Английская Википедия:Comparison of Lao and Thai
Шаблон:Short description Шаблон:More citations needed Шаблон:More footnotes
Lao and Thai are two closely related languages of the Southwestern branch of Tai languages. Lao falls within the Lao-Phuthai group of Southwestern Tai languages and Thai within the Chiang Saen language group. Lao (including Isan) and Thai, although they occupy separate groups, are mutually intelligible and were pushed closer through contact and Khmer influence, but all Southwestern Tai languages are mutually intelligible to some degree.[1] Isan refers to the local development of the Lao language in Thailand, as it diverged in isolation from Laos, under Thai influence. The Isan language is still referred to as Lao by native speakers.[2] Spoken Lao is mutually intelligible with Thai and Isan to such a degree that their speakers are able to effectively communicate with one another speaking their respective languages. These languages are written with slightly different scripts, the Lao script and Thai script, but are linguistically similar and effectively form a dialect continuum.[3]
Although Thai and Lao (including Isan) are mutually intelligible, Thai speakers without previous exposure to the Isan language encounter several difficulties parsing the spoken language. Isan, written according to Thai etymological spelling, is fairly legible to Thai as the two languages share more than eighty percent cognate vocabulary, similar to the relationship between Spanish and Portuguese as changes in the meanings of terms, retention of archaisms, slightly different grammar and some vocabulary differences blur the close relationship.[4] The relationship is asymmetric, with Isan speakers able to understand spoken and written Thai quite well due to its mandatory use in school and the popularity of Thai media and participation in Thai society, but many Isan students suffer the shock of switching from the Isan language of the home to the Central Thai-only primary school.[5]
False friends
Many Lao terms are very similar to words that are profane, vulgar or insulting in the Thai language, features that are much deprecated. Lao uses ອີ່ (Шаблон:IPA and ອ້າຍ/archaic ອ້າຽ (Шаблон:IPA), to refer to young girls and slightly older boys, respectively. In Thai, the similarly sounding อี, i (Шаблон:IPA) and ไอ้, ai (Шаблон:IPA) are often prefixed before a woman's or man's name, respectively, or alone or in phrases that are considered extremely vulgar and insulting. These taboo expressions such as อีตัว "i tua", "whore" (Шаблон:IPA) and ไอ้บ้า, "ai ba", "son of a bitch" (Шаблон:IPA).
| Isan | Lao | IPA | Usage | Thai | IPA | Usage |
| บัก, bak | ບັກ, bak | Шаблон:IPA | Used alone or prefixed before a man's name, only used when addressing a man of equal or lower socio-economic status and/or age. | บัก, bak | Шаблон:IPA | Alone, refers to a "penis" or in the expression บักโกรก, bak khrok, or an unflattering way to refer to someone as "skinny". |
| หำน้อย, ham noy | ຫຳນ້ອຍ/archaic ຫຳນ້ຽ, ham noy | Шаблон:IPA | Although ham has the meaning of "testicles", the phrase bak ham noy is used to refer to a small boy. Bak ham by itself is used to refer to a "young man". | หำน้อย, ham noy | Шаблон:IPA | This would sound similar to saying "small testicles" in Thai, and would be a rather crude expression. Bak ham is instead ชายหนุ่ม, chai num (Шаблон:IPA) and bak ham noy is instead เด็กหนุ่ม, dek num (Шаблон:IPA) when referring to "young man" and "young boy", respectively, in Thai. |
| หมู่, mu | ໝູ່, mou | Шаблон:IPA | Mu is used to refer to a group of things or people, such as ໝູ່ເຮົາ/ຫມູ່ເຮົາ, mou hao (Шаблон:IPA), or "all of us" or "we all". Not to be confused for ໝູ/ຫມູ mou (Шаблон:IPA), pig. | พวก, phuak | Шаблон:IPA | The Isan word หมู่ sounds like the Thai word หมู (Шаблон:IPA), 'pig', in most varieties of Isan. To refer to groups of people, the equivalent expression is พวก, phuak (Шаблон:IPA), i.e., พวกเรา, phuak rao (Шаблон:IPA) for "we all" or "all of us". Use of mu to indicate a group would make the phrase sound like "we pigs". |
| ควาย, khway | ຄວາຍ/archaic ຄວາຽ, khouay | Шаблон:IPA | Isan vowel combinations with the semi-vowel "ວ" are shorted, so would sounds more like it were written as ควย. | ควาย, khway | Шаблон:IPA | Khway as pronounced in Isan is similar to the Thai word ควย, khuay (Шаблон:IPA), which is another vulgar, slang word for "penis". |
Phonological differences
Шаблон:Further Шаблон:Further Thai and Lao share a similar phonology, being closely related languages, however, several developments occurred in Lao that clearly distinguish them. Tone, including patterns and quality, is the largest contributing factor and varies widely between varieties of Lao, but together they share splits quite distinct to Standard Thai and other Central Thai speech varieties. There are also several key sound changes that occurred in the Lao language that differentiates it from Thai.
