon Phanom</a>, <a href="Mukdahan_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Mukdahan Province">Mukdahan</a>; portions of <a href="Nong_Khai_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Nong Khai Province">Nong Khai</a> and <a href="Bueng_Kan_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Bueng Kan Province">Bueng Kan</a>

</td></tr>

<td>Southern Lao

</td>

<td><a href="Champasak_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Champasak Province">Champasak</a>, <a href="Salavan_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Salavan Province">Saravan</a>, <a href="Sekong_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Sekong Province">Xékong</a>, <a href="Attapeu_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Attapeu Province">Attapeu</a>, portions of <a href="Savannakhet_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Savannakhet Province">Savannakhét</a>

</td>

<td><a href="Ubon_Ratchathani_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Ubon Ratchathani Province">Ubon Ratchathani</a> (Ubon Ratsathani), <a href="Amnat_Charoen_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Amnat Charoen Province">Amnat Charoen</a>, portions of <a href="Si_Sa_Ket_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Si Sa Ket Province">Si Sa Ket</a>, <a href="Surin_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Surin Province">Surin</a>, <a href="Nakhon_Ratchasima_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Nakhon Ratchasima Province">Nakhon Ratchasima</a> (Nakhon Ratsasima), and <a href="Yasothorn_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Yasothorn Province">Yasothon</a><a href="#cite_note-25">[b]</a>

</td></tr>

<td>Western Lao (Standard Isan)

</td>

<td>* Not found in Laos

</td>

<td><a href="Kalasin_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Kalasin Province">Kalasin</a>, <a href="Roi_Et_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Roi Et Province">Roi Et</a> (Hoi Et), <a href="Maha_Sarakham_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Maha Sarakham Province">Maha Sarakham</a>, portions of <a href="Khon_Kaen" title="Khon Kaen">Khon Kaen</a> (Khon Chaen), <a href="Chaiyaphum" title="Chaiyaphum">Chaiyaphum</a> (Sainyaphum), and <a href="Nakhon_Ratchasima" title="Nakhon Ratchasima">Nakhon Ratchasima</a> (Nakhon Ratsasima)

</td></tr>

</tbody></table>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Vientiane_Lao_dialect">Vientiane Lao dialect</h3></div>

In Laos, the written language has been mainly based on Vientiane Lao for centuries after the capital of Lan Xang was moved in 1560. The speech of the old élite families was cultivated into Standard Lao as emulated by television and radio broadcasts from the capital as well as taught to foreign students of Lao. The speech of the Isan city of Nong Khai, which sits on the opposite bank of the Mekong, is almost indistinguishable in tone and accent from the speech of Vientiane. Vientiane Lao predominates in Vientiane City, the surrounding <a href="Vientiane_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Vientiane Province">Vientiane Province</a> and portions of <a href="Bolikhamxai_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Bolikhamxai Province">Bolikhamxai</a> and some areas of <a href="Xaisomboun_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Xaisomboun Province">Xaisômboun</a>.

In Isan, Vientiane Lao is the primary form of Isan spoken in the northern third of the region which was long settled since the days of Lan Xang and was ruled as part of the Kingdom of Vientiane, including most of <a href="Nong_Khai_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Nong Khai Province">Nong Khai</a>, <a href="Nong_Bua_Lamphu_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Nong Bua Lamphu Province">Nong Bua Lamphu</a>, eastern <a href="Loei_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Loei Province">Loei</a> and portions of <a href="Chaiyaphum_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Chaiyaphum Province">Saiyaphum</a> and <a href="Bueng_Kan_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Bueng Kan Province">Bueng Kan</a>. As a result of the Lao rebellion of 1826 the Tai Wiang (ໄທວຽງ), /tʰáj wíaŋ/), 'Vientiane people' of the city and surrounding parts of the kingdom, were rounded up by Siamese armies and forced to the right bank, greatly boosting the Lao population of what is now Isan. The Tai Wiang strengthened numbers in the northern third, where Vientiane Lao was traditionally spoken, but were scattered across the Isan region overall, with heavier concentrations in <a href="Yasothorn_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Yasothorn Province">Yasothon</a>, <a href="Khon_Kaen_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Khon Kaen Province">Khon Kaen</a>, and <a href="Roi_Et_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Roi Et Province">Hoi Et</a> provinces. This likely had a leveling effect on the Lao language as spoken in Isan, as most Isan speakers regardless of speech variety are prone to using /ʋ/ as opposed to /w/ and the informal conversion of syllable-initial /k/ to /tɕ/ in relaxed, informal speech, which in Laos, is particularly characteristic of Vientiane speech. For example, the word kaem (ແກ້ມ kèm, /kɛ̂ːm/), 'cheek', is often pronounced *chaem (*ແຈ້ມ chèm, */tɕɛ̂ːm/).

<caption>Vientiane Dialect Six-Tone Distribution<a href="#cite_note-26">[24]</a>

</caption>

<th style="font-weight:bold; background-color:rgb(238, 238, 238); color:rgb(32, 33, 34);">Tone Class

</th>

<th style="font-weight:bold; background-color:rgb(238, 238, 238); color:rgb(32, 33, 34);">Inherent Tone

</th>

<th style="font-weight:bold; background-color:rgb(238, 238, 238); color:rgb(32, 33, 34);">Mai ek (◌່)

</th>

<th style="font-weight:bold; background-color:rgb(238, 238, 238); color:rgb(32, 33, 34);">Mai tho (◌້)

</th>

<th style="font-weight:bold; background-color:rgb(238, 238, 238); color:rgb(32, 33, 34);">Long Vowel

</th>

<th style="font-weight:bold; background-color:rgb(238, 238, 238); color:rgb(32, 33, 34);">Short Vowel

</th></tr>

<tr>

<th>High

</th>

<td style="background-color:#c1a2e1;">Low-Rising

</td>

<td style="background-color:#f8ff00;">Middle

</td>

<td style="background-color:#3dbaaf;">Low-Falling (glottalized)

</td>

<td style="background-color:#3dbaaf;">Low-Falling

</td>

<td style="background-color:#ffcb2f;">Mid-Rising

</td></tr>

<tr>

<th>Middle

</th>

<td style="background-color:#c1a2e1;">Low-Rising

</td>

<td style="background-color:#f8ff00;">Middle

</td>

<td style="background-color:#6200c9;">High-Falling (glottalized)

</td>

<td style="background-color:#6200c9;">High-Falling

</td>

<td style="background-color:#ffcb2f;">Mid-Rising

</td></tr>

<tr>

<th>Low

</th>

<td style="background-color:#7432b9;">High-Rising

</td>

<td style="background-color:#f8ff00;">Middle

</td>

<td style="background-color:#6200c9;">High-Falling

</td>

<td style="background-color:#6200c9;">High-Falling

</td>

<td style="background-color:#f8ff00;">Middle (high)

</td></tr></tbody></table>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Northern_Lao_(Louang_Phrabang)_dialect">Northern Lao (Louang Phrabang) dialect</h3></div>

Northern Lao is a very distinct dialect, exhibiting several features and lexical differences quite apart from other Lao dialects except Northeastern Lao (Phuan). Even though it borders the Vientiane Lao dialect region, there is a sharp boundary that divides them. The dialect shares many similarities with <a href="Northern_Thai_language" title="Northern Thai language">Tai Lanna</a> and is classified accordingly as a Chiang Saen language by Ethnologue.<a href="#cite_note-ethny-5">[5]</a> The dialect is not common in Isan, restricted to western portions of <a href="Loei_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Loei Province">Loei</a> and pockets of villages spread throughout <a href="Udon_Thani_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Udon Thani Province">Udon Thani</a> provinces. The Isan people of <a href="Phitsanulok_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Phitsanulok Province">Phitsanulok</a> and <a href="Uttaradit_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Uttaradit Province">Uttaradit</a> provinces, particularly the narrow strip hugging the shore of the Mekong and bordering Loei, outside of Isan are generally speakers of Northern Lao. In Laos, it is the primary dialect spoken in <a href="Luang_Prabang_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Luang Prabang Province">Louang Phrabang</a> and <a href="Sainyabuli_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Sainyabuli Province">Xaignabouli</a> provinces. In the other northern Laotian provinces of <a href="Oudomxai_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Oudomxai Province">Oudômxai</a>, <a href="Houaphanh_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Houaphanh Province">Houaphan</a>, <a href="Luang_Namtha_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Luang Namtha Province">Louang Namtha</a> and <a href="Phongsaly_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Phongsaly Province">Phôngsali</a>, native Lao speakers are a small minority in the major market towns but Northern Lao, highly influenced by the local languages, is spoken as the lingua franca across ethnic groups of the area.<a href="#cite_note-dialectal-27">[25]</a>

Northern Lao, specifically the speech of the city of <a href="Luang_Prabang" title="Luang Prabang">Louang Phrabang</a> was originally the prestigious variety of the language with the city serving as the capital of Lan Xang for the first half of its existence, with the kings of the city made kings of all of Laos by the French. Although the language lost its prestige to Vientiane Lao, Northern Lao is important for its history, as many of the earliest Lao literary works were composed in the dialect, and it served, in a refined form, as the royal speech of the Laotian kings until 1975 when the monarchy was abolished. Louang Phrabang remains the largest city in the northern region of Laos, serving as an important center of trade and communication with the surrounding areas.

Despite the proximity to speakers of Vientiane Lao, Northern Lao is quite distinct. Unlike other Lao dialects with six tones, Northern Lao speakers use only five. Due to the distinctive high-pitch, high-falling tone on words with live syllables starting with low-class consonants, the dialect is said to sound softer, sweeter and more effeminate than other Lao dialects, likely aided by the slower speed of speaking.<a href="#cite_note-LaoDialects-28">[26]</a> Similar in tonal structure and quality to Tai Lanna, likely facilitated by the immigration of Lanna people to Louang Phrabang after Chiang Mai's fall to the Burmese in 1551, the dialect is classified apart from other Lao dialects as Chiang Saen language by Ethnologue.<a href="#cite_note-ethny-5">[5]</a> Northern Lao also resisted the merger of Proto-Tai */aɰ/ and */aj/ that occurred in all other Lao dialects, except Northeastern Lao. This affects the twenty or so words represented by Thai 'ใ◌' and Lao 'ໃ◌', which preserve /aɰ/ in Northern Lao. This vowel has become /aj/, similar to Thai 'ไ◌' and Lao 'ໄ◌' which is also /aj/. Northern Lao also contains numerous terms not familiar to other Lao speakers.<a href="#cite_note-Loei-29">[27]</a>

<caption>Lack of /aj/-/aɯ/ merger in Northern (Louang Phrabang) Lao

</caption>

<th>Source

</th>

<th>Thai

</th>

<th>Isan

</th>

<th>Vientiane Lao

</th>

<th>Northern Lao

</th>

<th>Gloss

</th></tr>

<tr>

<td>*/ʰmɤːl/

</td>

<td>ใหม่ mai [màj]

</td>

<td>ใหม่ mai [māj]

</td>

<td>ໃຫມ່ mai [māj]

</td>

<td>ໃຫມ່ *maue [māɯ]

</td>

<td>'new'

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>*/haɰ/

</td>

<td>ให้ hai [hâj]

</td>

<td>ให้ hai [hàj]

</td>

<td>ໃຫ້ hai [hȁj]

</td>

<td>ໃຫ້ *haue [hȁɯ]

</td>

<td>'to give'

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>*/cɤɰ/

</td>

<td>ใจ chai [tɕāj]

</td>

<td>ใจ chai [tɕàj]

</td>

<td>ໃຈ chai [tɕàj]

</td>

<td>ໃຈ *chaue [tɕǎɯ]

</td>

<td>'heart'

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>*/C̥.daɰ/

</td>

<td>ใน nai [nāj]

</td>

<td>ใน nai [nâj]

</td>

<td>ໃນ nai [náj]

</td>

<td>ໃນ *naue [na᷇ɯ]

</td>

<td>'inside'

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>*/mwaj/

</td>

<td>ไม้ mai [máːj]

</td>

<td>ไม้ mai [mȁj]

</td>

<td>ໄມ້ mai [mâj]

</td>

<td>'wood'. 'tree'

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>*/wɤj/

</td>

<td>ไฟ fai [fāj]

</td>

<td>ไฟ fai [fâj]

</td>

<td>ໄຟ fai [fáj]

</td>

<td>'fire'

</td></tr></tbody></table>

<caption>Northern Lao dialectal words

</caption>

<th>Thai

</th>

<th>Isan

</th>

<th>Vientiane Lao

</th>

<th>Northern Lao

</th>

<th>Gloss

</th></tr>

<tr>

<td>เล่น len [lên]

</td>

<td>หลิ้น lin [lìn]

</td>

<td>ຫລິ້ນ/ຫຼິ້ນ lin [lȉn]

</td>

<td>ເອວ (เอว) eo [ʔêːw]

</td>

<td>'to joke', 'to play'

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>ลิง ling [līŋ]

</td>

<td>ลิง ling [lîŋ]

</td>

<td>ລີງ ling [líːŋ]

</td>

<td>ລິງ (ลิง) ling [lîŋ]

</td>

<td>'monkey'

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>ขนมปัง khanom pang [kʰā.nǒm pàŋ]

</td>

<td>ข้าวจี่ ขนมปัง khao chi khanom pang [kʰà(ː)w tɕíː] [kʰā.nǒm pàŋ]

</td>

<td>ເຂົ້າຈີ່ khao chi [kʰȁ(ː)w tɕīː]

</td>

<td>ຂມົນປັງ (ขนมปัง) khanom pang [kʰā-, xā.nǒm pâŋ]

</td>

<td>'bread'

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>ห่อ ho [hɔ̀ː]

</td>

<td>ห่อ ho [hɔ̄ː]

</td>

<td>ຫໍ່ ho [hɔ̄ː]

</td>

<td>ຄູ່ (คู่) khu [kʰu᷇ː, xu᷇ː]

</td>

<td>'parcel', 'package'

</td></tr></tbody></table>

<caption>Northern Lao (Louang Phrabang) Dialect Tone Distribution<a href="#cite_note-30">[28]</a>

</caption>

<th style="color:rgb(32, 33, 34);">Tone Class

</th>

<th style="color:rgb(32, 33, 34);">Inherent Tone

</th>

<th style="color:rgb(32, 33, 34);">Mai ek (◌່)

</th>

<th style="color:rgb(32, 33, 34);">Mai tho (◌້)

</th>

<th style="color:rgb(32, 33, 34);">Long Vowel

</th>

<th style="color:rgb(32, 33, 34);">Short Vowel

</th></tr>

<tr>

<td style="background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255); color:rgb(32, 33, 34);">High

