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Lao Language
*** Shopping-Tip: Lao Language
{{language
|name=Lao
|nativename=ພາສາລາວ ''phaasaa laao''
|familycolor=Tai-Kadai
|states=
Laos,
Thailand,
United States U.S.,
France,
Canada,
PR China China
|speakers=3,188,577 (1991)
|fam2=
Kam-Tai languages Kam-Tai
|fam3=
Be-Tai languages Be-Tai
|fam4=
Tai-Sek languages Tai-Sek
|fam5=
Tai languages Tai
|fam6=
Southwestern Tai languages Southwestern Tai
|fam7=
Lao-Phutai languages Lao-Phutai
|nation=
Laos
|iso1=lo|iso2=lao|iso3=lao|notice=Indic}}
'''Lao''' (ພາສາລາວ ''phaasaa laao'') is the official language of
Laos. It is a
tonal language of the
Tai languages Tai family, and is so closely related to the
Isan language of the
Isan northeast region of
Thailand that the two are often classed as one language. The
Lao alphabet writing system of Lao is an
abugida (a writing system composed of signs denoting consonants with an inherent following vowel) and is closely related to the writing system used in
Thai language Thai.
Lao language can be divided into five main dialects :
*
Vientiane Lao
* Northern Lao (
Luang Prabang)
* North-Eastern Lao (
Xieng Khouang)
* Central Lao (
Khammouan)
* Southern Lao (
Champasak)
Vientiane Lao is widely understood throughout the country, and all the dialects are largely mutually comprehensible.
Tones
Vientiane Lao has six
tonal language tones: Low, Mid, High, Rising, High Rising and Low Falling. Pitch levels vary from the speaker's ethnicity and geographic location.
Luang Prabang residents use five tones: Mid Falling Rising, Low Rising, Mid, High Falling and Mid Rising.
Script
Lao has traditionally been written in two scripts: Lao and
Tham.
The Lao alphabet is based on the same script as the
Thai alphabet. It made its way into Laos from Sinhalese Buddhists. It is made up of 33 consonants and 28 vowels representing respectively 21 and 27 original sounds, written left to right. It is simpler and thus easier to learn than its Thai and Khmer counterparts. Lao is written phonetically using this script. The script contains a number of redundant consonants that are no longer distinguished among in written and spoken Lao.
The Tham script is derived from the script used in
Lan Na prior to the standardization of the Thai alphabet, which is itself derived from the
Mon script. Tham script is most commonly employed in both Thailand and Laos in religious inscriptions, and in reading older religious texts.
Both scripts used to write Lao are technically
abugidas, each consonant having an inherent vowel, with vowel changes indicated through additional markings. Lao is written left to right, without spaces between words.
See also
*
Lao romanization
*
Literature in Laos
References
{{InterWiki|code=lo}}
*{{wikitravelphrasebook|Lao phrasebook}}
-
Ethnologue report
-
Lao Language & Culture Site
-
Omniglot: Lao script
External links
*{{wikitravelphrasebook|Lao phrasebook}}
Category:Languages of Laos
Category:Tai-Kadai languages
Category:Tonal languages
bg:Лао
cs:Laoština
de:Laotische Sprache
es:Idioma lao
fr:Laotien
ko:�오어
id:Bahasa Laos
ms:Bahasa Lao
nl:Laotiaans
ja:ラーオ語
fi:Laon kieli
sv:Lao
th:ภาษาลาว
zh:è€?æŒ?è¯
see
Lao language
*** Shopping-Tip: Lao Language