Consonantal differences
Lao lacks the /r/ of formal Thai, replacing it with /h/ or /l/, as well as /t͡ɕʰ/, which is replaced by /s/. Lao also has the consonant sounds /ɲ/ and /ʋ/, which are absent in Thai. Aside from these differences, the consonantal inventory is mostly shared between the two languages.
C1C2 > C1
Unlike Thai, the only consonant clusters that traditionally occur is C/w/, limited in Lao to /kw/ and /kʰw/ but only in certain environments as the /w/ is assimilated into a diphthongization process before the vowels /aː/, /am/, /aːj/ and /a/ thus limiting their occurrence. For example, Isan kwang (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:Lang kouang, Шаблон:IPA) is pronounced *kuang (*Шаблон:Lang, *Шаблон:Lang) but kwaen as in kwaen ban (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:Lang khoèn ban, Шаблон:IPA), 'to feel at home', has a vowel that does not trigger the diphthongization. The consonant clusters of Proto-Tai had mostly merged in Proto-Southwestern Tai, but clusters were re-introduced with Khmer, Sanskrit, Pali and European loan words, particularly C/l/ and C/r/. Lao simplified the clusters to the first element, but sporadically maintained its orthographic representation as late as the early twentieth century although their pronunciation was simplified much earlier. This was likely an influence of Thai.[6]
In some instances, some loan words are sometimes pronounced with clusters by very erudite speakers in formal contexts or in the speech of Isan youth that is very Thaified, otherwise the simplified pronunciation is more common. Lao speakers, especially erudite speakers may write and pronounce prôkram (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA), via French Шаблон:Lang (Шаблон:IPA), and maitri (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA) from Sanskrit maitri (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA) are common, more often than not, they exist as pôkam (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA) and maiti (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA), respectively. Similarly, Isan speakers always write and sometimes pronounce, in 'Thai fashion', maitri (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA) and prokraem (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA), via English 'programme' or 'program' (US), but most speakers reduce it to Шаблон:IPA and Шаблон:IPA, respectively, in normal speech.