</td>

<td style="background-color:#38fff8;">Mid-Falling Rising

</td>

<td style="background-color:#f8ff00;">Middle

</td>

<td style="background-color:#6200c9;">High-Falling (glottalized)

</td>

<td style="background-color:#6200c9;">High-Falling

</td>

<td style="background-color:#ffcb2f;">Mid-Rising

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td style="background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255); color:rgb(32, 33, 34);">Middle

</td>

<td style="background-color:#c1a2e1;">Low-Rising

</td>

<td style="background-color:#f8ff00;">Middle

</td>

<td style="background-color:#ffcb2f;">Mid-Rising (glottalized)

</td>

<td style="background-color:#6200c9;">High-Falling

</td>

<td style="background-color:#ffcb2f;">Mid-Rising

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td style="background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255); color:rgb(32, 33, 34);">Low

</td>

<td style="background-color:#c1a2e1;">Low-Rising

</td>

<td style="background-color:#f8ff00;">Middle

</td>

<td style="background-color:#ffcb2f;">Mid-Rising

</td>

<td style="background-color:#ffcb2f;">Mid-Rising

</td>

<td style="background-color:#f8ff00;">Middle

</td></tr></tbody></table>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Northeastern_Lao_dialect_(Tai_Phouan)">Northeastern Lao dialect (Tai Phouan)</h3></div>

<div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="Phuan_language" title="Phuan language">Phuan language</a></div>

The <a href="Phuan_language" title="Phuan language">Phuan language</a> is a <a href="Chiang_Saen_languages" class="mw-redirect" title="Chiang Saen languages">Chiang Saen (Thai) language</a> rather than part of the Lao–Phutai languages, but it is considered a Lao dialect in Laos. As a Tai language of northern Southeast Asia, it shares many similarities with Tai Dam and Tai Lan Na. In contrast to other minority languages of Isan, it is not losing ground to the Thai or Isan language in Isan.<a href="#cite_note-ethny-5">[5]</a>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Central_Lao">Central Lao</h3></div>

Central Lao represents a transitional variety, with northern varieties closer to Vientiane Lao and southern varieties, roughly south of the confluence of the Xé Noi river with the Mekong, the speech varieties begin to approach Southern Lao. Some linguists, such as Hartmann, place Vientiane Lao and Central Lao together as a singular dialect region.<a href="#cite_note-31">[29]</a> More Vientiane-like speech predominates in the Isan provinces of <a href="Bueng_Kan_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Bueng Kan Province">Bueng Kan</a>, <a href="Sakon_Nakhon_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Sakon Nakhon Province">Sakon Nakhon</a>, most of <a href="Nakhon_Phanom_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Nakhon Phanom Province">Nakhon Phanom</a> and some areas of <a href="Nong_Khai_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Nong Khai Province">Nong Khai</a> provinces and on the Laotian side, portions of eastern and southern <a href="Bolikhamxai_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Bolikhamxai Province">Bolikhamxai</a> and <a href="Khammouane_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Khammouane Province">Khammouan</a> provinces. More Southern Lao features are found in the speech of <a href="Mukdahan_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Mukdahan Province">Mukdahan</a> and southern <a href="Nakhon_Phanom_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Nakhon Phanom Province">Nakhon Phanom</a> provinces of Thailand and <a href="Savannakhet_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Savannakhet Province">Savannakhét Province</a> of Laos.

Nevertheless, the tones of the southern Central varieties, such as spoken in Mukdahan, Thailand and Savannakhét, Laos have a tonal structure more akin to Vientiane Lao, sharing certain splits and contours. These areas do, however, exhibit some Southern features of their lexicon, such as the common use of se (ເຊ xé, /sêː/), 'river', which is typical of Southern Lao as opposed to nam (ນ້ຳ, /nȃːm/), which is the more common word and also signifies 'water' in general. Mukdahan-Savannakhét area speakers also understand maethao (ແມ່ເຖົ້າ, /mɛ́ː.tʰȁw/) as a respectful term for an 'old lady' (as opposed to Vientiane 'mother-in-law') and use pen sang (ເປັນສັງ, /pȅn sȁŋ/) instead of Vientiane pen yang (ເປັນຫຍັງ, /pèn ɲăŋ/), 'what's wrong?', as is typical of Southern Lao.

<caption>Central Dialect Tone Distribution (Savannakhét)<a href="#cite_note-32">[30]</a>

</caption>

<td>Tone Class</td>

<td>Inherent Tone</td>

<td>Long Vowel</td>

<td>Short Vowel

</td></tr>

<th>High

</th>

<td style="background-color:#34ff34;">Rising

</td>

<td style="background-color:#f8ff00;">Middle

</td>

<td style="background-color:#3dbaaf;">Low-Falling

</td>

<td style="background-color:#34ff34;">Rising

</td>

<td style="background-color:#3dbaaf;">Low-Falling

</td></tr>

<th>Middle

</th>

<td style="background-color:#6200c9;">High-Falling

</td>

<td style="background-color:#f8ff00;">Middle

</td>

<td style="background-color:#10f9c6;">Rising-Falling

</td>

<td style="background-color:#34ff34;">Rising

</td>

<td style="background-color:#3dbaaf;">Low-Falling

</td></tr>

<th>Low

</th>

<td style="background-color:#6200c9;">High-Falling

</td>

<td style="background-color:#f8ff00;">Middle

</td>

<td style="background-color:#10f9c6;">Rising-Falling

</td>

<td style="background-color:#6200c9;">High-Falling

</td>

<td style="background-color:#f8ff00;">Middle

</td></tr></tbody></table>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Southern_Lao">Southern Lao</h3></div>

Southern Lao is spoken along the southern third of Isan and Laos. This region covers the Thai provinces of <a href="Surin_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Surin Province">Surin</a>, <a href="Buriram_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Buriram Province">Buriram</a> and <a href="Sisaket_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Sisaket Province">Sisaket</a>, where a large minority of speakers are <a href="Khmer_people" title="Khmer people">Khmer</a> people speaking the archaic <a href="Northern_Khmer_dialect" title="Northern Khmer dialect">northern</a> variety of Khmer and another Austroasiatic people, the <a href="Kuy_people" title="Kuy people">Kuy people</a>, use Southern Lao as a second language to engage with their Isan neighbors. It is also spoken in <a href="Ubon_Ratchathani_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Ubon Ratchathani Province">Ubon Ratsathani</a>, <a href="Amnat_Charoen_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Amnat Charoen Province">Amnat Charoen</a> and portions of <a href="Yasothorn_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Yasothorn Province">Yasothon</a> and <a href="Nakhon_Ratchasima_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Nakhon Ratchasima Province">Nakhon Ratsasima</a>. In Laos, it is the primary dialect of <a href="Champasak_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Champasak Province">Champasak</a>, <a href="Saravane_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Saravane Province">Salavan</a>, <a href="Attapeu_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Attapeu Province">Attapeu</a> and <a href="Sekong_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Sekong Province">Xékong</a> provinces. There are also small pockets of speakers located in <a href="Steung_Treng_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Steung Treng Province">Steung Treng Province</a>, Cambodia or Siang Taeng (ຊຽງແຕງ, /síaŋ tɛ̀ːŋ/), particularly near the Mekong River close to the Laotian border. Many of the areas where Southern Lao is spoken were formerly part of the <a href="Kingdom_of_Champasak" title="Kingdom of Champasak">Kingdom of Champasak</a>, one of the three successor states to the Kingdom of Lan Xang, prior to the division of the Lao-speaking world between France and Siam.

Compared to other Isan and Lao dialects, Southern Lao has low tones in syllables that begin with high- or middle-class consonants and have long vowels. High- and middle-class consonants marked with the mai tho tone mark are low and low-falling, respectively, but in these cases are pronounced with very strong <a href="Glottalization" title="Glottalization">glottalization</a>, which can be described as 'creaky'. Combined with the somewhat faster manner of speaking and reduced tendency to soften consonants at the end of words, Southern Lao sounds very rough and harsh to speakers of other dialects. Many of these features, such as the faster speaking pace and glottalization may be influences from Austroasiatic languages as most of the region was inhabited by the Khmer, Kuy and various other Austroasiatic peoples until the eighteenth century when the Lao began to settle and even now, Khmer speakers comprise half the population of Surin and roughly a quarter each of the populations of Sisaket and Buriram provinces.<a href="#cite_note-LaoDialects-28">[26]</a>

Specific dialectal words include don (ດອນ, /dɔːn/), 'riparian island', se (ເຊ xé, /sȅː/)) and many of the words used in Savannakhét that are more typical of Southern Lao such as mae thao (ແມ່ເຖົ້າ, /mɛ́ː tʰȁw/) as a respectful term for an 'old lady' (as opposed to Vientiane 'mother-in-law') and use pen sang (ເປັນສັງ, /pȅn sȁŋ/) instead of Vientiane pen yang (ເປັນຫຍັງ pén gnang, /pen ɲăŋ/), 'what's wrong?'. Possibly as a result of historical Khmer influence and current influences from Thai, Southern dialects tend to pronounce some words with initial Proto-Southwestern Tai */r/ as either the rhotic tap /ɾ/ or a strongly velarized /ɬ/ which is confused with /d/ by speakers of other Lao dialects which have /h/. For example, Vientiane Lao hap (ຮັບ, /hāp/), 'to receive', and hong haem (ໂຮງແຮມ hônghèm, /hóːŋ hɛ́ːm/) are pronounced as lap (ລັບ, /ɾàp/) and honglaem (ໂຮງແລມ hônglèm, /hɔ̏ːŋ ɾɛ̏ːm/), respectively but may sound like *dap and *hongdaem (hông dèm) to other Lao, but are really a strongly velarized /ɬ/ or a rhotic tap /ɾ/.<a href="#cite_note-33">[31]</a> Southerners also tend to use chak (ຈັກ, /tɕa᷇k/) to mean 'to know someone' as opposed to hu chak (ຮູ້ຈັກ hou chak, /hȗː tɕák/) used in all other dialects.

<caption>Southern Dialect Tone (Pakxé) Distribution<a href="#cite_note-34">[32]</a>

</caption>

<td>Tone Class</td>

<td>Inherent Tone</td>

<td>Long Vowel</td>

<td>Short Vowel

</td></tr>

<th>High

</th>

<td style="background-color:#7432b9;">High-Rising

</td>

<td style="background-color:#cc9e15;">Lower-Middle

</td>

<td style="background-color:#fd6864;">Low (glottalized)

</td>

<td style="background-color:#fd6864;">Low

</td>

<td style="background-color:#7432b9;">High-Rising

</td></tr>

<th>Middle

</th>

<td style="background-color:#f8ff00;">Middle

</td>

<td style="background-color:#cc9e15;">Lower-Middle

</td>

<td style="background-color:#3dbaaf;">Low-Falling (glottalized)

</td>

<td style="background-color:#fd6864;">Low

</td>

<td style="background-color:#7432b9;">High-Rising

</td></tr>

<th>Low

</th>

<td style="background-color:#c94f19;">Mid-Falling

</td>

<td style="background-color:#cc9e15;">Lower-Middle

</td>

<td style="background-color:#3dbaaf;">Low-Falling

</td>

<td style="background-color:#3dbaaf;">Low-Falling

</td>

<td style="background-color:#cc9e15;">Lower-Middle (short)

</td></tr></tbody></table>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Western_Lao">Western Lao</h3></div>

Western Lao (Standard Isan) does not occur in Laos but is the primary dialect of <a href="Khon_Kaen_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Khon Kaen Province">Khon Kaen</a>, <a href="Kalasin_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Kalasin Province">Kalasin</a>, <a href="Roi_Et_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Roi Et Province">Roi Et</a>, and <a href="Maha_Sarakham_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Maha Sarakham Province">Maha Sarakham</a> in Isan, Thailand. It is also spoken in much of <a href="Chaiyaphum_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Chaiyaphum Province">Chaiyaphum</a> and portions of <a href="Nakhon_Ratchasima_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Nakhon Ratchasima Province">Nakhon Ratsasima</a>.

<caption>Western Lao Dialect Tone Distribution (Roi Et)<a href="#cite_note-35">[33]</a>

</caption>

<td>Tone Class</td>

<td>Inherent Tone</td>

<td>Long Vowel</td>

<td>Short Vowel

</td></tr>

<th>High

</th>

<td style="background-color:#c1a2e1;">Low-Rising

</td>

<td style="background-color:#f8ff00;">Middle

</td>

<td style="background-color:#fd6864;">Low

</td>

<td style="background-color:#fd6864;">Low

</td>

<td style="background-color:#fd6864;">Low

</td></tr>

<th>Middle

</th>

<td style="background-color:#ea8538:">Rising-Mid-Falling

</td>

<td style="background-color:#f8ff00;">Middle

</td>

<td style="background-color:#c94f19;">Mid-Falling

</td>

<td style="background-color:#fd6864;">Low

</td>

<td style="background-color:#fd6864;">Low

</td></tr>

<th>Low

</th>

<td style="background-color:#38eada;">Rising-High-Falling

</td>

<td style="background-color:#fd6864;">Low

</td>

<td style="background-color:#6200c9;">High-Falling

</td>

<td style="background-color:#f8ff00;">Middle

</td>

<td style="background-color:#f8ff00;">Middle

</td></tr></tbody></table>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Vocabulary">Vocabulary</h2></div>

<div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">See also: <a href="Indosphere" title="Indosphere">Indosphere</a>, <a href="Greater_India" title="Greater India">Greater India</a>, and <a href="Sanskrit#usage" title="Sanskrit">Sanskrit global usage</a></div>

The Lao language consists primarily of native Lao words. Because of <a href="Buddhism" title="Buddhism">Buddhism</a>, however, <a href="Pali" title="Pali">Pali</a> has contributed numerous terms, especially relating to religion and in conversation with members of the <a href="Sangha" title="Sangha">sangha</a>. Due to their proximity, Lao has influenced the Khmer and Thai languages and vice versa.

Formal writing has a larger number of <a href="Loanword" title="Loanword">loanwords</a>, especially <a href="Pali" title="Pali">Pali</a> and <a href="Sanskrit" title="Sanskrit">Sanskrit</a>, much as Latin and Greek have influenced European languages. For politeness, pronouns (and more formal pronouns) are used, plus ending statements with ແດ່ (dae /dɛ̄ː/) or ເດີ້ (doe /dɤ̂ː/). Negative statements are made more polite by ending with ດອກ (dok /dɔ̏ːk/). The following are formal register examples.

