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Lao language
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Lao or Laotian (BGN/PCGN: phasa lao, IPA: p?a?sa? la?w) is a tonal language of the Kradai 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 multitude of ethnic groups in Laos and in Isan. Lao, like all languages in Laos, is written in an abugida script.
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Encyclopedia
Lao or Laotian (BGN/PCGN: phasa lao, IPA: p?a?sa? la?w) is a tonal language of the Kradai 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 multitude of ethnic groups in Laos and in Isan. Lao, like all languages in Laos, is written in an abugida script. Although there is no official standard, the Vientiane dialect has become the de facto standard.
History
The Lao language is descended from Tai languages spoken in what is now southern China and northern Vietnam (probably some of the various peoples referred to as Yue) in areas believed to be the homeland of the language family and where several related languages are spoken by scattered minority groups. Due to Han expansion, Mongol invasion pressures, and search for lands more suitable for wet-rice cultivation, the Tai peoples moved south towards India, down the Mekong River valley, and all the way south as the Malay Peninsula. Oral history of the Tai migrations is preserved in the legends of Khun Borom. The Tai peoples in what is now Laos pushed out or absorbed earlier groups of Mon-Khmer and Austronesian languages. Although torn between the power struggles of Siam and Vietnam, the Lao people were able to create a cohesive identity and integrate their dialects into a common language.
Dialects
The Lao language has numerous dialects, but they are mutually intelligible. The Isan language can also be further sub-divided into various dialects, but they too remain mutually intelligible with the Lao dialects of Laos and are regarded as a cohesive identity. In addition to the following dialects, there are numerous small dialects spoken by tribes descended from forced Lao migrations to Central Thailand.
In addition to the dialects of the Lao languages, numerous closely related languages (or dialects, depending on the classification) are spoken throughout the Lao-speaking realm in Laos and Thailand, such as the Nyaw, Phu Thai, Saek, Lao Wieng, Tai Dam, Tai Daeng, etc. These Tai peoples are classified by the Lao government as Lao Loum (???????) or lowland Lao. Lao and Thai are also very similar and share most of their basic vocabulary, but differences in many basic words limit inter-comprehension.
Vocabulary
The Lao language consists primarily of native Lao words. However, due to the introduction of Buddhism, Pali has contributed numerous terms, especially those relating to religion and in conversation with members of the Sangha. Khmer, due to proximity and the cultural might of the Khmer Empire, which once controlled parts of Laos, has greatly influenced the high language of court and culture. Many of these words, in turn, were derived from Sanskrit via Indian traders.
Formal writing has a larger amount of foreign loanwords, especially Pali/Sanskrit and Khmer terms, much like Latin and Greek influence on the European languages. To make oneself more polite, using pronouns (and more formal pronouns on top of that) is employed, as well as ending statements in ?? (dè, de?) or ??? (deu, d?). Negative statements are made more polite by ending the statement in ??? (dok, d??k). The following are formal register examples.
- ????????????? (khop chai lai lai deu, k??p t?aj laj laj d?) Thank you very much.
- ?????????????????? (khanoy bo dai dok deu, k?a?n??j b?? daj d??k d?) I cannot.
Script
Originally, Lao was written in the Thua Tham script, based on Mon scripts and still used in temples in Laos and Isan. The current Lao alphabet is derived from the Khmer alphabet. All these scripts are based on the Brahmic script from India. Although similar to the Thai alphabet, due to various royal decrees concerning orthographic reforms, the Lao alphabet is more concise, having fewer letters, and words are spelt according to phonetical principle as opposed to etymological principle. In addition to consonants having tone classes, tone marks facilitate marking tones where they are needed. Romanisation of Lao is inconsistent, but is based on French transcriptive methods, although in Thailand, the Thai system is used. The Lao alphabet has disappeared as a written language amongst the Isan people, but when it is written, the Thai alphabet is used.
Numerals may be written out as words (1 vs. one), but numerical symbols are more common. Although Arabic numerals are most common, Lao numerals, from the Brahmi script are also taught and employed.
Grammar
The majority of Lao words are monosyllabic, and are not inflected to reflect declension or verbal tense, making Lao an analytic language. Special particle words serve the purpose of prepositions and verb tenses in lieu of conjugations and declensions. Lao is a subject verb object (SVO) language, although the subject is often dropped. In contrast to Thai, Lao uses pronouns more frequently.
Nouns
Nouns are not marked for plurality, gender, or declension. A noun may be single or plural. Unlike English, nouns do not and are not marked with definite or indefinite articles. Measure words or classifiers (Lao: ?????????, IPA: laksa?na?na?m) are often used to express plurals, as classifiers must be used to count objects. As in English, 'two chairs' compared to Lao, 'chair two [classifier]'.
Verbs of physical action are easily converted into nouns by employing ??? (kan, ga?n) in front of the verb. Abstract actions and adjectives use ???? (khwam, k?wa?m) instead.