| Thai | Isan | Lao | Thai | Isan | Lao | Thai | Isan | Lao | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ก | /k/ | ก | /k/ | ກ | /k/ | ค | /kʰ/ | ค | /kʰ/ | ຄ | /kʰ/ | ผ | /pʰ/ | ผ | /pʰ/ | ຜ | /pʰ/ |
| กร | /kr/ | กร | คร | /kʰr/ | คร | ผล | /pʰl/ | ผล | |||||||||
| กล | /kl/ | กล | คล | /kʰl/ | คล | พ | /pʰ/ | พ | /pʰ/ | ພ | /pʰ/ | ||||||
| ข | /kʰ/ | ข | /kʰ/ | ຂ | /kʰ/ | ต | /t/ | ต | /t/ | ຕ | /t/ | พร | /pʰr/ | พร | |||
| ขร | /kʰr/ | ขร | ตร | /tr/ | ตร | พล | /pʰl/ | พล | |||||||||
| ขล | /kʰl/ | ขล | ป | /p/ | ป | /p/ | ປ | /p/ | |||||||||
| ปร | /pr/ | ปร | |||||||||||||||
| ปล | /pl/ | ปล | |||||||||||||||
| Thai | Isan | Lao | Gloss | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| เพลง phleng |
/pʰleːŋ/ | เพลง phleng |
/pʰéːŋ/ | ເພງ phéng |
/pʰéːŋ/ | 'song' |
| ขลุ่ย khlui |
/kʰlùj/ | ขลุ่ย khlui |
/kʰūj/ | ຂຸ່ຍ khouay |
/kʰūj/ | 'flute' |
| กลาง klang |
/klaːŋ/ | กลาง klang |
/kàːŋ/ | ກາງ kang |
/kàːŋ/ | 'centre' 'middle' |
| ครอบครัว khropkhrua |
/kʰrɔ̑ːp kʰrua/ | ครอบครัว khropkhrua |
/kʰɔ̑ːp kʰúa/ | ຄອບຄົວ khopkhoua |
/kʰɔ̑ːp kʰúːa/ | 'family' |
/r/ > /h/
Proto-Southwestern Tai initial voiced alveolar trill /r/ remained /r/ in Thai, although it is sometimes pronounced /l/ in informal environments, whereas Lao changed the sound to the voiceless glottal fricative /h/ in these environments. The sound change likely occurred in the mid-sixteenth century as the Tai Noi orthography after that period has the letter Lao letter 'Шаблон:Lang' /h/, which was a variant of 'Шаблон:Lang' /r/ used to record the sound change. The change also included numerous small words of Khmer origin such as hian Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA), 'to learn', which is rian (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA) in Thai, from Khmer riĕn (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA).
| PSWT | Thai | Isan | Lao | Gloss | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| *rim | Шаблон:Lang rim |
/rim/ | Шаблон:Lang him |
/hím/ | Шаблон:Lang him |
/hím/ | 'edge', 'rim', 'shore' (Lao/Isan) |
| *rak | Шаблон:Lang rak |
/rák/ | Шаблон:Lang hak |
/hāk/ | Шаблон:Lang hak |
/hāk/ | 'to love' |
| *rɔn | Шаблон:Lang ron |
/rɔ́ːn/ | Шаблон:Lang hon |
/hɔ̑ːn/ | Шаблон:Lang hon |
/hɔ̑ːn/ | 'to be hot' |
| *rɯə | Шаблон:Lang ruea |
/rɯa/ | Шаблон:Lang huea |
/hɯ́a/ | Шаблон:Lang hua |
/hɨ́ːə/ | 'boat' |
/r/ > /l/
The shift of Proto-Southwestern Tai */r/ to /h/ in Lao was inconsistent, with some factors that prevented the transition. Instead, these situations led to the shift of /r/ to the alveolar lateral approximant /l/, similar as to what occurs in informal, casual Thai. Polysyllabic loan words from Khmer as well as Indic sources such as Khmer and Pali may have seemed too 'foreign' compared to the monosyllabic loan words that may have been regarded as native, somewhat similar to English 'beef', ultimately from French boeuf but fully anglicized in spelling and pronunciation, versus more evidently French loan words such as crème anglaise, which retains a more French-like pronunciation. Thai speakers sometimes use /l/ in place of /r/ in relaxed, basilectal varieties but this is deprecated in formal speech.
- rasa (Шаблон:Lang raxa, Шаблон:IPA) from Sanskrit rājā (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA), 'king', cf. Thai racha (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA), 'king'
- raka (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA), 'price' from Sanskrit rāka (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA), 'wealth', cf. Thai raka (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA)
- charoen (Шаблон:Lang chaluen, Шаблон:IPA), 'prosperity', from Khmer camraeum (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA), cf. Thai charoen (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA)
- rabam (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA, 'traditional dance', from Khmer rôbam (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA), cf. Thai rabam (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA)
Lao and Thai both have digraphs, or in the case of Lao ligatures, that consist of a silent /h/ that was historically pronounced at some ancient stage of both languages, but now serves as a mark of tone, shifting the sound to a high-class consonant for figuring out tone. The /h/ may have prevented the assimilation of these words to /h/, as these end up as /l/ in Lao. Similarly, this may have also prevented /r/ to /h/ in Khmer loan words where it begins the second syllable.