<ul><li>ຂອບໃຈຫຼາຍ ໆ ເດີ້ (khop chai lai lai doe, /kʰɔ᷆ːp tɕàj lǎːj lǎːj dɤ̂ː/) Thank you very much.</li>

<li>ຂ້ານ້ອຍເຮັດບໍ່ໄດ້ດອກ (kha noi het bo lai dok, /kʰa᷆ː nɔ̂ːj hēt bɔ̄ː dâj dɔ᷆ːk/) I cannot.</li>

<li>ໄຂປະຕູໃຫ້ແດ່ (khai patu hai dae, /kʰǎj páʔ.tùː ha᷆j dɛ̄ː/) Open the door, please.</li></ul>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="French_loanwords">French loanwords</h3></div>

<div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Further information: <a href="French_language_in_Laos" title="French language in Laos">French language in Laos</a></div>

After the division of the Lao-speaking world in 1893, French would serve as the administrative language of the French Protectorate of Laos, carved from the Lao lands of the left bank, for sixty years until 1953 when Laos achieved full independence.<a href="#cite_note-Francophone-36">[34]</a> The close relationship of the Lao monarchy with France continued the promotion and spread of French until the end of the <a href="Laotian_Civil_War" title="Laotian Civil War">Laotian Civil War</a> when the monarchy was removed and the privileged position of French began its decline. Many of the initial borrowings for terms from Western culture were imported via French. For instance, Lao uses sangtimet (ຊັງຕີແມດ /sáŋ.tìː.mɛ́ːt/) in an approximation of French centimètre (/sɑ̃timɛtʁ/). Lao people also tend to use French forms of geographic place names, thus the Republic of <a href="Guinea" title="Guinea">Guinea</a> is kine (/ກີເນ/ /kìː.néː/) from French Guinée (/gi ne/).

Although English has mostly surpassed French as the preferred foreign language of international diplomacy and higher education since the country began opening up to foreign investment in the 1990s, the position of French is stronger in Laos than in <a href="Cambodia" title="Cambodia">Cambodia</a> and <a href="Vietnam" title="Vietnam">Vietnam</a>. Since 1972, Laos has been associated with <a href="La_Francophonie" class="mw-redirect" title="La Francophonie">La Francophonie</a>, achieving full-member status in 1992. Many of the royalists and high-ranking families of Laos left Laos in the wake of the end of the Laotian Civil War for France, but as of 2010, it was estimated that 173,800 people, or three percent of the population, were fluent in French and French is studied by 35% of the population as a second language as a required subject and many courses in engineering, medicine, law, administration and other advanced studies are only available in French.<a href="#cite_note-Francophone-36">[34]</a>

Laos maintains the French-language weekly <a href="Le_R%C3%A9novateur" title="Le Rénovateur">Le Rénovateur</a>, but French-language content is sometimes seen alongside English in publications in older issues of Khaosane Phathét Lao News and sporadically on television ad radio.<a href="#cite_note-37">[35]</a> French still appears on signage, is the language of major civil engineering projects and is the language of the élite, especially the older generations that received secondary and tertiary education in French-medium schools or studied in France. France maintains a large Lao diaspora and some of the very well-to-do still send their children to France for study. The result of this long-standing French influence is the use of hundreds of loan words of French origin in the Lao language of Laos—although many are old-fashioned and somewhat obsolete or co-exist alongside more predominant native usages. They may be contrasted with the neighbouring languages in Thailand, which borrowed from English instead of French.

<caption>French loanwords in Lao

</caption>

<th>Isan

</th>

<th>Thai

</th>

<th>Lao

</th>

<th>French

</th>

<th>Lao alternate

</th>

<th>Gloss

</th></tr>

<tr>

<td>เนกไท nek thai [nê(ː)k tʰâj, -tʰáj]

</td>

<td>เนกไท nek thai [nê(ː)k tʰāj, -tʰáj]

</td>

<td>ກາລະວັດ/ກາຣະວັດ (*การะวัด) karawat [kàː.lā.wàt]

</td>

<td>cravate /kʁa.vat/

</td>

<td>

</td>

<td>'necktie'

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>โฮงภาพยนตร์ hong phapphayon [hôːŋ pʰȃːp.pʰā.ɲôn]

</td>

<td>โรงภาพยนตร์ rong phapphayon [rōːŋ pʰȃːp.pʰā.jōn]

</td>

<td>ໂຮງຊີເນມາ (*โฮงซิเนมา) hong sinema [hóːŋ sī(ː).néː.máː]

</td>

<td>cinéma /si.ne.ma/

</td>

<td>ໂຮງຫນັງ hong nang [hóːŋ nǎŋ]

</td>

<td>'cinema', 'movie theater' (US)

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>พจนานุกรม photchananukrom [pʰòt.tɕā.nâː.nù(ʔ).kòm]

</td>

<td>พจนานุกรม photchananukrom [pʰót.tɕā.nāː.nú(ʔ).krōm]

</td>

<td>ດີຊອນແນ/ດີຊອນແນຣ໌ (*ดิซอนแนร์) disonnae [dì(ː).sɔ́ːn.nɛ́ː]

</td>

<td>dictionnaire /dik.sjɔnɛʁ/

</td>

<td>ພົດຈະນານຸກົມ photchananukom [pʰòt.tɕā.náː.nū(ʔ).kòm]

</td>

<td>'dictionary'

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>แอฟริกา aepfrika [ʔɛ́(ː)p.fì(ʔ).kàː]

</td>

<td>แอฟริกา aepfrika [ʔɛ́(ː)p.frí(ʔ).kāː]

</td>

<td>ອາຟິກ/ອາຟຣິກ (*อาฟรีก) afik/afrik [ʔàː.fīk, -frīk]

</td>

<td>Afrique /afʁik/

</td>

<td>ອາຟິກາ/ອາຟຣິກາ afika/afrika [ʔàː.fì(ʔ).kàː]

</td>

<td>'Africa'

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>บักแอปเปิล bak aeppoen [bǎk ʔɛ́p.pɤ̂n]

</td>

<td>ผลแอปเปิล phon aeppoen [pʰǒn ʔɛ́p.pɤ̂n]

</td>

<td>ຫມາກປົ່ມ/ໝາກປົ່ມ (*หมากป่ม) mak pom [mȁːk pōm]

</td>

<td>pomme /pɔm/

</td>

<td>

</td>

<td>'apple'

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>เนย noei [nɤ̂ːj]

</td>

<td>เนย noei [nɤ̄ːj]

</td>

<td>ເບີ/ເບີຣ໌ (*เบอร์) boe [bɤ̀ː]

</td>

<td>beurre /bœʁ/

</td>

<td>ເນີຍ noei [nɤ́ːj]

</td>

<td>'butter'

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>ไวน์ wai [wâːj]

</td>

<td>ไวน์ wai [wāːj]

</td>

<td>ແວງ (*แวง) waeng [wɛ́ːŋ]

</td>

<td>vin /vɛ̃/

</td>

<td>

</td>

<td>'wine'

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>คนส่งไปรษณีย์ khon song praisani [kʰôn sōŋ pàj.sā.nîː]

</td>

<td>คนส่งไปรษณีย์ khon song praisani [kʰōn sòŋ prāj.sā.nīː]

</td>

<td>ຟັກເຕີ/ຟັກເຕີຣ໌ (*ฟักเตอร์) faktoe [fàk.tɤ̀ː]

</td>

<td>facteur /faktœʁ/

</td>

<td>ຄົນສົ່ງໜັງສື (*คนส่งหนังสือ) khon song nangsue [kʰón sōŋ nǎŋ.sɯ̌ː]

</td>

<td>'postman', 'mailman' (US)

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>ปลาวาฬ pla wan [pàː wâːn]

</td>

<td>ปลาวาฬ pla wan [plāː wāːn]

</td>

<td>ປາບາແລນ (*ปลาบาแลน) pa balaen [pàː bàː.lɛ́ːn]

</td>

<td>baleine /ba lɛn/

</td>

<td>ປາວານ pa wan [pàː wáːn]

</td>

<td>'whale'

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>เคมี khemi [kʰêː.mîː]

</td>

<td>เคมี khemi [kʰēː.mīː]

</td>

<td>ຊີມີ (*ซิมี) simi [síː.míː]

</td>

<td>chimie /ʃi.mi/

</td>

<td>ເຄມີ khémi [kʰéː.míː]

</td>

<td>'chemistry'

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>บิลเลียด binliat [bìn.lîat]

</td>

<td>บิลเลียด binliat [bīn.lîat]

</td>

<td>ບີຢາ (*บียา) biya [bìː.jàː]

</td>

<td>billard /bi.jaʁ/

</td>

<td>ບິລລຽດ binliat [bìn.lîat]

</td>

<td>'billiards'

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>ธนาณัติ thananat [tʰā.nâː.nàt]

</td>

<td>ธนาณัติ thananat [tʰā.nāː.nát]

</td>

<td>ມັງດາ (*มังดา) mangda [máŋ.dàː]

</td>

<td>mandat /mɑ̃.da/

</td>

<td>ທະນານັດ thananat [tʰā.náː.nāt]

</td>

<td>'money order'

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>กรัม kram [kàm]

</td>

<td>กรัม kram [krām]

</td>

<td>ກາມ/ກຣາມ (*กราม) kam/kram [kàːm, -ràːm]

</td>

<td>gramme /ɡʁam/

</td>

<td>

</td>

<td>'gramme', 'gram'

</td></tr></tbody></table>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Vietnamese_loanwords">Vietnamese loanwords</h3></div>

Because of the depopulation of the left bank to Siam prior to French colonization, the French who were already active in <a href="Vietnam" title="Vietnam">Vietnam</a> brought Vietnamese to boost the population of the cities and help administer the region. Many Lao that received a French-language education during the period of French Indochina were educated in French-language schools in Vietnam, exposing them to French and Vietnamese languages and cultures. As the Vietnamese communists supported the Pathét Lao forces, supplying Lao communist militia with weaponry and training during the two-decade-long Laotian Civil War, large numbers of Vietnamese troops have been stationed at various times in Laos' post-independence history, although the Vietnamese military presence began to wane in the late 1980s as Laos pursued closer relations with its other neighbors and entered the market economy. Since market reforms in Vietnam, market liberalization has been the main focus between the two countries now.

<caption>Vietnamese loanwords into Lao and differences with Thai and Isan

</caption>

<th>Isan

</th>

<th>Thai

</th>

<th>Lao

</th>

<th>Vietnamese

</th>

<th>Lao alternate

</th>

<th>Gloss

</th></tr>

<tr>

<td>ก๋วยเตี๋ยว kuaitiao [kǔaj.tǐaw]

</td>

<td>ก๋วยเตี๋ยว kuaitiao [kǔaj.tǐaw]

</td>

<td>ເຝີ foe [fɤ̌ː]

</td>

<td>phở /fə̌ː/

</td>

<td>ກ໋ວຍຕ໋ຽວ kuaitiao [kǔaj.tǐaw]

</td>

<td>'rice noodles with soup'

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>เยื้อน yuean [ɲɯ̏an]

</td>

<td>งดเว้น ngotwen [ŋót.wén]

</td>

<td>ກຽງ kiang [kìaŋ]

</td>

<td>kiêng /kiə̯ŋ/

</td>

<td>ເຍຶ້ອນ nyuean [ɲɯ̂an]

</td>

<td>'to abstain', 'to refrain'

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>ฉาก chak [sàːk]

</td>

<td>ฉาก chak [tɕʰàːk]

</td>

<td>ອີແກ້ i kae [ʔìː kɛ̂ː]

</td>

<td>ê-ke<a href="#cite_note-38">[c]</a> /ekɛ/

</td>

<td>ສາກ sak [sȁːk]

</td>

<td>'carpenter's square', 'T-square'

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>เฮ็ดงาน het ngan [hèt ŋâːn]

</td>

<td>ทำงาน tham ngan [tʰām ŋāːn]

</td>

<td>ເຮັດວຽກ het wiak [hēt wîak]

</td>

<td>việc /viə̯̣k/

</td>

<td>ເຮັດງານ het ngan [hēt ŋáːn]

</td>

<td>'to work', 'to labour'

</td></tr></tbody></table>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Phonology">Phonology</h2></div>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Consonants">Consonants</h3></div>

Many consonants in Lao have a <a href="Labialization" title="Labialization">labialized</a> and plain form, thus creating a <a href="Phonemic_contrast" title="Phonemic contrast">phonemic contrast</a>. The complete inventory of Lao consonants is as shown in the table below:<a href="#cite_note-Erickson-39">[36]</a><a href="#cite_note-:0-40">[37]</a>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Initial_consonants">Initial consonants</h4></div>

</th>

<th rowspan="2"><a href="Labial_consonant" title="Labial consonant">Labial</a>

</th>

<th colspan="2"><a href="Alveolar_consonant" title="Alveolar consonant">Alveolar</a>

</th>

<th colspan="2"><a href="Palatal_consonant" title="Palatal consonant">Palatal</a>

</th>

<th colspan="2"><a href="Velar_consonant" title="Velar consonant">Velar</a>

</th>

<th colspan="2"><a href="Glottal_consonant" title="Glottal consonant">Glottal</a>

</th></tr>

<th>plain

</th>

</th>

<th>plain

</th>

<th>lab.

</th>

<th>plain

</th>

<th>lab.

</th>

<th>plain

</th>

<th>lab.

</th></tr>

<tr>

<th colspan="2"><a href="Nasal_stop" class="mw-redirect" title="Nasal stop">Nasal</a>

</th>

<td>

</td></tr>

<tr>

<th rowspan="3"><a href="Stop_consonant" class="mw-redirect" title="Stop consonant">Plosive</a>

</th>

<th><a href="Voice_(phonetics)" title="Voice (phonetics)">voiced</a>

</th>

<td>

</td></tr>

<tr>

<th><a href="Voicelessness" title="Voicelessness">voiceless</a>

</th>

</td></tr>

<tr>

<th><a href="Aspiration_(phonetics)" class="mw-redirect" title="Aspiration (phonetics)">aspirated</a>

</th>

<td>

</td></tr>

<tr>

<th colspan="2"><a href="Fricative_consonant" class="mw-redirect" title="Fricative consonant">Fricative</a>

</th>

<td>

</td></tr>

<tr>

<th colspan="2"><a href="Approximant_consonant" class="mw-redirect" title="Approximant consonant">Approximant</a>

</th>

</td>

<td>

</td></tr></tbody></table>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Final_consonants">Final consonants</h4></div>

All <a href="Plosive_consonant" class="mw-redirect" title="Plosive consonant">plosive sounds</a> (besides the <a href="Glottal_stop" title="Glottal stop">glottal stop</a> /ʔ/) are <a href="Unreleased_stop" class="mw-redirect" title="Unreleased stop">unreleased</a> in final position. Hence, final /<a href="Voiceless_bilabial_plosive" title="Voiceless bilabial plosive">p</a>/, /<a href="Voiceless_alveolar_plosive" class="mw-redirect" title="Voiceless alveolar plosive">t</a>/, and /<a href="Voiceless_velar_plosive" title="Voiceless velar plosive">k</a>/ sounds are pronounced as [p̚], [t̚], and [k̚] respectively.

