Lao (language)

The lao (ລາວ) is a language of the group tai of the branch known as “kam-tai” of the family of the Langues tai-kadai. It is the official language of the Laos.

Of point of view linguistic, lao is directly related with Thai isan spoken in area north-eastern about Thailand (reason for which one calls also this language “Thai of the North-East”), and formed with this one part of a sub-group of the languages tai, said “lao-phutai”. Thai isan and the lao are sufficiently close so that on the two sides of the border between the two countries, they form a linguistic Continuum.

The Thai itself, official language of Thailand under the name of “inhabitant of Thailand”, belongs to another sub-group called “chiang saeng” (of the name of a locality located in the Triangle of gold in the north of Thailand).

There are not mutual comprehension between the speakers of Thai and those of the lao. One can thus say only Thai and the Laotian is what is called languages '' ausbau '' one compared to the other.

The language lao (ພາສາລາວ passed lao ) can be divided into five different dialects according to the area:

  • the lao of Vientiane
  • the lao of North (Luang Prabang)
  • the lao of the North-East (Xieng Khouang)
  • the lao of the Center (Khammouane)
  • the lao of the South (Champassak)

The lao of Vientiane is overall well included/understood in all the country.

Tons

The lao of Vientiane has six Your S: low, median, high, ascending, going down high and going down low.

Laotian writing

The Laotian alphabet is based on the old Siamese alphabet, as for the Thai alphabet. It is composed of 33 consonants and of 28 vowels, is written from left to right. Certain vowels are laid out above or below the line of the consonants, there are neither capitals (the writing is monocamérale) nor specific punctuation.

The tables below show the letters of the alphabet Laotian with their phonological value in the International Phonetic Alphabet (API) and their romanisation according to

  • the standards of transliteration initially established starting from French, observed by the Board one Geographic Names in the United States and by the Permanent Committee one Geographical Names in the United Kingdom for the Toponymie (BGN/PCGN);
  • the American Library Association and the Library off Congress in the United States for literary works (/LLC WENT);
  • and transcriptions used in the names Unicode of the coded letters.

Consonants

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Vocalic cores

The Laotian vowels are diacritic which combine with a basic consonant. The table below watch Laotian vocalic cores, combined with the consonant “ກ” (K). Certain Laotian vowels have 2 or 3 possible representations.

Vocabulary

See too

Internal bonds

  • Linguistic

External bonds

  • Card ethnologue.com
  • Dictionary Freelang Dictionary lao-French and French-lao.
  • Dictionary Freelang Dictionary lao (romanized) - French and French-lao (romanized).
  • Alphabet lao and table of let us tons (in English)
  • Virtual Lao Keyboard virtual Keyboard lao

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