- rue (Шаблон:Lang lu, Шаблон:IPA) versus rue (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA), 'or' (conjunction)
- lio (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA versus ri (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA), 'to squint' (one's eyes)
- kamlai (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA), 'profit', from Khmer kâmrai (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA), cf. Thai kamrai (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA)
- samrap (Шаблон:Lang samlap, Шаблон:IPA), 'for' (the purpose of, to be used as, intended as), from Khmer sâmrap (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA), cf. Thai samrap (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA)
There are a handful of words where the expected conversion to /h/ did not take place, thus yielding /l/. In some cases, even in the Lao of Laos, this can be seen as historic Siamese influence, but it also may have been conservative retentions of /r/ in some words that resisted this change. For example, Isan has both hap (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA) and lap (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA), both of which mean 'to receive' and are cognates to Thai rap (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA), and the lap variety in Isan and parts of Laos, especially the south, may be due to Thai contact. In other cases, it is because the words are recent loans from Thai or other languages. In Isan, younger speakers often use /l/ in place of /h/ due to language shift.
- ro (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA), 'to wait, to wait for', cf. Thai ro (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA)
- rot (Шаблон:Lang lôt, Шаблон:IPA), 'car' or 'vehicle', cf. Thai rot (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA)
- lam (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA), 'to dance', cf. Thai ram (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA)
- rom (Шаблон:Lang rôm, Шаблон:IPA), 'Rome', cf. Thai rom (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA)
- rangkai (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA) (Isan youth), traditionally hangkai (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA), 'body' (anatomic), cf. Thai rangkai (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA)
/tɕʰ/ > /s/
Proto-Tai */ɟ/ and */ʑ/ had merged into Proto-Southwestern Tai */ɟ/, which developed into /tɕʰ/ in Thai, represented by the Thai letter 'Шаблон:Lang'. Only a small handful of Proto-Tai words with */č/ were retained in Proto-Southwestern Tai, represented by the Tai letter 'Шаблон:Lang', but this also developed into /tɕʰ/ in Thai and most words with 'Шаблон:Lang' are either Khmer, Sanskrit or more recent loan words from Chinese dialects, particularly Teochew (Chaoshan Min). Thai also uses the letter 'Шаблон:Lang' which only occurs in a handful of Sanskrit and Pali loan words where it represented /ɟʱ/, but in Thai has the pronunciation /tɕʰ/. Lao has developed /s/ where Thai has /tɕʰ/, with the letter 'Шаблон:Lang' /s/, but romanized as 'x', is used to represent cognate words with Thai 'Шаблон:Lang' or 'Шаблон:Lang' whereas Thai 'Шаблон:Lang' is replaced by Lao 'Шаблон:Lang' /s/ in analogous environments.
Isan speakers will sometimes substitute the Thai letter 'Шаблон:Lang' /s/ in place of Thai 'Шаблон:Lang' /tɕʰ/ in cognate words, but this is never done to replace 'Шаблон:Lang' /tɕʰ/ and sometimes avoided in formal, technical or academic word of Khmer, Sanskrit and Pali origins even if the pronunciation is still /s/, although educated Isan speakers and Isan youth may you use /tɕʰ/ due to code-switching or language shift. Similarly, the letter 'Шаблон:Lang' /tɕʰ/ is usually retained even if it is better approximated by tone and phonology by 'Шаблон:Lang' /s/ as is done in similar environments in Lao.