<th>

</th>

<th><a href="Labial_consonant" title="Labial consonant">Labial</a>

</th>

<th><a href="Alveolar_consonant" title="Alveolar consonant">Alveolar</a>

</th>

<th><a href="Palatal_consonant" title="Palatal consonant">Palatal</a>

</th>

<th><a href="Velar_consonant" title="Velar consonant">Velar</a>

</th>

<th><a href="Glottal_consonant" title="Glottal consonant">Glottal</a>

</th></tr>

<tr>

<th><a href="Nasal_consonant" title="Nasal consonant">Nasal</a>

</th>

</td>

</td>

<td>

</td>

</td>

<td>

</td></tr>

<tr>

<th><a href="Plosive_consonant" class="mw-redirect" title="Plosive consonant">Plosive</a>

</th>

</td>

</td>

<td>

</td>

</td>

<td><a href="Glottal_stop" title="Glottal stop">ʔ</a>*

</td></tr>

<tr>

<th><a href="Approximant_consonant" class="mw-redirect" title="Approximant consonant">Approximant</a>

</th>

</td>

<td>

</td>

</td>

<td>

</td>

<td>

</td></tr></tbody></table>

<dl><dd><ul><li>The glottal stop appears at the end when no final follows a short vowel.</li></ul></dd></dl>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Vowels">Vowels</h3></div>

All vowels make a phonemic <a href="Vowel_length" title="Vowel length">length</a> distinction. Diphthongs are all <a href="Centering_diphthong" class="mw-redirect" title="Centering diphthong">centering diphthongs</a> with <a href="Falling_diphthong" class="mw-redirect" title="Falling diphthong">falling sonority</a>.<a href="#cite_note-Erickson-39">[36]</a> The monophthongs and diphthongs are as shown in the following table:<a href="#cite_note-Erickson-39">[36]</a><a href="#cite_note-:0-40">[37]</a>

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<caption>Short vowel phonemes

</caption>

</th>

<th rowspan="2"><a href="Front_vowel" title="Front vowel">Front</a>

</th>

<th rowspan="2"><a href="Central_vowel" title="Central vowel">Central</a>

</th>

</th></tr>

<tr>

</th>

</th></tr>

<tr>

<th colspan="2"><a href="Diphthong" title="Diphthong">Diphthongs</a>

</th>

</td>

</td>

</td></tr>

<tr>

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</style><a href="Monophthong" title="Monophthong">Monophthongs</a></div>

</th>

<th><a href="Close_vowel" title="Close vowel">Close</a>

</th>

</td>

</td>

</td></tr>

<tr>

<th><a href="Close-mid_vowel" title="Close-mid vowel">Close-mid</a>

</th>

</td>

</td>

</td></tr>

<tr>

</th>

</td>

<td>

</td>

<td>

</td>

</td></tr>

<tr>

</th>

<td>

</td>

</td>

<td>

</td>

<td>

</td></tr></tbody></table>

</td>

<caption>Long vowel phonemes

</caption>

</th>

<th rowspan="2"><a href="Front_vowel" title="Front vowel">Front</a>

</th>

<th rowspan="2"><a href="Central_vowel" title="Central vowel">Central</a>

</th>

</th></tr>

<tr>

</th>

</th></tr>

<tr>

<th colspan="2"><a href="Diphthong" title="Diphthong">Diphthongs</a>

</th>

<td>ia

</td>

<td colspan="2">ɯa

</td>

<td>ua

</td></tr>

<tr>

<th rowspan="4" class="nowrap ts-vertical-header is-valign-middle" style=""><div style=""><a href="Monophthong" title="Monophthong">Monophthongs</a></div>

</th>

<th><a href="Close_vowel" title="Close vowel">Close</a>

</th>

</td>

</td>

</td></tr>

<tr>

<th><a href="Close-mid_vowel" title="Close-mid vowel">Close-mid</a>

</th>

</td>

</td>

</td></tr>

<tr>

</th>

</td>

<td>

</td>

<td>

</td>

</td></tr>

<tr>

</th>

<td>

</td>

</td>

<td>

</td>

<td>

</td></tr></tbody></table>

</td></tr></tbody></table></div>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Tones">Tones</h3></div>

Lao has six lexical tones.<a href="#cite_note-41">[38]</a> However, the Vientiane and the Luang Prabang dialects have five tones (see below) (Brown 1965; Osatananda, 1997, 2015).<a href="#cite_note-42">[39]</a><a href="#cite_note-Osatananda1997-43">[40]</a><a href="#cite_note-Osatananda2015-44">[41]</a>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Smooth_syllables">Smooth syllables</h4></div>

There are six tones in smooth syllables, that is, in syllables ending in a vowel or other <a href="Sonorant" title="Sonorant">sonorant sound</a> ([m], [n], [ŋ], [w], and [<a href="Voiced_palatal_approximant" title="Voiced palatal approximant">j</a>]).

<th>Name

</th>

<th>Lao

</th>

<th>Phonemic (<a href="International_Phonetic_Alphabet" title="International Phonetic Alphabet">IPA</a>)

</th>

<th>Phonetic (<a href="International_Phonetic_Alphabet" title="International Phonetic Alphabet">IPA</a>)

</th>

<th>Gloss

</th></tr>

<tr>

<td>Rising

</td>

<td>ຂາ

</td>

<td>/kʰǎː/

</td>

<td>[kʰäː˨˦] or [kʰäː˨˩˦]

</td>

<td>leg

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>High

</td>

<td>ຄາ

</td>

<td>/kʰáː/

</td>

<td>[kʰäː˥] or [kʰäː˦˥]

</td>

<td>stuck

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>Falling

</td>

<td>ຄ້າ

</td>

<td>/kʰâː/

</td>

<td>[kʰäː˦˩] or [kʰäː˥˨]

</td>

<td>trade

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>Mid

</td>

<td>ຂ່າ, ຄ່າ

</td>

<td>/kʰāː/

</td>

<td>[kʰäː˧]

</td>

<td><a href="Galangal" title="Galangal">galangal</a>, value resp.

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>Low

</td>

<td>ກາ

</td>

<td>/kàː/

</td>

<td>[käː˩] or [käː˨˩]

</td>

<td>crow

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>Mid-fall

</td>

<td>ຂ້າ

</td>

<td>/kʰa᷆ː/ or /kʰȁː/

</td>

<td>[kʰäː˧˩]

</td>

<td>kill, servant

</td></tr></tbody></table>

<caption>The tones in the Vientiane and Luang Prabang dialects in smooth syllables

</caption>

<th colspan="3">Vientiane (Osatananda, 1997, p. 40)<a href="#cite_note-Osatananda1997-43">[40]</a></th>

<th colspan="3">Luang Prabang (Osatananda, 2015, p. 122)<a href="#cite_note-Osatananda2015-44">[41]</a>

</th></tr>

<tr>

<th>Tone letters</th>

<th>Example(s)</th>

<th>Tone letters</th>

<th>Example(s)

</th></tr>

<tr>

<td>high-falling-to-mid-level</td>

<td>/kʰaː˥˧˧/ ຂາ "leg"

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>/kʰaː˧˥/ ຄາ "stuck"</td>

<td>low rising</td>

<td>/kʰaː˩˨/ ຄາ "stuck" /kaː˩˨/ ກາ "crow"

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>mid level</td>

<td>/kʰaː˧˧/ ຂ່າ "galangal" /kʰaː˧˧/ ຄ່າ "value"</td>

<td>mid-falling<a href="#cite_note-46">[e]</a></td>

<td>/kʰaː˧˨/ ຂ່າ "galangal" /kʰaː˧˨/ ຄ່າ "trade"

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>high level-falling<a href="#cite_note-47">[f]</a></td>

<td>/kʰaː˥˥˨/ ຂ້າ "kill"

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>/kʰaː˥˨/ ຄ້າ "trade"</td>

<td>mid-rising<a href="#cite_note-48">[g]</a></td>

<td>/kʰaː˧˦/ ຄ້າ "trade"

</td></tr></tbody></table>

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<li id="cite_note-24"><a href="#cite_ref-24">^</a> Northeastern Lao is sometimes considered a separate language, as it is traditionally spoken by Phuan tribal members, a closely related but distinct <a href="Tai_peoples" title="Tai peoples">Tai</a> group. Also spoken in a few small and scattered Tai Phuan villages in <a href="Sukhothai_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Sukhothai Province">Sukhothai</a>, <a href="Uttaradit_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Uttaradit Province">Uttaradit</a>, and <a href="Phrae_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Phrae Province">Phrae</a>.

</li>

<li id="cite_note-25"><a href="#cite_ref-25">^</a> Southern Lao gives way to <a href="Northern_Khmer_dialect" title="Northern Khmer dialect">Northern Khmer</a> in Sisaket, Surin, and Buriram, and to <a href="Khorat_Thai" title="Khorat Thai">Khorat Thai</a> and, to some extent, Northern Khmer in Nakhon Ratchasima.

</li>

<li id="cite_note-38"><a href="#cite_ref-38">^</a> Itself a loan word from French équerre

</li>

<li id="cite_note-45"><a href="#cite_ref-45">^</a> The tone letters are 13 (˩˧) in citation form or before a pause and 11 (˩˩) elsewhere, e.g., /haː˩˧ paː˩˧/ ຫາປາ "look for fish" becomes [haː˩˩ paː˩˧] (Osatananda, 1997, p. 119).<a href="#cite_note-Osatananda1997-43">[40]</a>

</li>

<li id="cite_note-46"><a href="#cite_ref-46">^</a> This tone is realized as a low level tone (22 or ˨˨) in a checked syllable with a short vowel (e.g., [kʰap˨˨] ຄັບ "tight") (Osatananda, 2015, p. 122).<a href="#cite_note-Osatananda2015-44">[41]</a>

</li>

<li id="cite_note-47"><a href="#cite_ref-47">^</a> This tone is realized as a mid level-falling tone (332 or ˧˧˨) in a checked syllable with a long vowel (e.g., [kʰaːp˧˧˨] ຂາບ "prostrate") (Osatananda, 2015, p. 122).<a href="#cite_note-Osatananda2015-44">[41]</a>

</li>

<li id="cite_note-48"><a href="#cite_ref-48">^</a> This tone is realized as a low rising tone (23 or ˨˧) in a checked syllable with a long vowel (e.g., [kʰaːp˨˧] ຄາບ "dead skin of a reptile") (Osatananda, 2015, p. 122).<a href="#cite_note-Osatananda2015-44">[41]</a>

</li>

</ol></div></div>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Checked_syllables">Checked syllables</h4></div>

The number of contrastive tones is reduced to four in checked syllables, that is, in syllables ending in an <a href="Obstruent" title="Obstruent">obstruent sound</a> ([p], [t], [k], or the

<a href="Glottal_stop" title="Glottal stop">glottal stop</a> [<a href="Glottal_stop" title="Glottal stop">ʔ</a>]).

<th>Phonemic</th>

<th>Phonetic</th>

<th>Gloss

</th></tr>

<tr>

<td>break

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>love

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>if, inevitably

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>Falling</td>

<td>vomit, root

</td></tr></tbody></table>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Syllables">Syllables</h3></div>

Lao syllables are of the form (C)V(C), i.e., they consist of a vowel in the <a href="Syllable_nucleus" class="mw-redirect" title="Syllable nucleus">syllable nucleus</a>, optionally preceded by a single consonant in the <a href="Syllable_onset" class="mw-redirect" title="Syllable onset">syllable onset</a> and optionally followed by a single consonant in the <a href="Syllable_coda" class="mw-redirect" title="Syllable coda">syllable coda</a>. The only consonant clusters allowed are syllable initial clusters /kw/ or /kʰw/. Any consonant may appear in the onset, but the labialized consonants do not occur before <a href="Rounded_vowel" class="mw-redirect" title="Rounded vowel">rounded vowels</a>.<a href="#cite_note-Erickson-39">[36]</a>

One difference between Thai and Lao is that in Lao initial clusters are simplified. For example, the official name of Laos is Romanized as Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao or Sathalanalat Pasathipatai Pasason Lao, with the Thai analog being Satharanarat Prachathipatai Prachachon Lao (สาธารณรัฐประชาธิปไตยประชาชนลาว), indicating the simplification of Thai pr to Lao p.

Only /p t k ʔ m n ŋ w j/ may appear in the coda. If the vowel in the nucleus is short, it must be followed by a consonant in the coda; /<a href="Glottal_stop" title="Glottal stop">ʔ</a>/ in the coda can be preceded only by a short vowel. Open syllables (i.e., those with no coda consonant) and syllables ending in one of the <a href="Sonorant" title="Sonorant">sonorants</a> /m n ŋ w j/ take one of the six tones, syllables ending in /p t k/ take one of four tones, and syllables ending in /<a href="Glottal_stop" title="Glottal stop">ʔ</a>/ take one of only two tones.<a href="#cite_note-Erickson-39">[36]</a>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Grammar">Grammar</h2></div>

<div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="Lao_grammar" title="Lao grammar">Lao grammar</a></div>

The majority of Lao words are <a href="Syllable" title="Syllable">monosyllabic</a>, and are not inflected to reflect declension or verbal tense, making Lao an <a href="Analytic_language" title="Analytic language">analytic language</a>. Special particle words serve the purpose of prepositions and verb tenses in lieu of conjugations and declensions. Lao is a <a href="Subject%E2%80%93verb%E2%80%93object" class="mw-redirect" title="Subject–verb–object">subject–verb–object</a> (SVO) language, although the subject is often dropped. In contrast to Thai, Lao uses pronouns more frequently.