- ??????? (deunthang, d?nta??) to travel (v.) nominalised into ?????????? (kan deunthang, ga?n d?nta??) travel (n.)
- ??? (khit, k?it) to think (v.) nominalised into ??????? (khwam khit, k?wa?m k?it) thought (n.)
- ?? (di, di?) good (adj.) nominalised into ?????? (khwam di, k?wa?m di?) goodness (n.)
Pronouns are often dropped in informal contexts, and are often replaced with nicknames or kinship terms, depending on the relation of the speaker to the person to whom is being spoken. Pronouns can also change depending on the register of speech, from royal (now obsolete) usage to vulgar usage. The more formal the language, the more likely that pronouns will not be dropped and that formal pronouns would be used. Pronouns can be pluralised by adding ??? (p?uak) in front of the pronoun, e.g., ??????? (p?uak khoy) is the same as ???? (hao) or ??????? (p?uak hao). Age and status is important in determining usage. Younger boys and girls names are often prefixed with ??? (bak, bak) and ?? (i, i?) respectively. Older males and females use ???? (ai, aj) and ???? (èw, ??w) respectively instead. People who are much older may be politely dressed as aunt, uncle, mother, father, or even grandmother or grandfather depending on their age.
| Pronoun | BGN/PCGN | IPA | Meaning |
|---|
| ???? | khoy | k???j | I/me (informal, general) | | ??????? | khanoy | k?a?n??j | I/me (formal) | | ???? | hao | haw | we/us | | ????? | chao | t?aw | you (general) | | ???? | thaan | t?a?n | you (very formal) | | ???? | khao | k?ao | he/him/she/her (formal, general) | | ??? | lao | law | he/him/she/her (very informal) | | ????? | peun | p??n | he/him/she/her (very formal) | | ??? | man | man | it (very rude if used on a person) |
Adjectives and Adverbs
There is no general distinction between adjectives and adverbs, and words of this category serve both functions and can even modify each other. Duplication is used to indicate greater intensity. Only one word can be duplicated per phrase. Adjectives always come after the noun they modify; adverbs may come before or after the verb depending on the word. There is usually no copula to link a noun to an adjective.
- ?????? (sao ngam, sa?w ?a?m) A pretty lady.
- ??????? (sao ngam ngam, sa?w ?a?m ?a?m) A very pretty lady.
- ??????????? (sao ngam thi wai, sa?w ?a?m t?i? vaj) A lady who becomes pretty quickly.
- ???????????? (sao ngam thi wai wai, sa?w ?a?m t?i? vaj vaj) A lady who becomes pretty very quickly.
Comparatives take the form "A X ???? B" (kwa, gwa?), A is more X than B. The superlative is expressed as "A X ???????? (thisut, t?i?sut), A is most X.
- ????????????? (sao ngam kwa dok, sa?w ?a?m gwa? d??k) The lady is prettier than a flower.
- ???????????? (sao ngam thisut, sa?w ?a?m t?i?sut) The lady is the prettiest.
Because adjectives or adverbs can be used as predicates, the particles that modify verbs are also used.
- ???????? (sao si ngam, sa?w si? ?a?m) The lady will be pretty.
- ?????????? (sao ngam lèw, sa?w ?a?m l??w) The lady was pretty.
Verbs
Verbs are not declined for voice, number, or tense. To indicate tenses, particles can be used, but it is also very common just to use words that indicate the time frame, such as ?????? (wan ni, van ni?) today or ????????? (meu wan ni, m?? van ni?) yesterday.
Negation: Negation is indicated by placing ??? (bo, b??) before the word being negated.
- ??????????????? (bao kin khao niaw, ba?w gin k?a?w nio) The man eats sticky rice.
- ?????????????????? (bao bo kin khao niaw, ba?w gin b?? k?a?w nio) The man does not eat sticky rice.
Future tense: Future tense is indicated by placing the particles ?? (cha, t?a?) or ?? (si, si?) before the verb.
- ????????????????? (bao cha kin khao niaw, ba?w t?a? gin k?a?w nio) The man will eat sticky rice.
- ????????????????? (bao si kin khao niaw, ba?w si? gin k?a?w nio) The man will eat sticky rice.
Past tense: Past tense is indicated by either placing ??? (dai, daj) before the verb or ???? (lèw, l??w) after the verb or even using both in tandem for emphasis. ???? is the more common one, and can be used to indicate completed actions or current actions of the immediate past. ??? is often used with negative statements and never for present action.
- ????????????????????? (bao dai bo kin khao niaw, ba?w daj b?? gin k?a?w nio) The man did not eat sticky rice.
- ??????????????????? (bao kin khao niaw lèw, ba?w gin k?a?w nio l??w) The man (just) ate sticky rice.
- ?????????????????????? (bao dai kin khao niaw lèw, ba?w daj gin k?a?w nio l??w) The man (definitely) ate sticky rice.
Present progressive: To indicate an on-going action, ????? (kamlang, gamla?) can be used before the verb or ??? (yu, ju?) after the verb. These can also be combined for emphasis. In Isan, ??? (phuam, p?uam) is often used instead of ?????.