| Source | Thai | Isan | Lao | Gloss | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| */ʑaɰ/Шаблон:Ref | Шаблон:Lang chao |
/tɕʰâw/ | Шаблон:Lang sao |
/sāw/ | Шаблон:Lang xao |
/sāw/ | 'to hire' | |
| */ʑaːj/Шаблон:Ref | Шаблон:Lang chai |
/tɕʰaːj/ | Шаблон:Lang sai |
/sáːj/ | Шаблон:Lang xai |
/sáːj/ | 'male' | |
| */ɟaː/Шаблон:Ref | Шаблон:Lang cha |
/tɕʰaː/ | Шаблон:Lang sa |
/sáː/ | Шаблон:Lang xa |
/sáː/ | 'tea' | |
| */ɟɤ/Шаблон:Ref | Шаблон:Lang chue |
/tɕʰɯ̂ː/ | Шаблон:Lang sue |
/sɯ̄ː/ | Шаблон:Lang xu |
/sɨ̄ː/ | 'name', 'to be called' | |
| Khmer Шаблон:Lang chhlâng |
/cʰlɑːŋ/ | Шаблон:Lang chalong |
/tɕʰàʔ lɔ̌ːŋ/ | Шаблон:Lang salong |
/sáʔ lɔ̌ːŋ/ | Шаблон:Lang salong |
/sáʔ lɔ̌ːŋ/ | 'to celebrate' |
| */ɟuai/Шаблон:Ref | Шаблон:Lang chui |
/tɕʰûaj/ | Шаблон:Lang soi |
Шаблон:IPA | Шаблон:Lang xoi |
Шаблон:IPA | 'to help' | |
| Pali Шаблон:Lang jhāna |
/ɟʱaːna/ | Шаблон:Lang chan |
/tɕʰaːn/ | Шаблон:Lang chan |
/sáːn/ | Шаблон:Lang xan |
/sáːn/ | 'meditation' |
| Sanskrit Шаблон:Lang chatra |
/cʰatra/ | Шаблон:Lang chat |
/tɕʰàt/ | Шаблон:Lang chat |
/sát/ | Шаблон:Lang sat |
/sát/ | 'royal parasol' |
| Teochew Шаблон:Lang zap cai |
/tsap˨˩˧ tsʰaj˦̚ / | Шаблон:Lang chapchai |
/tɕàp tɕʰàːj/ | Шаблон:Lang chapchai |
/tɕǎp sāːj/ | Шаблон:Lang chapsai |
/tɕáp sāːj/ | 'Chinese vegetable soup' |
- Шаблон:Note Proto-Tai etymon.
- Шаблон:Note Pre-1975 Lao spelling.
/j/ < /ŋ/ and /j/
Lao retains a distinction with some words retaining a alveolo-palatal nasal /ɲ/ from the merger Proto-Southwestern Tai */ɲ/ and */ʰɲ/ and some words with /j/ derived from the merger of Proto-Southwestern Tai */j/ and */ˀj/. The change may have persisted into Thai after the adoption of writing, as some words provide clues to their etymology. For example, Proto-Southwestern Tai */ɲ/ and */ʰɲ/ correspond to the Central and Southern Thai spellings 'Шаблон:Lang' and 'Шаблон:Lang' whereas */j/ and */ˀj/ correspond to Central and Southern Thai spellings 'Шаблон:Lang' and 'Шаблон:Lang', respectively, all of which have merged in pronunciation to /j/ in Thai, although as this pronunciation was likely lost shortly after literacy, not all Thai words have this corresponding spelling. Thai also uses the letter 'Шаблон:Lang' in words of Khmer, Sanskrit and Pali where the source language has /ɲ/ but these words now have /j/ pronunciation.
Lao maintains the distinction with the letters 'Шаблон:Lang' /ɲ/ and 'Шаблон:Lang' /j/, but /j/ is a rarer outcome in Lao and most instances of Thai 'Шаблон:Lang' and 'Шаблон:Lang' or digraphs 'Шаблон:Lang' and 'Шаблон:Lang' will result in Lao 'Шаблон:Lang' /ɲ/ or 'Шаблон:Lang' /ɲ/. With a few exceptions, only Proto-Southwestern Tai */ˀj/ yields /j/. Lao, unlike Thai, has also adopted Khmer, Sanskrit and Pali loan words and retains the /ɲ/ pronunciation of the loan source languages, but has also converted the consonantal /j/ into /ɲ/ in borrowings. The Lao letter 'Шаблон:Lang' also represents /j/, but only in diphthongs and triphthongs as a final element. As the Lao language of Isan is written in Thai according to Thai spelling rules, the phonemic distinction between /j/ into /ɲ/ cannot be made in the orthography, thus Isan speakers write ya 'Шаблон:Lang', which suggests ya (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA), 'medicine' but is also used for [n]ya (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA), an honorary prefix used to address a person who is same in age as one's grandparents. These are distinguished in Lao orthography, but Isan speakers either use context or a tone mark, as they differ in tone, to differentiate the words.