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Numbers">Numbers</h3></div>

<th colspan="2">Number

</th>

<th>Gloss

</th>

<th colspan="2">Number

</th>

<th>Gloss

</th></tr>

<tr>

<td>໐ ສູນ/ສູນຍ໌ sun

</td>

<td>/sǔːn/

</td>

<td>0 'zero' nulla

</td>

<td>໒໑ ຊາວເອັດ sao et

</td>

<td>/sáːw ʔét/

</td>

<td>21 'twenty-one' XXI

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>໑ ໜຶ່ງ nueng

</td>

<td>/nɯ̄ŋ/

</td>

<td>1 'one' I

</td>

<td>໒໒ ຊາວສອງ sao song

</td>

<td>/sáːw sɔ̆ːŋ/

</td>

<td>22 'twenty-two' XXII

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>໒ ສອງ song

</td>

<td>/sɔ̌ːŋ/

</td>

<td>2 'two' II

</td>

<td>໒໓ ຊາວສາມ sao sam

</td>

<td>/sáːw săːm/

</td>

<td>23 'twenty-three' XXII

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>໓ ສາມ sam

</td>

<td>/sǎːm/

</td>

<td>3 'three' III

</td>

<td>໓໐ ສາມສິບ sam sip

</td>

<td>/săːm síp/

</td>

<td>30 thirty XXX

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>໔ ສີ່ si

</td>

<td>/sīː/

</td>

<td>4 four IV

</td>

<td>໓໑ ສາມສິບເອັດ sam sip ét

</td>

<td>/săːm síp ʔét/

</td>

<td>31 'thirty-one' XXXI

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>໕ ຫ້າ ha

</td>

<td>/hȁː/

</td>

<td>5 'five' V

</td>

<td>໓໒ ສາມສິບສອງ sam sip song

</td>

<td>/săːm síp sɔ̌ːŋ/

</td>

<td>32 'thirty-two' XXXII

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>໖ ຫົກ hok

</td>

<td>/hók/

</td>

<td>6 six VI

</td>

<td>໔໐ ສີ່ສິບ si sip

</td>

<td>/sīː síp/

</td>

<td>40 'forty' VL

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>໗ ເຈັດ chet

</td>

<td>/tɕét/

</td>

<td>7 'seven' VII

</td>

<td>໕໐ ຫ້າສິບ ha sip

</td>

<td>/hȁː síp/

</td>

<td>50 'fifty' L

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>໘ ແປດ paet

</td>

<td>/pɛ̏ːt/

</td>

<td>8 'eight' VIII

</td>

<td>໖໐ ຫົກສິບ hok sip

</td>

<td>/hók síp/

</td>

<td>60 sixty LX

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>໙ ເກົ້າ kao

</td>

<td>/kȃw/

</td>

<td>9 nine IX

</td>

<td>໗໐ ເຈັດສິບ chet sip

</td>

<td>/tɕét síp/

</td>

<td>70 'seventy' LXX

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>໑໐ ສິບ sip

</td>

<td>/síp/

</td>

<td>10 ten X

</td>

<td>໘໐ ແປດສິບ paet sip

</td>

<td>/pɛ̏ːt sìp/

</td>

<td>80 'eighty' LXXX

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>໑໑ ສິບເອັດ sip et

</td>

<td>/síp ʔét/

</td>

<td>11 'eleven' XI

</td>

<td>໙໐ ເກົ້າສິບ

</td>

<td>/kȃw síp/

</td>

<td>90 'ninety' XC

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>໑໒ ສິບສອງ

</td>

<td>/síp sɔ̌ːŋ/

</td>

<td>12 'twelve' XII

</td>

<td>໑໐໐ (ໜຶ່ງ)ຮ້ອຍ

</td>

<td>/(nɯ̄ŋ) hɔ̂ːj/

</td>

<td>100 'one hundred' C

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>໑໓ ສິບສາມ

</td>

<td>/síp săːm/

</td>

<td>13 'thirteen' XIII

</td>

<td>໑໐໑ (ນຶ່ງ)ຮ້ອຍເອັດ

</td>

<td>/(nɯ̄ŋ) hɔ̂ːj ʔét/

</td>

<td>101 'one hundred one' CI

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>໑໔ ສິບສີ່

</td>

<td>/síp sīː/

</td>

<td>14 'fourteen' XIV

</td>

<td>໑໐໐໐ (ໜຶ່ງ)ພັນ

</td>

<td>/(nɯ̄ŋ) pʰán/

</td>

<td>1,000 'one thousand' M

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>໑໕ ສິບຫ້າ

</td>

<td>/síp hȁːː/

</td>

<td>15 'fifteen' XV

</td>

<td>໑໐໐໐໐ (ໜຶ່ງ)ໝື່ນ/(ໜຶ່ງ)ຫມື່ນ

</td>

<td>/(nɯ̄ŋ) mɯ̄ːn/

</td>

<td>10,000 ten thousand X.

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>໑໖ ສິບຫົກ

</td>

<td>/síp hók/

</td>

<td>16 'sixteen' XVI

</td>

<td>໑໐໐໐໐໐ (ໜຶ່ງ)ແສນ

</td>

<td>/(nɯ̄ŋ) sɛ̆ːn/

</td>

<td>100,000 'one hundred thousand' C.

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>໑໗ ສິບເຈັດ

</td>

<td>/síp tɕét/

</td>

<td>17 seventeen XVII

</td>

<td>໑໐໐໐໐໐໐ (ນຶ່ງ)ລ້ານ

</td>

<td>/(nɯ̄ŋ) lâːn/

</td>

<td>1,000,000 'one million'

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>໑໘ ສິບແປດ

</td>

<td>/síp pɛ́ːt/

</td>

<td>18 'eighteen' XVIII

</td>

<td>໑໐໐໐໐໐໐໐໐໐ (ນຶ່ງ)ພັນລ້ານ

</td>

<td>/(nɯ̄ŋ) pʰán lâːn/

</td>

<td>1,000,000,000 'one billion'

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>໑໙ ສິບເກົ້າ

</td>

<td>/síp kȃw/

</td>

<td>19 'nineteen' XIX

</td>

<td>໑໐໐໐໐໐໐໐໐໐໐໐໐໐ (ນຶ່ງ)ລ້ານລ້ານ

</td>

<td>/(nɯ̄ŋ) lâːn lâːn/

</td>

<td>1,000,000,000,000 'one trillion'

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td>໒໐ ຊາວ(ນຶ່ງ) sao(nueng)

</td>

<td>/sáːw (nɯ̄ŋ)/

</td>

<td>20 'twenty' XX

</td>

<td>໑໐໐໐໐໐໐໐໐໐໐໐໐໐໐໐໐໐໐ (ນຶ່ງ)ພັນລ້ານລ້ານ

</td>

<td>/(nɯ̄ŋ) pʰán lâːn lâːn/

</td>

<td>1,000,000,000,000,000 'one quadrillion'

</td></tr></tbody></table>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Writing_system">Writing system</h2></div>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Lao_script">Lao script</h3></div>

<div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="Lao_script" title="Lao script">Lao script</a></div>

The Lao script, derived from the <a href="Khmer_alphabet" class="mw-redirect" title="Khmer alphabet">Khmer alphabet</a> of the <a href="Khmer_Empire" title="Khmer Empire">Khmer Empire</a> in the 14th century,<a href="#cite_note-49">[42]</a> is ultimately rooted in the <a href="Pallava_script" title="Pallava script">Pallava script</a> of <a href="South_India" title="South India">Southern India</a>, one of the <a href="Brahmi_script" title="Brahmi script">Brahmi scripts</a>.<a href="#cite_note-UCLA-50">[43]</a> Although the Lao script bears resemblance to Thai, the former contains fewer letters than Thai because by 1960 it was simplified to be fairly phonemic, whereas Thai maintains many etymological spellings that are pronounced the same.<a href="#cite_note-Unicode-51">[44]</a>

The script is traditionally classified as an <a href="Abugida" title="Abugida">abugida</a>, but Lao consonant letters are conceived of as simply representing the consonant sound, rather than a syllable with an inherent vowel.<a href="#cite_note-Unicode-51">[44]</a> Vowels are written as <a href="Diacritic" title="Diacritic">diacritic</a> marks and can be placed above, below, in front of, or behind consonants. The script also contains distinct symbols for numerals, although Arabic numerals are more commonly used.

Lao is written in the <a href="Tai_Tham_script" title="Tai Tham script">Tai Tham script</a> for <a href="Sacred_language" title="Sacred language">liturgical</a> purposes<a href="#cite_note-UCLA-50">[43]</a> and is still used in temples in Laos and <a href="Isan" title="Isan">Isan</a>.

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Indication_of_tones">Indication of tones</h4></div>

Experts disagree on the number and nature of tones in the various dialects of Lao. According to some, most dialects of Lao and Isan have six tones, those of <a href="Luang_Prabang" title="Luang Prabang">Luang Prabang</a> have five. Tones are determined as follows:

<th>Tones

</th>

<th>Long vowel, or vowel plus voiced consonant

</th>

<th>Long vowel plus unvoiced consonant

</th>

<th>Short vowel, or short vowel plus unvoiced consonant

</th>

<th>Mai ek (◌່)

</th>

<th>Mai tho (◌້)

</th></tr>

<tr>

<th>High consonants

</th>

<td>rising

</td>

<td>low falling

</td>

<td>high

</td>

<td>mid

</td>

<td>low falling

</td></tr>

<tr>

<th>Mid consonants

</th>

<td>low rising

</td>

<td>low falling

</td>

<td>high

</td>

<td>mid

</td>

<td>high falling

</td></tr>

<tr>

<th>Low consonants

</th>

<td>high

</td>

<td>high falling

</td>

<td>mid

</td>

<td>mid

</td>

<td>high falling

</td></tr></tbody></table>

A silent ຫ (/h/) placed before certain consonants will place the proceeding consonant in the high class tone. This can occur before the letters ງ /ŋ/, ຍ /ɲ/, ຣ /r/, and ວ /w/ and combined in special ligatures (considered separate letters) such as ຫຼ /l/, ໜ /n/, and ໝ /m/. In addition to ອ່ (low tone) and ອ້ (falling tone), there also exists the rare ອ໊ (high) ອ໋ (rising) tone marks.

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Tai_Tham_script">Tai Tham script</h3></div>

<div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="Tai_Tham_script" title="Tai Tham script">Tai Tham script</a></div>

Traditionally, only secular literature was written with the Lao alphabet. Religious literature was often written in <a href="Tai_Tham_script" title="Tai Tham script">Tai Tham</a>, a Mon-based script that is still used for the <a href="Kh%C3%BCn_language" title="Khün language">Tai Khün</a>, <a href="Tai_Lue_language" title="Tai Lue language">Tai Lü</a>, and formerly for <a href="Northern_Thai_language" title="Northern Thai language">Kham Mueang</a>.<a href="#cite_note-52">[45]</a> The Lao style of this script is known as Lao Tham.<a href="#cite_note-53">[46]</a>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Khom_script">Khom script</h3></div>

<div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="Khom_Thai_script" title="Khom Thai script">Khom Thai script</a></div>

Mystical, magical, and some religious literature was written in Khom script (Aksar Khom), a modified version of the <a href="Khmer_script" title="Khmer script">Khmer script</a>.<a href="#cite_note-54">[47]</a>

<ul><li><a href="Comparison_of_Lao_and_Isan" title="Comparison of Lao and Isan">Comparison of Lao and Isan</a></li>

<li><a href="Comparison_of_Lao_and_Thai" title="Comparison of Lao and Thai">Comparison of Lao and Thai</a></li>

<li><a href="Literature_of_Laos" title="Literature of Laos">Literature of Laos</a></li>

<li><a href="Romanization_of_Lao" title="Romanization of Lao">Romanization of Lao</a></li></ul>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2></div>

<li id="cite_note-e27-1"><a href="#cite_ref-e27_1-0">^</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.ethnologue.com/language/lao">PDR Lao</a> at <a href="Ethnologue" title="Ethnologue">Ethnologue</a> (27th ed., 2024) <a href="Paywall" title="closed access publication – behind paywall"></a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.ethnologue.com/language/tts">Isan (Thailand Lao)</a> at <a href="Ethnologue" title="Ethnologue">Ethnologue</a> (27th ed., 2024) <a href="Paywall" title="closed access publication – behind paywall"></a>

</li>

<li id="cite_note-2"><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.ethnologue.com/language/lao">Lao language</a> at <a href="Ethnologue" title="Ethnologue">Ethnologue</a> (27th ed., 2024) <a href="Paywall" title="closed access publication – behind paywall"></a>

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<li id="cite_note-Pittay-8">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Pittay_8-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Pittay_8-1">b</a> <cite id="CITEREFPittayaporn2009" class="citation journal cs1">Pittayaporn, Pittayawat (2009). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://jseals.org/JSEALS-2.pdf#page=125">"Proto-Southwestern-Tai revised: A new reconstruction"</a> (PDF). Journal of the Southeast Asian Linguistics Society. 2: 119–143. <a href="Hdl_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Hdl (identifier)">hdl</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://hdl.handle.net/1885%2F113003">1885/113003</a>.</cite>

</li>

<li id="cite_note-PWST1-9"><a href="#cite_ref-PWST1_9-0">^</a> <cite id="CITEREFGreenhillBlustGray2008" class="citation journal cs1">Greenhill, Simon J.; Blust, Robert; Gray, Russell D. (3 November 2008). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2614200">"The Austronesian Basic Vocabulary Database: From Bioinformatics to Lexomics"</a>. Evolutionary Bioinformatics Online. 4: 271–283. <a href="Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.4137%2Febo.s893">10.4137/ebo.s893</a>. <a href="PMC_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="PMC (identifier)">PMC</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2614200">2614200</a>. <a href="PMID_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="PMID (identifier)">PMID</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19204825">19204825</a>. <a href="ProQuest" title="ProQuest">ProQuest</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.proquest.com/docview/1038141425">1038141425</a>.</cite>

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<li id="cite_note-PWST2-10"><a href="#cite_ref-PWST2_10-0">^</a> Jonsson, Nanna L. (1991) Proto Southwestern Tai. Ph.D dissertation, available from UMI.

</li>

<li id="cite_note-Huffy-11">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Huffy_11-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Huffy_11-1">b</a> <cite id="CITEREFHuffman1973" class="citation journal cs1">Huffman, Franklin E. (1973). "Thai and Cambodian – A Case of Syntactic Borrowing?". Journal of the American Oriental Society. 93 (4): 488–509. <a href="Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.2307%2F600168">10.2307/600168</a>. <a href="JSTOR_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="JSTOR (identifier)">JSTOR</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/600168">600168</a>.</cite>

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<li id="cite_note-12"><a href="#cite_ref-12">^</a> <cite id="CITEREFKhanittanan2001" class="citation journal cs1">Khanittanan, W. (2001). "Khmero-Thai: The great change in the history of Thai". ภาษาและภาษาศาสตร์. 19 (2): 35–50.</cite>

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<li id="cite_note-13"><a href="#cite_ref-13">^</a> Gunn, G. C. (2004). 'Laotinization' in Southeast Asia: A Historical Encyclopedia, from Angkor Wat to East Timor. Ooi, K. G. (ed.). Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, Inc.

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<li id="cite_note-Diller-14">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Diller_14-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Diller_14-1">b</a> Diller, A. V. N., Edmondson, J. A. & Luo, Y. (2004) Tai-Kadai languages. (pp. 49–56). New York, NYC: Routledge.

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<li id="cite_note-15"><a href="#cite_ref-15">^</a> Stuart-Fox, M. (1998). The Lao Kingdom of Lan Xang: Rise and Decline. (pp. 40–60). Banglamung, Thailand: White Lotus Press.

