Lao language
| Lao | |
|---|---|
| ພາສາລາວ phasa lao | |
 |
|
| Pronunciation | pʰáːsǎː láːw |
| Native to | Laos, northeastern Thailand |
|
Native speakers
|
20–25 million (2004) (3 million in Laos, 2005 census) |
|
Tai–Kadai
|
|
|
Lao in Laos Thai in Thailand Thai and Lao Braille |
|
| Official status | |
|
Official language in
|
 Laos
|
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-1 | lo |
| ISO 639-2 | |
| ISO 639-3 | Either: lao – Laotian Lao tts – Isan (Thailand Lao) |
| Glottolog |
laoo1244 (Lao)nort2741 (Northeastern Thai)
|
| Linguasphere | 47-AAA-c |
 |
|
Lao, also referred to as Laotian, (ລາວ 'lao' or ພາສາລາວ 'lao language') 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.
The Lao language serves as an important lingua franca as the country of Laos consists of multiple ethnic groups, whose population speaks about 86 different languages.
Spoken Lao is mutually intelligible with the Thai language (the two languages are written with slightly different scripts but are linguistically similar).
Lao, like many languages in Laos, is written in the Lao script, an abugida. Although there is no official standard, the Vientiane dialect has become the de facto standard.
The Lao language is descended from Tai languages spoken in what is now southern China and northern Vietnam in areas believed to be the homeland of the language family and where several related languages are still spoken by scattered minority groups.
Due to Han Chinese expansion, Mongol invasion pressures, and a search for lands more suitable for wet-rice cultivation, the Tai peoples moved south towards India, down the Mekong River valley, and as far south as the Malay Peninsula. Oral history of the migrations is preserved in the legends of Khun Borom. Tai speakers in what is now Laos pushed out or absorbed earlier groups of Mon–Khmer and Austronesian languages.
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Wikipedia