- ???????????????????? (bao kamlang khin khao niaw, ba?w gamla? gin k?a?w nio) The man is eating sticky rice.
- ?????????????????? (bao gin yu khao niaw, ba?w gin ju? k?a?w nio) The man is eating sticky rice.
- ?????????????????? (bao phuam kin khao niaw, ba?w p?uam gin k?a?w nio) The man is eating sticky rice.
The verb 'to be' can be expressed in many ways. In use as a copula, it is often dropped between nouns and adjectives. Compare English She is pretty and Lao ?????? (literally lady pretty). There are two copulas used in Lao, one for things relating to people (????, pen, pe?n) and one for objects and animals (????, mèn, m??n).
- ?????????? (Nok pen mo, Nok pe?n m??) Nok is a doctor.
- ?????????????? (mèw bo mèn gop, m??w b?? m??n gop) The cat is not a frog.
Questions and Answers
Unlike English, which indicates questions by a rising tone, or Spanish, which changes the order of the sentences to achieve the same result, Lao uses question tag words. The use of question words makes use of the question mark redundant in Lao.
General yes/no questions end in ??? (same as ???, 'no, not').
- ?????????? (sabai di bo, sa?baj di? b??) Are you well?
Other question words
- ?????? (changdai, t?a?daj) or ???? (gnang, ?a?) ?????????? (het changdai, he?t t?a?daj) What are you doing?
- ??????? (pen gnung lao cheung bo ma, t?ama?laj) Why? ???????????? (bo ma thamalai?, b?? ma? t?ama?laj) Why didn't she come?
- ?? (sai, saj) Where? ???????? (khao bai sai, k?aw baj saj) Where is he going?
- ????? (andai, andaj) Which? ????????????? (chao mak andai, t?aw mak andaj) Which one do you like?
- ??? (lai pan dai, t?ak) How many? ?????????? (ayu chak pi, a?ju t?ak pi?) How old are you?
- ??????? (thaodai, t?awdaj) How much? ?????????? (laka tao dai, ni? t?awdaj) How much does this cost?
- ??????? (mèn bo, m??n b??) Right?, Is it? ????????????????? (Nok pen mo, Nok pe?n m?? m??n b??) Nok is a doctor, right?
- ??????? (lèw bo, l??w b??) Yet?, Already? ????????????? (khao bai lèw bo, k?aw baj l??w b??) Did he go already?
- ?????? (leu bo, l?? b??) Or not? ?????????? (di chai leu bo, di? t?aj l?? b??) Are you happy or not?
- ??? (leu, l??) Eh? (informal) ??????????? (chao mak leu, t?aw mak l??) Like it, eh?
Answers to questions usually just involve repetition of the verb and any nouns for clarification.
- ?????????? (sabai di bo, sa?baj di? b??) Are you well?
- Response: ??????? (sabai di, sa?baj di?) I am well or ?????????? (bo sabai, b?? sa?baj) I am not well.
Words asked with a negative can be confusing and should be avoided. The response, even though withouht the negation, will still be negated due to the nature of the question.
- ????????????? (bo sabai di bo, b?? sa?baj di? b??) Are you not well?
- Response: ????? (sabai, sa?baj) I am not well or ?????????? (bo sabai di, b?? sa?baj di?) I am well.
Tones
Most dialects of Lao and Isan have six tones, those of Luang Prabang have five. Tones are determined as follows:
| Lao Tones | Long vowel, or vowel plus voiced consonant | Long vowel plus unvoiced consonant | Short vowel, or short vowel plus unvoiced consonant | Mai ek | Mai tho |
|---|
| High consonants | rising | low falling | high | mid | low falling |
|---|
| Mid consonants | low rising | low falling | high | mid | high falling |
|---|
| Low consonants | high | high falling | mid | mid | high falling |
|---|
A silent ? (/h/) placed before certain consonants will produce place the other proceeding consonant in the high class. This can occur before the letters ? /?/, ? /?/, ? /j/, ? /l/, and ? /v/ and combined in special ligatures (considered separate letters) such as ?? /l/, ? /n/, and ? /m/. In addition to ?? (low tone) and ?? (falling tone), there also exists the rare ?? (high) ?? (rising) tone marks.
Punctuation
Lao is not written with spaces between words. Spaces are reserved for ends of clauses or sentences. Periods are not used, and questions can be determined by question words in a sentence. Traditional punctuation marks include ?, an obsolete mark indicating silenced consonants; ?, used to indicate repetition of the following word; ?, the Lao elipsis that is also used to indicate ommission of words; ?, a more or less obsolete symbol indicating shortened form of a phrase (such as royal names); and ???, used to indicate et cetera. In more contemporary writing, punctuation marks are borrowed from French, such as exclamation point !, question mark ?, parentheses , and «» for quotation marks, although "" is also common. Hyphens (-) and the elipsis (...) are also commonly found in modern writing.
See also
External links
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