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<li id="cite_note-Toad-16">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Toad_16-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Toad_16-1">b</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Toad_16-2">c</a> Phra Ariyuwat. (1996). Phya Khankhaak, the Toad King: A Translation of an Isan Fertility Myth in Verse. Wajuppa Tossa (translator). (pp. 27–34). Lewisburg, PA: Bucknell University Press.

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<li id="cite_note-17"><a href="#cite_ref-17">^</a> Holt, J. C. (2009). Spirits of the Place: Buddhism and Lao Religious Culture. Honolulu, HI: University of Hawaiʻi Press. p. 14.

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<li id="cite_note-18"><a href="#cite_ref-18">^</a> Burusphat, S., Deepadung, S., & Suraratdecha, S. et al. (2011). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.laostudies.org/system/files/subscription/JLS-v2-i2-Nov2011-somsonge.pdf">"Language vitality and the ethnic tourism development of the Lao ethnic groups in the western region of Thailand"</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20131202222318/https://www.laostudies.org/system/files/subscription/JLS-v2-i2-Nov2011-somsonge.pdf">Archived</a> 2013-12-02 at the <a href="Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a>. Journal of Lao Studies, 2(2), 23–46.

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<li id="cite_note-19"><a href="#cite_ref-19">^</a> Stuart-Fox, M. (1997). A History of Laos. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press. (pp. 1–20).

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<li id="cite_note-Vacha-20"><a href="#cite_ref-Vacha_20-0">^</a> Keyes, Charles (2013), Finding Their Voice: Northeastern Villagers and the Thai State, Silkworm Books.

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<li id="cite_note-Platt-21"><a href="#cite_ref-Platt_21-0">^</a> Platt, M. B. (2013). Isan Writers, Thai Literature Writing and Regionalism in Modern Thailand. (pp. 145–149). Singapore: NUS Press.

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<li id="cite_note-22"><a href="#cite_ref-22">^</a> Ivarson, S. (2008). Creating Laos: The Making of a Lao Space Between Indochina and Siam, 1860–1945. (pp. 127–135, 190–197) Copenhagen, Denmark: Nordic Institute of Asian Studies.

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<li id="cite_note-23"><a href="#cite_ref-23">^</a> Compton, C. J. (2009) Contemporary Lao Studies: Research on Development, Language and Culture, and Traditional Medicine. Compton, C. J., Hartmann, J. F. Sysamouth, V. (eds.). (pp. 160–188). San Francisco, CA: Center for Lao Cultural Studies.

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<li id="cite_note-26"><a href="#cite_ref-26">^</a> Hartmann, J. (2002). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.seasite.niu.edu/lao/LaoLanguage/LaoTones/Vientianetones.htm">Vientiane Tones.</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200811163156/http://www.seasite.niu.edu/lao/LaoLanguage/LaoTones/Vientianetones.htm">Archived</a> 2020-08-11 at the <a href="Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a> Center for Southeast Asian Studies. DeKalb: University of Northern Illinois. Based on Crisfield-Hartmann 2002/Enfield 2000, Brown 1965, and Chittavoravong (1980) (unpublished).

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<li id="cite_note-dialectal-27"><a href="#cite_ref-dialectal_27-0">^</a> เรืองเดช ปันเขื่อนขัติย์. ภาษาถิ่นตระกูลไทย. กทม. สถาบันวิจัยภาษาและวัฒนธรรมเพื่อการพัฒนาชนบทมหาวิทยาลัยมหิดล. 2531.

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<li id="cite_note-LaoDialects-28">^ <a href="#cite_ref-LaoDialects_28-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-LaoDialects_28-1">b</a> Enfield, N. J. (1966). A Grammar of Lao. Mouton de Gruyter: New York, NY. 2007 reprint. p. 19.

</li>

<li id="cite_note-Loei-29"><a href="#cite_ref-Loei_29-0">^</a> Osantanda, V. (2015). "Lao Khrang and Luang Phrabang Lao: A Comparison of Tonal Systems and Foreign-Accent Rating by Luang Phrabang Judges." The Journal of Lao Studies. pp. 110–143. Special Issue 2(2015).

</li>

<li id="cite_note-30"><a href="#cite_ref-30">^</a> Hartmann, J. (2002). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.seasite.niu.edu/lao/LaoLanguage/LaoTones/luangphrabangtones.htm">Louang Phrabang Tones.</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220126213008/http://www.seasite.niu.edu/lao/LaoLanguage/LaoTones/luangphrabangtones.htm">Archived</a> 2022-01-26 at the <a href="Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a> Based Brown (1965).

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<li id="cite_note-31"><a href="#cite_ref-31">^</a> Hartmann, J. (2002). 'Spoken Lao—A regional approach.' SEASITE Laos. DeKalb, IL: Northern Illinois University.

</li>

<li id="cite_note-32"><a href="#cite_ref-32">^</a> Hmong Research Group (2009). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://hmongrp.wisc.edu/IPPL%20Lao/inetpub/wwwroot/ipa/lao/orthography_Savtone.html">Central Lao Tones (Savannakhét).</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20100614174348/http://hmongrp.wisc.edu/IPPL%20Lao/inetpub/wwwroot/ipa/lao/orthography_Savtone.html">Archived</a> 2010-06-14 at the <a href="Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a> Madison: University of Wisconsin.

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<li id="cite_note-33"><a href="#cite_ref-33">^</a> Davis, G. W. (2015). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.laostudies.org/system/files/subscription/Davis.pdf">The Story of Lao r: Filling in the Gaps</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210305221711/http://www.laostudies.org/system/files/subscription/Davis.pdf">Archived</a> 2021-03-05 at the <a href="Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a>. The Journal of Lao Studies, Special 2(2015), pps 97–109.

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<li id="cite_note-34"><a href="#cite_ref-34">^</a> Hartmann, J. (2002). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.seasite.niu.edu/lao/LaoLanguage/LaoTones/pakse_tones.htm">Southern Lao Tones (Pakxé).</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200713001818/http://www.seasite.niu.edu/lao/LaoLanguage/LaoTones/pakse_tones.htm">Archived</a> 2020-07-13 at the <a href="Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a> Based on Yuphaphann Hoonchamlong (1981).

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<li id="cite_note-35"><a href="#cite_ref-35">^</a> <cite id="CITEREFHartmann1971" class="citation journal cs1">Hartmann, J. (1971). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210418090250/http://www.siamese-heritage.org/jsspdf/1971/JSS_068_1g_Hartmann_AlignmentOfDialectsInSouthwesternTai.pdf">"A model for the alignment of dialects in southwestern Tai"</a> (PDF). Journal of the Siam Society. 65 (2): 72–87. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.siamese-heritage.org/jsspdf/1971/JSS_068_1g_Hartmann_AlignmentOfDialectsInSouthwesternTai.pdf">the original</a> (PDF) on 2021-04-18.</cite>

</li>

<li id="cite_note-Francophone-36">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Francophone_36-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Francophone_36-1">b</a> L'Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF). Laos. (2013). Retrieved from <a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://www.francophonie.org/Laos.html">http://www.francophonie.org/Laos.html</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20170610201238/https://www.francophonie.org/Laos.html">Archived</a> 2017-06-10 at the <a href="Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a>

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<li id="cite_note-37"><a href="#cite_ref-37">^</a> Panthamaly, P. (2008). Lao PDR. In B. Indrachit & S. Logan (eds.), Asian communication handbook 2008 (pp. 280–292). Singapore: Asian Media Information and Communication Centre.

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<li id="cite_note-Erickson-39">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Erickson_39-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Erickson_39-1">b</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Erickson_39-2">c</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Erickson_39-3">d</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Erickson_39-4">e</a> Blaine Erickson, 2001. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://sealang.net/sala/archives/pdf4/erickson2001origins.pdf">"On the Origins of Labialized Consonants in Lao"</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171011133024/http://sealang.net/sala/archives/pdf4/erickson2001origins.pdf">Archived</a> 2017-10-11 at the <a href="Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a>. Analysis based on L. N. Morev, A. A. Moskalyov and Y. Y. Plam, (1979). The Lao Language. Moscow: USSR Academy of Sciences, Institute of Oriental Studies. Accessed 2009-12-19.

</li>

<li id="cite_note-:0-40">^ <a href="#cite_ref-:0_40-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-:0_40-1">b</a> <cite id="CITEREFEnfield2007" class="citation book cs1">Enfield, N. J. (2007). A Grammar of Lao. Berlin and New York: Mouton de Gruyter.</cite>

</li>

<li id="cite_note-41"><a href="#cite_ref-41">^</a> Blaine Erickson, 2001. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://sealang.net/sala/archives/pdf4/erickson2001origins.pdf">"On the Origins of Labialized Consonants in Lao"</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171011133024/http://sealang.net/sala/archives/pdf4/erickson2001origins.pdf">Archived</a> 2017-10-11 at the <a href="Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a>. Analysis based on T. Hoshino and R. Marcus (1981). Lao for Beginners: An Introduction to the Spoken and Written Language of Laos. Rutland/Tokyo: Tuttle. Accessed 2009-12-19.

</li>

<li id="cite_note-42"><a href="#cite_ref-42">^</a> Brown, J. Marvin. 1965. From Ancient Thai to Modern Dialects. Bangkok: Social Science Association Press.

</li>

<li id="cite_note-Osatananda1997-43">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Osatananda1997_43-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Osatananda1997_43-1">b</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Osatananda1997_43-2">c</a> <cite id="CITEREFOsatananda1997" class="citation thesis cs1">Osatananda, Varisa (1997). Tone in Vientiane Lao (Thesis). <a href="ProQuest" title="ProQuest">ProQuest</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.proquest.com/docview/304347191">304347191</a>.</cite>

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<li id="cite_note-Osatananda2015-44">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Osatananda2015_44-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Osatananda2015_44-1">b</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Osatananda2015_44-2">c</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Osatananda2015_44-3">d</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Osatananda2015_44-4">e</a> <cite id="CITEREFOsatananda2015" class="citation journal cs1 cs1-prop-long-vol">Osatananda, Varisa (August 2015). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.laostudies.org/system/files/subscription/Varisa.pdf">"Lao Khrang and Luang Phrabang Lao: A comparison of tonal systems and foreign-accent rating by Luang Phrabang judges"</a> (PDF). The Journal of Lao Studies. Special Issue 2: 110–143.</cite>

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<li id="cite_note-49"><a href="#cite_ref-49">^</a> <cite id="CITEREFBenedict1947" class="citation journal cs1">Benedict, Paul K. (August 1947). "Languages and Literatures of Indochina". The Far Eastern Quarterly. 6 (4): 379–389. <a href="Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.2307%2F2049433">10.2307/2049433</a>. <a href="JSTOR_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="JSTOR (identifier)">JSTOR</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/2049433">2049433</a>. <a href="S2CID_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="S2CID (identifier)">S2CID</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:162902327">162902327</a>. <a href="ProQuest" title="ProQuest">ProQuest</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.proquest.com/docview/1290485784">1290485784</a>.</cite>

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<li id="cite_note-UCLA-50">^ <a href="#cite_ref-UCLA_50-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-UCLA_50-1">b</a> UCLA International Institute, (n.d.). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.lmp.ucla.edu/Profile.aspx?menu=004&LangID=77">"Lao"</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20101230070620/http://www.lmp.ucla.edu/Profile.aspx?menu=004&LangID=77">Archived</a> 2010-12-30 at the <a href="Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a>. Accessed 2010-07-27.

</li>

<li id="cite_note-Unicode-51">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Unicode_51-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Unicode_51-1">b</a> Unicode. (2019). Lao. In The Unicode Standard Version 12.0 (pp. 635–637). Mountain View, CA: Unicode Consortium.

</li>

<li id="cite_note-52"><a href="#cite_ref-52">^</a> <a href="Michael_Everson" title="Michael Everson">Everson, Michael</a>, Hosken, Martin, & Constable, Peter. (2007). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.unicode.org/L2/L2007/07007r-n3207r-lanna.pdf">Revised proposal for encoding the Lanna script in the BMP of the UCS</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190614234315/http://www.unicode.org/L2/L2007/07007r-n3207r-lanna.pdf">Archived</a> 2019-06-14 at the <a href="Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a>.

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<li id="cite_note-53"><a href="#cite_ref-53">^</a> Kourilsky, Grégory & Berment, Vincent. (2005). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.laosoftware.com/download/dekalb_gk-vb.pdf">Towards a Computerization of the Lao Tham System of Writing</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070802025701/http://www.laosoftware.com/download/dekalb_gk-vb.pdf">Archived</a> 2007-08-02 at the <a href="Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a>. In First International Conference on Lao Studies.

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<li id="cite_note-54"><a href="#cite_ref-54">^</a> Igunma, Jana. (2013). Aksoon Khoom: Khmer Heritage in Thai and Lao Manuscript Cultures. Tai Culture, 23: Route of the Roots: Tai-Asiatic Cultural Interaction.