| Source | Thai | Isan | Lao | Gloss | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| */ɲuŋ/Шаблон:Ref | Шаблон:Lang yung |
/juŋ/ | Шаблон:Lang [n]yung |
/ɲúːŋ/ | Шаблон:Lang gnoung |
/ɲúːŋ/ | 'mosquito' | |
| */ɲok/Шаблон:Ref | Шаблон:Lang yok |
/jók/ | Шаблон:Lang [n]yok |
/ɲòk/ | Шаблон:Lang gnok |
/ɲōk/ | 'to lift' | |
| */ʰɲiŋ/Шаблон:Ref | Шаблон:Lang ying |
/yǐŋ/ | Шаблон:Lang [n]ying |
/ɲíŋ/ | Шаблон:Lang gning |
/ɲíŋ/ | 'girl' | |
| */ʰɲaːp/Шаблон:Ref | Шаблон:Lang yap |
/jàːp/ | Шаблон:Lang [n]yap |
/ɲȁːp/ | Шаблон:Lang gnap |
/ɲȁːp/ | 'coarse' (texture) | |
| */jaːw/Шаблон:Ref | Шаблон:Lang yao |
/jaːw/ | Шаблон:Lang [n]yao |
/ɲáːw/ | Шаблон:Lang gnao |
/ɲáːw/ | 'long in length' | |
| */jaːm/Шаблон:Ref | Шаблон:Lang yam |
/jaːm/ | Шаблон:Lang [n]yam |
/ɲáːm/ | Шаблон:Lang gnam |
/ɲáːm/ | 'time', 'season' | |
| */ˀjuː/Шаблон:Ref | Шаблон:Lang yu |
/jù:/ | Шаблон:Lang yu |
/júː/ | Шаблон:Lang you |
/jūː/ | 'to be' (condition, location) | |
| */ˀja:/Шаблон:Ref | Шаблон:Lang ya |
/ja:/ | Шаблон:Lang ya |
/jaː/ | Шаблон:Lang ya |
/jaː/ | 'medicine' | |
| Sanskrit Шаблон:Lang yakṣa |
/jakʂa/ | Шаблон:Lang yak |
/ják/ | Шаблон:Lang [n]yak |
/ɲàk/ /ják/Шаблон:Ref |
Шаблон:Lang gnak |
/ɲāk/ | 'ogre', 'giant' |
| Pali Шаблон:Lang ñatti |
/ɲatti/ | Шаблон:Lang yatti |
/ját tì/ | Шаблон:Lang [n]yatti |
/ɲàt tǐ/ /játˈtìʔ/ |
Шаблон:Lang gnatti |
/ɲāt tí/ | 'parliamentary motion' |
- Шаблон:Note Proto-Southwestern Tai etymon.
- Шаблон:Note Pre-1975 alternate Lao spelling.
