Bit people
Encyclopedia
The Bit or Bid are an ethnic group
living in Louang Namtha Province, Laos
. There are around 1,500 people left, mainly in a single village, as well as a further 500 or so over the border in China
. They speak Bit
, a Mon–Khmer language, although most also speak Lao
.
The Bit live in houses built on stilts, and cultivate wet rice
as well as other vegetables. They believe in local spirits and have a male religious leader known as mo mon.
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
living in Louang Namtha Province, Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
. There are around 1,500 people left, mainly in a single village, as well as a further 500 or so over the border in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. They speak Bit
Bit language
Bit is a language spoken by around 1,500 people in northern Laos, concentrated in the provinces of Louang Namtha and Phongsali. There are thought to be about another 500 speakers over the border in Yunnan Province, China. It has been classified as Khmuic, Palaungic, and as Mangic....
, a Mon–Khmer language, although most also speak Lao
Lao language
Lao or Laotian is a tonal language of the Tai–Kadai language family. It is the official language of Laos, and also spoken in the northeast of Thailand, where it is usually referred to as the Isan language. Being the primary language of the Lao people, Lao is also an important second language for...
.
The Bit live in houses built on stilts, and cultivate wet rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
as well as other vegetables. They believe in local spirits and have a male religious leader known as mo mon.
Further reading
- Schliesinger, Joachim, Ethnic Groups of Laos, vol. 2, White Lotus 2000, ISBN 9744800364