</li>

</ol></div></div>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Further_reading">Further reading</h2></div>

<ul><li>Lew, Sigrid. 2013. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.academia.edu/12997666/A_linguistic_analysis_of_the_Lao_writing_system_and_its_suitability_for_minority_language_orthographies">"A linguistic analysis of the Lao writing system and its suitability for minority language orthographies".</a></li>

<li>ANSI Z39.35-1979, System for the Romanization of Lao, Khmer, and Pali, <a href="ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <bdi>0-88738-968-6</bdi>.</li>

<li>Hoshino, Tatsuo and Marcus, Russel. (1989). Lao for Beginners: An Introduction to the Spoken and Written Language of Laos. Tuttle Publishing. <a href="ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <bdi>0-8048-1629-8</bdi>.</li>

<li>Enfield, N. J. (2007). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://nickenfield.org/files/Enfield_Lao_Grammar_published_AUTHOR_OFFPRINT.pdf">A Grammar of Lao</a>. Berlin and New York: Mouton de Gruyter. <a href="ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <bdi>3-11-018588-1</bdi>.</li>

<li>Cummings, Joe. (2002). Lao Phrasebook: A Language Survival Kit. Lonely Planet. <a href="ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <bdi>1-74059-168-2</bdi>.</li>

<li>Mollerup, Asger. Thai–Isan–Lao Phrasebook. White Lotus, Bangkok, 2001. <a href="ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <bdi>974-7534-88-6</bdi>.</li>

<li>Kerr, Allen. (1994). Lao–English Dictionary. White Lotus. <a href="ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <bdi>974-8495-69-8</bdi>.</li>

<li>Simmala, Buasawan and Benjawan Poomsan Becker (2003), Lao for Beginners. Paiboon Publishing. <a href="ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <bdi>1-887521-28-3</bdi></li></ul>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="External_links">External links</h2></div>

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<div class="side-box-text plainlist">Wikivoyage has a phrasebook for <a href="https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Lao_phrasebook#Q9211" class="extiw external" title="wikivoyage:Lao phrasebook">Lao</a>.</div></div>

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<div class="side-box-text plainlist">Wikimedia Commons has media related to <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Lao_language" class="extiw external" title="commons:Category:Lao language">Lao language</a>.</div></div>

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<ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.seasite.niu.edu/lao/lao3.htm">Lao Language and Culture website</a></li>

<li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20141204014809/http://asiansouls.com/laofonts/">Lao True Type Fonts</a></li></ul>

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</style><div id="Languages_of_Laos248" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="Laos#Languages" title="Laos">Languages of Laos</a></div></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Official language</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Indigenous languages</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th id="Austroasiatic191" scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="Austroasiatic_languages" title="Austroasiatic languages">Austroasiatic</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="Bahnaric_languages" title="Bahnaric languages">Bahnaric</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<li><a href="Halang_language" title="Halang language">Halang</a></li>

<li><a href="Laven_language" title="Laven language">Laven</a></li>

<li><a href="Nyaheun_language" title="Nyaheun language">Nyaheun</a></li>

<li><a href="Sapuan_language" title="Sapuan language">Sapuan</a></li>

<li><a href="Sedang_language" title="Sedang language">Sedang</a></li>

</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="Katuic_languages" title="Katuic languages">Katuic</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="Khmuic_languages" title="Khmuic languages">Khmuic</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<li><a href="Mlabri_language" title="Mlabri language">Mlabri</a></li>

<li><a href="Kniang_language" title="Kniang language">Phong-Kniang</a></li></ul>

</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="Palaungic_languages" title="Palaungic languages">Palaungic</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<li><a href="Kiorr_language" title="Kiorr language">Kiorr</a></li>

<li><a href="Lamet_language" title="Lamet language">Lamet</a></li></ul>

</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="Vietic_languages" title="Vietic languages">Vietic</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<li><a href="Maleng_language" title="Maleng language">Maleng</a></li>

<li><a href="Ngu%E1%BB%93n_language" title="Nguồn language">Nguồn</a></li>

<li><a href="Thavung_language" title="Thavung language">Thavung</a></li>

<li><a href="Vietnamese_language" title="Vietnamese language">Vietnamese</a></li></ul>

</div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="Austronesian_languages" title="Austronesian languages">Austronesian</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<ul><li><a href="Western_Cham_language" class="mw-redirect" title="Western Cham language">Western Cham</a></li></ul></li></ul>

</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="Hmong%E2%80%93Mien_languages" title="Hmong–Mien languages">Hmong–Mien</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<ul><li><a href="Hmong_language" title="Hmong language">Hmong</a></li>

</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="Sino-Tibetan_languages" title="Sino-Tibetan languages">Sino-Tibetan</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<li><a href="Bantang_language" title="Bantang language">Bantang</a></li>

<li><a href="Cantan_language" title="Cantan language">Cantan</a></li>

<li><a href="Cauho_language" title="Cauho language">Cauho</a></li>

<li><a href="Cosao_language" title="Cosao language">Cosao</a></li>

<li><a href="Phunoi_language" title="Phunoi language">Phunoi</a></li>

<li><a href="Sinsali_language" class="mw-redirect" title="Sinsali language">Sinsali</a></li></ul>

</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="Kra%E2%80%93Dai_languages" title="Kra–Dai languages">Kra–Dai</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<li><a href="Northern_Thai_language" title="Northern Thai language">Northern Thai</a></li>

<li><a href="Phuan_language" title="Phuan language">Phuan</a></li>

<li><a href="Tai_Daeng_language" title="Tai Daeng language">Tai Daeng</a></li>

</div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Main foreign languages</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<ul><li><a href="French_language_in_Laos" title="French language in Laos">French</a></li>

<li><a href="English_language" title="English language">English</a></li></ul>

</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Sign languages</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<ul><li><a href="Laotian_sign_languages" title="Laotian sign languages">Laotian sign languages</a></li></ul>

</div></td></tr><tr><td class="navbox-abovebelow" colspan="2"><div> <a href="Portal%3ALaos" title="Portal:Laos">Laos portal</a></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div>

<div class="navbox-styles"></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="Languages_of_Cambodia87" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks mw-collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2"><div id="Languages_of_Cambodia87" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="Languages_of_Cambodia" class="mw-redirect" title="Languages of Cambodia">Languages of Cambodia</a></div></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Official language</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<ul><li><a href="Khmer_language" title="Khmer language">Khmer</a></li></ul>

<li><a href="Chong_language" title="Chong language">Chong</a></li>

<li><a href="Mnong_language" title="Mnong language">Mnong</a></li>

<li><a href="Samre_language" class="mw-redirect" title="Samre language">Samre</a></li>

<li><a href="Somray_language" title="Somray language">Somray</a></li>

<li><a href="Stieng_language" title="Stieng language">Stieng</a></li>

<li><a href="Tampuan_language" title="Tampuan language">Tampuan</a></li>

<li><a href="Vietnamese_language" title="Vietnamese language">Vietnamese</a></li></ul>

</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Other</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<ul><li><a href="Cambodian_Sign_Language" title="Cambodian Sign Language">Cambodian Sign Language</a></li>

<li><a href="Jarai_language" title="Jarai language">Jarai</a></li>

<li><a href="Malay_language" title="Malay language">Malay</a> (Mekong Delta Malay)</li>

<li><a href="Phuan_language" title="Phuan language">Tai Phuan</a></li>

</div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Main foreign languages</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<ul><li><a href="French_language_in_Cambodia" title="French language in Cambodia">French</a></li>

<li><a href="English_language" title="English language">English</a></li>

<li><a href="Malaysian_Malay" title="Malaysian Malay">Malay</a></li></ul>

</div></td></tr></tbody></table></div>

<div class="navbox-styles"></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="Languages_of_Thailand211" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks mw-collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2"><div id="Languages_of_Thailand211" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="Languages_of_Thailand" title="Languages of Thailand">Languages of Thailand</a></div></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Official language</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="Southwestern_Tai_languages" title="Southwestern Tai languages">Other Thais</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Lao–Phutai</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Chiang Saen</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<ul><li><a href="Northern_Thai_language" title="Northern Thai language">Northern Thai</a></li>

<li><a href="Phuan_language" title="Phuan language">Phuan</a></li>

</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Sukhothai</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<ul><li><a href="Southern_Thai_language" title="Southern Thai language">Southern Thai</a></li></ul>

</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Northwestern</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

</div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="Ethnic_groups_in_Thailand" title="Ethnic groups in Thailand">Minority</a> by languages groups</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="Austroasiatic_languages" title="Austroasiatic languages">Austroasiatic</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<li><a href="Chong_language" title="Chong language">Chong</a></li>

<li><a href="Sa'och_language" title="Sa'och language">Chung</a></li>

<li><a href="Jahai_language" title="Jahai language">Jahai</a></li>

<li><a href="Kensiu_language" title="Kensiu language">Kensiu</a></li>

<li><a href="Khmer_language" title="Khmer language">Khmer</a>

<ul><li><a href="Northern_Khmer_dialect" title="Northern Khmer dialect">Northern</a></li>

<li><a href="Western_Khmer_dialect" title="Western Khmer dialect">Western</a></li></ul></li>

<li><a href="Kintaq_language" title="Kintaq language">Kintaq</a></li>

<li><a href="Mlabri_language" title="Mlabri language">Mlabri</a></li>

<li><a href="Palaung_language" title="Palaung language">Palaung</a></li>

<li><a href="Thavung_language" title="Thavung language">Thavung</a></li>

<li><a href="Vietnamese_language" title="Vietnamese language">Vietnamese</a></li></ul>

</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="Austronesian_languages" title="Austronesian languages">Austronesian</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<li><a href="Malayan_languages" class="mw-redirect" title="Malayan languages">Malay</a>

<ul><li><a href="Bangkok_Malay" title="Bangkok Malay">Bangkok Malay</a></li>

<li><a href="Pattani_Malay" class="mw-redirect" title="Pattani Malay">Pattani Malay</a></li>

<li><a href="Satun_Malay" class="mw-redirect" title="Satun Malay">Satun Malay</a></li></ul></li>

<li><a href="Moken_language" title="Moken language">Moken</a></li>

<li><a href="Moklen_language" title="Moklen language">Moklen</a></li>

<li><a href="Urak_Lawoi%E2%80%99_language" class="mw-redirect" title="Urak Lawoi’ language">Urak Lawoi’</a></li></ul>

<ul><li><a href="Hmong_language" title="Hmong language">Hmong</a></li>

<li><a href="Eastern_Pwo_language" title="Eastern Pwo language">Eastern Pwo</a></li>

<li><a href="Chinese_languages" class="mw-redirect" title="Chinese languages">Sinitic</a>

<ul><li><a href="Cantonese" title="Cantonese">Cantonese</a></li>

<li><a href="Teochew_dialect" class="mw-redirect" title="Teochew dialect">Teochew</a></li>

<li><a href="Hakka_Chinese" title="Hakka Chinese">Hakka</a></li>

<li><a href="Hokkien" title="Hokkien">Hokkien</a></li>

<li><a href="Hainanese" title="Hainanese">Hainanese</a></li>

<li><a href="Fuzhou_dialect" title="Fuzhou dialect">Hokchew</a></li></ul></li>

<li><a href="Nuosu_language" title="Nuosu language">Nuosu</a></li>

<li><a href="Northern_Pwo_language" title="Northern Pwo language">Northern Pwo</a></li>

<li><a href="Phrae_Pwo_language" title="Phrae Pwo language">Phrae Pwo</a></li>

<li><a href="Red_Karen_language" class="mw-redirect" title="Red Karen language">Red Karen (Eastern Kayah)</a></li>

<li><a href="S'gaw_Karen_language" title="S'gaw Karen language">S'gaw Karen</a></li>

<li><a href="Ugong_language" class="mw-redirect" title="Ugong language">Ugong</a></li></ul>

</div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Non-Indigenous</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="Foreign_language" title="Foreign language">Immigrant language</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<ul><li><a href="Burmese_language" title="Burmese language">Burmese</a></li>

<li><a href="Hindi" title="Hindi">Hindi</a></li>

<li><a href="Punjabi_language" title="Punjabi language">Punjabi</a></li>

<li><a href="Russian_language" title="Russian language">Russian</a></li>

<li><a href="Southwestern_Mandarin" title="Southwestern Mandarin">Southwestern Mandarin</a></li></ul>

</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="Working_language" title="Working language">Working language</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<ul><li><a href="English_language" title="English language">English</a></li>

<li><a href="Japanese_language" title="Japanese language">Japanese</a></li>

<li><a href="Korean_language" title="Korean language">Korean</a></li></ul>

</div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Sign languages</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<ul><li><a href="Thai_Sign_Language" title="Thai Sign Language">Thai Sign Language</a></li>

</div></td></tr></tbody></table></div>

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</style></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="Laos_articles535" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks hlist mw-collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2"><div id="Laos_articles535" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="Laos" title="Laos">Laos</a> <a href="List_of_Laos-related_topics" title="List of Laos-related topics">articles</a></div></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="History_of_Laos" title="History of Laos">History</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;padding-left:0.5em;padding-right:0.5em;font-weight:normal;">Ancient</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<ul><li><a href="D%C3%A0om%C3%ADng_Kingdom" title="Dàomíng Kingdom">Dàomíng</a></li>

<li>Gotapura</li>

<li><a href="Muang_Sua" title="Muang Sua">Muang Sua</a></li>

<li><a href="Yamanadvipa" title="Yamanadvipa">Yamanadvipa</a></li></ul>

</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;padding-left:0.5em;padding-right:0.5em;font-weight:normal;">Feudal</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<li><a href="Kingdom_of_Luang_Phrabang" title="Kingdom of Luang Phrabang">Luang Phrabang</a></li>

<li><a href="Kingdom_of_Vientiane" title="Kingdom of Vientiane">Vientiane</a></li>

<li><a href="Kingdom_of_Champasak" title="Kingdom of Champasak">Champasak</a></li>

<li><a href="Muang_Phuan" title="Muang Phuan">Muang Phuan</a></li></ul>

</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;padding-left:0.5em;padding-right:0.5em;font-weight:normal;">Modern</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<ul><li><a href="French_protectorate_of_Laos" title="French protectorate of Laos">French protectorate of Laos</a></li>

<li><a href="History_of_Laos_(1945%E2%80%93present)" title="History of Laos (1945–present)">History since 1945</a></li>

<li><a href="Kingdom_of_Luang_Prabang_(1945)" title="Kingdom of Luang Prabang (1945)">Japanese-backed state</a></li>

<li><a href="Lao_Issara" title="Lao Issara">Lao Issara</a></li>

<li><a href="Kingdom_of_Laos" title="Kingdom of Laos">Kingdom of Laos</a></li>

<li><a href="Pathet_Lao" title="Pathet Lao">Pathet Lao</a></li></ul>

</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;padding-left:0.5em;padding-right:0.5em;font-weight:normal;">Events</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<ul><li><a href="Japanese_coup_d'%C3%A9tat_in_French_Indochina" title="Japanese coup d'état in French Indochina">Japanese coup d'état</a></li>

<li><a href="Laotian_Civil_War" title="Laotian Civil War">Laotian Civil War</a></li>

<li><a href="North_Vietnamese_invasion_of_Laos" title="North Vietnamese invasion of Laos">Vietnamese invasion</a></li>

<li><a href="Indochina_wars" title="Indochina wars">Indochina wars</a></li>

<li><a href="International_Agreement_on_the_Neutrality_of_Laos" title="International Agreement on the Neutrality of Laos">Neutrality</a></li>

<li><a href="Insurgency_in_Laos" title="Insurgency in Laos">Insurgency</a></li>

<li><a href="2007_Laotian_coup_d'%C3%A9tat_conspiracy_allegation" title="2007 Laotian coup d'état conspiracy allegation">2007 coup attempt</a></li></ul>

</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;padding-left:0.5em;padding-right:0.5em;font-weight:normal;">Sites</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<li><a href="Ho_Chi_Minh_trail" title="Ho Chi Minh trail">Ho Chi Minh trail</a></li></ul>

</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;padding-left:0.5em;padding-right:0.5em;font-weight:normal;">People</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<ul><li><a href="Lao_people" title="Lao people">Ethnic Lao</a></li></ul></li>

<li><a href="Lao_Theung" title="Lao Theung">Lao Theung</a></li>

<li><a href="Tai_peoples" title="Tai peoples">Tai peoples</a></li>

<li><a href="Khun_Borom" title="Khun Borom">Khun Borom</a></li></ul>

</div></td></tr></tbody></table><div>

</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="Geography_of_Laos" title="Geography of Laos">Geography</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<ul><li>Borders</li>