/m/ > /l/
The Proto-Southwestern Tai cluster *ml was simplified, producing an expected result of /l/ in Thai and /m/ in Lao. The Saek language, a Northern Tai language distantly related to Thai and Lao preserves these clusters. For instance, Proto-Southwestern Tai *mlɯn, 'to open the eyes', is mlong in Saek (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA) but appears as luem (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA) and muen (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:Lang mun, Шаблон:IPA) in Lao.[7]
| PSWT | Isan | Thai | Lao | Gloss | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| *mlɯn | Шаблон:Lang meun |
/mɯ̄ːn/ | Шаблон:Lang leun |
/lɯ̂ːn/ | Шаблон:Lang mun |
/mɨ̄ːn/ | 'slippery' |
| *mlaːŋ | Шаблон:Lang mang |
/mȃːŋ/ | Шаблон:Lang lang |
/láːŋ/ | Шаблон:Lang mang |
/mȃːŋ/ | 'to destroy', 'to obliterate' |
| *mlen | Шаблон:Lang men |
/mén/ | Шаблон:Lang len |
/len/ | Шаблон:Lang mén |
/mén/ | 'louse' |
/w/ > /ʋ/
Lao speakers generally pronounce cognates of Thai with initial /w/ as the voiced labiodental approximant /ʋ/, similar to a faint 'v', enough so that the French chose 'v' to transcribe the Lao letter 'Шаблон:Lang' /ʋ/. The letter is related to Thai 'Шаблон:Lang' /w/. The sound /ʋ/ is particularly noticeable in the Vientiane and Central Lao dialects, with a strong pronunciation favored by the élite of Vientiane. In Isan, the rapid but forced resettlement of the people of Vientiane and surrounding areas to the right bank greatly boosted the Lao population, but likely led to some dialect leveling, which may explain the prevalence of /ʋ/ throughout the region, regardless of personal Isan dialect. The replacement is not universal, especially in Laos, but a shift towards /w/ is also occurring in Isan due to the persistent pressures of the Thai language since the sound /ʋ/ is considered provincial, being different from Thai, as opposed to Laos where it is the prestigious pronunciation. Due to the difference in pronunciation, the French-based system used in Laos uses 'v' whereas the English-based Thai system of romanization uses 'w', so the Lao city of Savannakhét would be rendered 'Sawannakhet' if using the Thai transcription.
| Isan | Thai | Lao | Gloss | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Шаблон:Lang wen |
/wéːn/ | Шаблон:Lang wen |
/weːn/ | Шаблон:Lang vén |
/ʋéːn/ | 'sin' |
| Шаблон:Lang wiang |
/wíaŋ/ | Шаблон:Lang wiang |
/wiaŋ/ | Шаблон:Lang viang |
/ʋíːəŋ/ | 'walled city' |
| Шаблон:Lang sawan |
/sáʔ wǎn/ | Шаблон:Lang sawan |
/sàʔ wǎn/ | Шаблон:Lang savan |
/sáʔ ʋǎn/ | 'paradise' |
| Шаблон:Lang wan |
/wǎːn/ | Шаблон:Lang wan |
/wǎːn/ | Шаблон:Lang van |
/ʋǎːn/ | 'sweet' |
| Шаблон:Lang wisanu |
/wìt sáʔ nù/ | Шаблон:Lang wisanu |
/wít sàʔ nú/ | Шаблон:Lang vitsanou |
/ʋīt sáʔ nū/ | 'Vishnu' |
/k/ > /t͡ɕ/
Another influence of the massive migration of the people of Vientiane to the right bank is the common tendency to replace the voiceless velar plosive /k/ with the voiceless alveolo-palatal affricate /t͡ɕ/. For instance, the people of the city of Khon Chaen, more generally referred to as Khon Kaen (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:Lang Khon Ken, Шаблон:IPA) in formal contexts, refer to their city as Khon Chaen (Шаблон:Lang, *Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA) in more relaxed settings. In Laos, this is particularly an informal feature specific to Vientiane Lao but is not used in the official written and spoken standard as it is an informal variant, whereas in Isan, it is commonly used but deprecated as a regional mispronunciation. It is also limited to certain words and environments.
