The Ơ Đu are an aboriginal ethnic group

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...

 in Vietnam and Laos. Their total population is more than 570.

Name variation

The Ơ Đu are also commonly referred to as O'Du, O Du, Iduh, Tay Hat, Hat, and Haat.

Culture

The Ơ Đu subsist mainly on slash and burn agriculture and raising cattle, augmented by hunting, gathering, and weaving.

Language

The Ơ Đu have a language also called O'du, which is a Khmuic language

Khmuic languages

Khmuic languages are a subgroup of the Mon–Khmer languages.*Khao: Khao, Bit *Mlabri: Mlabri, Yumbri*Xinh Mul: Khang, Phong-Kniang, Puoc...

. The Khmuic languages are Austro-Asiatic. There is some debate as to whether the Khmuic languages are of the Mon–Khmer branch, but the majority opinion is that they are not. Most Ơ Đu presently speak Thai

Thai language

Thai , also known as Central Thai and Siamese, is the national and official language of Thailand and the native language of the Thai people, Thailand's dominant ethnic group. Thai is a member of the Tai group of the Tai–Kadai language family. Historical linguists have been unable to definitively...

.

Geographic distribution

• Population in Laos: 194 in Xiang Khoang Province
• Population in Vietnam: 301 in Tương Dương district of the Nghệ An province (North Central Coast
  Bac Trung Bo
  Bắc Trung Bộ is one of the regions of Vietnam. It consists of six provinces: Thanh Hóa, Nghệ An, Hà Tĩnh, Quảng Bình, Quảng Trị, Thừa Thiên-Huế...
  
  region)