<li><a href="Deforestation_in_Laos" title="Deforestation in Laos">Deforestation</a></li>

<li><a href="List_of_ecoregions_in_Laos" title="List of ecoregions in Laos">Ecoregions</a></li>

<li><a href="Mekong" title="Mekong">Mekong</a></li>

<li><a href="List_of_rivers_of_Laos" title="List of rivers of Laos">Rivers</a></li>

<li><a href="National_Biodiversity_Conservation_Area" title="National Biodiversity Conservation Area">Protected areas</a></li>

<li><a href="List_of_cities_in_Laos" title="List of cities in Laos">Towns</a></li>

<li><a href="Wildlife_of_Laos" title="Wildlife of Laos">Wildlife</a></li>

<li><a href="List_of_World_Heritage_Sites_in_Laos" title="List of World Heritage Sites in Laos">World Heritage Sites</a></li></ul>

</div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="Politics_of_Laos" title="Politics of Laos">Politics</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<ul><li><a href="Administrative_divisions_of_Laos" title="Administrative divisions of Laos">Administrative divisions</a></li>

<li><a href="Constitution_of_Laos" title="Constitution of Laos">Constitution</a></li>

<li><a href="Elections_in_Laos" title="Elections in Laos">Elections</a></li>

<li><a href="Foreign_relations_of_Laos" title="Foreign relations of Laos">Foreign relations</a></li>

<li><a href="General_Secretary_of_the_Lao_People's_Revolutionary_Party" title="General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party">General Secretary</a></li>

<li><a href="Human_rights_in_Laos" title="Human rights in Laos">Human rights</a>

<ul><li><a href="LGBT_rights_in_Laos" class="mw-redirect" title="LGBT rights in Laos">LGBT rights</a></li></ul></li>

<li><a href="Ministry_of_Public_Security_(Laos)" title="Ministry of Public Security (Laos)">Law enforcement</a></li>

<li><a href="Lao_People's_Armed_Forces" title="Lao People's Armed Forces">Military</a></li>

<li><a href="National_Assembly_(Laos)" class="mw-redirect" title="National Assembly (Laos)">National Assembly</a>

<ul><li><a href="President_of_the_National_Assembly_of_Laos" title="President of the National Assembly of Laos">President</a></li></ul></li>

<li><a href="List_of_political_parties_in_Laos" title="List of political parties in Laos">Political parties</a></li>

<li><a href="President_of_Laos" title="President of Laos">President</a></li>

<li><a href="Vice_President_of_Laos" title="Vice President of Laos">Vice President</a></li>

<li><a href="Prime_Minister_of_Laos" title="Prime Minister of Laos">Prime Minister</a></li></ul>

</div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="Economy_of_Laos" title="Economy of Laos">Economy</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<ul><li><a href="Agriculture_in_Laos" title="Agriculture in Laos">Agriculture</a></li>

<li><a href="Bank_of_the_Lao_P.D.R." title="Bank of the Lao P.D.R.">Central bank</a></li>

<li><a href="Lao_kip" title="Lao kip">Kip (currency)</a></li>

<li><a href="Energy_in_Laos" title="Energy in Laos">Energy</a></li>

<li><a href="Fishing_in_Laos" class="mw-redirect" title="Fishing in Laos">Fishing</a></li>

<li><a href="Lao_Securities_Exchange" title="Lao Securities Exchange">Stock exchange</a></li>

<li><a href="Telecommunications_in_Laos" class="mw-redirect" title="Telecommunications in Laos">Telecommunications</a></li>

<li><a href="Tourism_in_Laos" title="Tourism in Laos">Tourism</a></li>

<li><a href="Trade_unions_in_Laos" title="Trade unions in Laos">Trade unions</a></li>

<li><a href="Transport_in_Laos" title="Transport in Laos">Transport</a></li></ul>

</div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Society</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<ul><li><a href="Crime_in_Laos" title="Crime in Laos">Crime</a></li>

<li><a href="Demographics_of_Laos" title="Demographics of Laos">Demographics</a></li>

<li><a href="Education_in_Laos" title="Education in Laos">Education</a></li>

<li><a href="List_of_ethnic_groups_in_Laos" title="List of ethnic groups in Laos">Ethnic groups</a></li>

<li><a href="Health_in_Laos" title="Health in Laos">Health</a>

<li><a href="COVID-19_pandemic_in_Laos" title="COVID-19 pandemic in Laos">COVID-19</a> and <a href="SARS-CoV-2_Delta_variant" title="SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant">Delta</a><a href="SARS-CoV-2_Omicron_variant" title="SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant">cron</a> hybrid variant</li></ul></li>

<li><a href="Prostitution_in_Laos" title="Prostitution in Laos">Prostitution</a></li>

<li><a href="Religion_in_Laos" title="Religion in Laos">Religion</a></li>

<li><a href="Sex_trafficking_in_Laos" title="Sex trafficking in Laos">Sex trafficking</a></li>

<li><a href="Women_in_Laos" title="Women in Laos">Women</a></li></ul>

</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;padding-left:0.5em;padding-right:0.5em;font-weight:normal;"><a href="Culture_of_Laos" title="Culture of Laos">Culture</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<ul><li><a href="Lao_National_Anthem" title="Lao National Anthem">Anthem</a></li>

<li><a href="Lao_cuisine" title="Lao cuisine">Cuisine</a></li>

<li><a href="Dance_and_theatre_of_Laos" title="Dance and theatre of Laos">Dramatic arts</a></li>

<li><a href="Emblem_of_Laos" title="Emblem of Laos">Emblem</a></li>

<li><a href="List_of_festivals_in_Laos" title="List of festivals in Laos">Festivals</a></li>

<li><a href="Literature_of_Laos" title="Literature of Laos">Literature</a></li>

<li><a href="Music_of_Laos" title="Music of Laos">Music</a></li>

<li><a href="Public_holidays_in_Laos" title="Public holidays in Laos">Public holidays</a></li>

<li><a href="Sport_in_Laos" class="mw-redirect" title="Sport in Laos">Sports</a></li></ul>

</div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><td class="navbox-abovebelow" colspan="2" style="font-weight:bold;"><div><div style="margin-bottom:-0.4em;"><ul><li><a href="Outline_of_Laos" title="Outline of Laos">Outline</a></li><li><a href="List_of_Laos-related_topics" title="List of Laos-related topics">Index</a></li></ul></div>

<ul><li>Category</li>

<li><a href="Portal%3ALaos" title="Portal:Laos">Portal</a></li></ul></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div>

<div class="navbox-styles"></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="Kra–Dai_languages417" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks mw-collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2"><div id="Kra–Dai_languages417" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="Kra%E2%80%93Dai_languages" title="Kra–Dai languages">Kra–Dai languages</a></div></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="Kra_languages" title="Kra languages">Kra</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<li><a href="Lachi_language" title="Lachi language">Lachi</a></li>

<li><a href="Buyang_language" title="Buyang language">Buyang</a></li>

<li><a href="Qabiao_language" title="Qabiao language">Qabiao</a></li></ul>

</div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th id="Gelao25" scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;font-weight:normal;"><a href="Gelao_languages" title="Gelao languages">Gelao</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<ul><li><a href="Vandu_language" title="Vandu language">Vandu</a></li>

<li><a href="Mulao_language_(Kra)" title="Mulao language (Kra)">Mulao</a></li>

<li><a href="Hagei_language" title="Hagei language">Hagei</a></li>

<li><a href="Telue_language" title="Telue language">Telue</a></li>

</div></td></tr></tbody></table><div>

</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="Kam%E2%80%93Sui_languages" title="Kam–Sui languages">Kam–Sui</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<ul><li><a href="Mulam_language" title="Mulam language">Mulam</a></li>

<li><a href="Nuoxi_language" title="Nuoxi language">Nuoxi</a> (Naxi Yao)</li>

<li><a href="Maonan_language" title="Maonan language">Maonan</a></li>

<li><a href="Chadong_language" title="Chadong language">Chadong</a></li>

</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="Biao_language" title="Biao language">Biao</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="Lakkia_language" title="Lakkia language">Lakkia</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<ul><li><a href="Lakkia_language" title="Lakkia language">Lakkia</a></li></ul>

</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="Hlai_languages" title="Hlai languages">Hlai</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<ul><li><a href="Bouhin_language" class="mw-redirect" title="Bouhin language">Bouhin</a></li>

<li><a href="Lauhut_language" class="mw-redirect" title="Lauhut language">Lauhut</a></li>

<li><a href="Tongzha_language" class="mw-redirect" title="Tongzha language">Tongzha</a></li>

<li><a href="Zandui_language" class="mw-redirect" title="Zandui language">Zandui</a></li>

<li><a href="Baoting_language" class="mw-redirect" title="Baoting language">Baoting</a></li>

<li><a href="Nadou_language" class="mw-redirect" title="Nadou language">Nadou</a></li>

<li><a href="Changjiang_language" class="mw-redirect" title="Changjiang language">Changjiang</a></li>

<li><a href="Moyfaw_language" class="mw-redirect" title="Moyfaw language">Moyfaw</a></li>

<li><a href="Baisha_language" class="mw-redirect" title="Baisha language">Baisha</a></li>

<li><a href="Yuanmen_language" class="mw-redirect" title="Yuanmen language">Yuanmen</a></li></ul>

</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="Jiamao_language" title="Jiamao language">Jiamao</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<ul><li><a href="Jiamao_language" title="Jiamao language">Jiamao</a></li></ul>

</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="Be_language" class="mw-redirect" title="Be language">Be</a>–<a href="Jizhao_language" title="Jizhao language">Jizhao</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<li><a href="Jizhao_language" title="Jizhao language">Jizhao</a></li></ul>

</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="Tai_languages" title="Tai languages">Tai</a> (<a href="Zhuang_languages" title="Zhuang languages">Zhuang</a>, etc.)</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;font-weight:normal;"><a href="Northern_Tai_languages" title="Northern Tai languages">Northern</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<ul><li><a href="Standard_Zhuang" title="Standard Zhuang">Standard Zhuang</a></li>

<li><a href="Bouyei_language" title="Bouyei language">Bouyei</a></li>

<li><a href="Hezhang_Buyi_language" title="Hezhang Buyi language">Hezhang Buyi</a></li>

<li><a href="Yei_Zhuang_language" title="Yei Zhuang language">Yei Zhuang</a></li>

<li><a href="Longsang_Zhuang_language" title="Longsang Zhuang language">Longsang Zhuang</a></li>

</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;font-weight:normal;"><a href="Central_Tai_languages" title="Central Tai languages">Central</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<ul><li><a href="Nong_Zhuang_language" title="Nong Zhuang language">Nong Zhuang</a></li>

<li><a href="Dai_Zhuang_language" title="Dai Zhuang language">Dai Zhuang</a></li>

<li><a href="Min_Zhuang_language" title="Min Zhuang language">Min Zhuang</a></li>

<li><a href="Yang_Zhuang_language" title="Yang Zhuang language">Yang Zhuang</a></li>

<li><a href="Pyang_Zhuang_language" title="Pyang Zhuang language">Pyang Zhuang</a></li>

<li><a href="Myang_Zhuang_language" title="Myang Zhuang language">Myang Zhuang</a></li>

<li><a href="Ts%CA%BB%C3%BCn-Lao_language" title="Tsʻün-Lao language">Tsʻün-Lao</a></li></ul>

</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;font-weight:normal;"><a href="Southwestern_Tai_languages" title="Southwestern Tai languages">Southwestern</a> (Thai)</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;font-weight:normal;">Northwestern</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<li><a href="Tai_Hongjin_language" class="mw-redirect" title="Tai Hongjin language">Tai Hongjin</a></li>

<li><a href="Khamti_language" title="Khamti language">Khamti</a></li>

<li><a href="Tai_Laing_language" title="Tai Laing language">Tai Laing</a></li>

<li><a href="Phake_language" title="Phake language">Phake</a></li>

<li><a href="Aiton_language" title="Aiton language">Aiton</a></li>

<li><a href="Khamyang_language" title="Khamyang language">Khamyang</a></li>

<li><a href="Turung_language" title="Turung language">Turung</a></li></ul>

</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;font-weight:normal;">Lao–Phutai</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<ul>

<li><a href="Kaloeng_language" title="Kaloeng language">Kaloeng</a></li></ul>

</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;font-weight:normal;">Chiang Saen</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<ul><li><a href="Thai_language" title="Thai language">Thai</a> (Siamese)</li>

<li><a href="Northern_Thai_language" title="Northern Thai language">Northern Thai</a></li>

<li><a href="Tai_Daeng_language" title="Tai Daeng language">Tai Daeng</a></li>

<li><a href="Tai_Meuay_language" title="Tai Meuay language">Tai Meuay</a></li>

<li><a href="Phuan_language" title="Phuan language">Phuan</a></li>

</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;font-weight:normal;">Southern</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<ul><li><a href="Southern_Thai_language" title="Southern Thai language">Southern Thai</a></li></ul>

</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;font-weight:normal;">(other)</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<li><a href="Tai_Muong_Vat_language" title="Tai Muong Vat language">Tai Muong Vat</a></li>

<li><a href="Tai_Thanh_language" title="Tai Thanh language">Tai Thanh</a></li>

<li><a href="Tay_Khang_language" title="Tay Khang language">Tai Khang</a></li>

</div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;font-weight:normal;">(<a href="Mixed_language" title="Mixed language">mixed</a>)</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

</div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">(<a href="Mixed_language" title="Mixed language">mixed origins</a>)</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<ul><li><a href="Hezhang_Buyi_language" title="Hezhang Buyi language">Hezhang Buyi</a></li>

<li><a href="Jiamao_language" title="Jiamao language">Jiamao</a></li></ul>

</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">proposed groupings</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="Proto-language" title="Proto-language">Proto-languages</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">

<ul><li><a href="Proto-Kra%E2%80%93Dai_language" title="Proto-Kra–Dai language">Proto-Kra–Dai</a></li>

<li><a href="Proto-Kra_language" title="Proto-Kra language">Proto-Kra</a></li>

<li><a href="Proto-Tai_language" title="Proto-Tai language">Proto-Tai</a></li>

<li><a href="Proto-Kam%E2%80%93Sui_language" title="Proto-Kam–Sui language">Proto-Kam–Sui</a></li>

<li><a href="Proto-Hlai_language" title="Proto-Hlai language">Proto-Hlai</a></li></ul>

</div></td></tr><tr><td class="navbox-abovebelow" colspan="2"><div>Italics indicate <a href="Language_death" title="Language death">extinct languages</a></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div>

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