Lao language

Lao_Language_(in_Lao)

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Lao

Region	Southeast Asia
Ethnicity	Lao people
Speakers	30 million
Language family	Tai-Kadai
This language related article is a stub.

The Lao language (ພາສາລາວ, phasa lao) is a member of the Tai branch of the Kra-Dai language family. It is the official language of Laos, where it is spoken by approximately 30 million people. Lao is closely related to Isan, the language of the Isan people in Thailand, and shares many similarities with other languages in the region, such as Thai.

History

The Lao language has its roots in the Tai migration from southern China into Southeast Asia around the 8th century. Over time, the language evolved and diversified into various dialects. The modern Lao script, which is derived from the Old Khmer script, was standardized in the 14th century during the reign of Fa Ngum, the founder of the Lan Xang kingdom.

Dialects

Lao has several dialects, which can be broadly categorized into four main groups:

• Vientiane Lao: Spoken in the capital city, Vientiane.
• Northeastern Lao: Spoken in the provinces of Xieng Khouang, Houaphanh, and Luang Prabang.
• Central Lao: Spoken in the provinces of Khammouane and Savannakhet.
• Southern Lao: Spoken in the provinces of Champasak, Salavan, and Attapeu.

Phonology

Lao is a tonal language with six tones. The tones are essential for distinguishing between words that otherwise have the same phonetic structure. The language has a relatively simple syllable structure, typically consisting of a consonant followed by a vowel, and sometimes ending in a final consonant.

Grammar

Lao grammar is analytic, meaning that it relies on word order and particles rather than inflection to convey grammatical relationships. The basic word order is subject-verb-object (SVO). Lao uses classifiers extensively, especially when counting objects.

Writing System

The Lao script is an abugida, which means that each consonant has an inherent vowel sound that can be modified with diacritics. The script is written from left to right and does not use spaces between words. The modern Lao script has 27 consonants, 7 vowels, and 4 tone marks.

Usage

Lao is the primary language of instruction in schools and is used in government, media, and daily communication. In addition to Lao, many people in Laos are bilingual, speaking other languages such as French, Vietnamese, and various ethnic minority languages.

Related Pages

• Laos
• Lao people
• Isan language
• Thai language
• Tai languages
• Kra-Dai languages
• Lao script