| Isan | Thai | Lao | Gloss | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Шаблон:Lang kiao/chiao |
/kîaw/, /tɕîaw/ | Шаблон:Lang kiao |
/kîaw/ | Шаблон:Lang kiao |
/kîːəw/, /tɕîːəw/ | 'to woo', 'to flirt' |
| Шаблон:Lang/Шаблон:Lang kiang/chiang |
/kíaŋ/, /tɕíaŋ/ | Шаблон:Lang kiang |
/kìaŋ/ | Шаблон:Lang kiang |
/kīːəŋ/, /tɕīːəŋ/ | 'to argue', 'to disagree' |
| Шаблон:Lang/Шаблон:Lang kaem/chaem |
/kɛ̂ːm/, /tɕɛ̂ːm/ | Шаблон:Lang kaem |
/kɛ̂ːm/ | Шаблон:Lang kèm |
/kɛ̂ːm/, /tɕɛ̂ːm/ | 'cheek' |
Vocalic differences
C/w/ diphthongization
Lao innovated a diphthongization that assimilates the /w/ in instances of /kw/ and /kʰw/ in certain environments. This is triggered by the vowels /a/, /aː/, /aːj/ and /am/, but the cluster is retained in all other instances. The /w/ is converted to /uː/ and the vowel is shortened to /ə/. This is not shown in the orthography, as it must have evolved after the adoption of the Lao script in the fourteenth century. Cognate words in Lao where this diphthongization occurs have no alteration in spelling from Thai counterparts. For example, the Thai word for 'to sweep' is kwat (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA) but is kwat (Шаблон:Lang kouat, Шаблон:IPA) and has the suggested pronunciation Шаблон:IPA but is pronounced *kuat (*Шаблон:Lang kouat). The counterpart of Thai khwaen (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA), 'to hang' (something) is also khwaen (Шаблон:Lang khwèn, Шаблон:IPA) since the vowel /ɛː/ does not trigger diphthongization.
The vowels /a/, /aː/, /aːj/ and /am/ correspond to Thai 'Шаблон:Lang', 'Шаблон:Lang', 'Шаблон:Lang' and 'Шаблон:Lang' and the Lao 'Шаблон:Lang', 'Шаблон:Lang', 'Шаблон:Lang' and 'Шаблон:Lang'. The clusters that can undergo this transformation are /kw/, Thai 'Шаблон:Lang' and Lao 'Шаблон:Lang' or /kw/, Thai 'Шаблон:Lang' and 'Шаблон:Lang and Lao 'Шаблон:Lang' and 'Шаблон:Lang'. The non-diphthongized pronunciations as used in Thai are also used by some Isan speakers as a result of Thai influence. In Laos, non-diphthongization is not incorrect, but may sound like a Thai-influenced hypercorrection or very pedantic. As it is the normal pronunciation in Laos and Isan, it limits the instances of consonant clusters that are permissible.
| Cluster | Thai | Isan | Lao | Gloss | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suggested Pronunciation | Actual Pronunciation | Suggested Pronunciation | Actual Pronunciation | |||
| C/w/-/aː/-[C] | Шаблон:Lang | Шаблон:Lang | Шаблон:Lang | Шаблон:Lang | Шаблон:Lang | 'wide' |
| Шаблон:Lang kwang /kwâːŋ/ |
Шаблон:Lang kwang */kwâːŋ/ |
*Шаблон:Lang *kuang /kûaŋ/ |
Шаблон:Lang *kwang */kwâːŋ/ |
*Шаблон:Lang kouang /kûːəŋ/ | ||
| C/w/-/aːj/ | Шаблон:Lang | Шаблон:Lang | *Шаблон:Lang | Шаблон:Lang | *Шаблон:Lang | 'water buffalo' |
| Шаблон:Lang khwai /kʰwaːj/ |
Шаблон:Lang *khwai */kʰwáːj/ |
*Шаблон:Lang khui /kʰúaj/ |
Шаблон:Lang *khwai */kʰwáːj/ |
*Шаблон:Lang khoui /kʰúːəj/ | ||
| C/w/-/a/-C | Шаблон:Lang | Шаблон:Lang | *Шаблон:Lang | Шаблон:Lang | *Шаблон:Lang | 'to scoop' 'to gouge' |
| Шаблон:Lang khwak /kʰwák/ |
Шаблон:Lang khwak */kʰwāk/ |
*Шаблон:Lang *khuak /kʰūak/ |
Шаблон:Lang *khwak */kʰwāk/ |
*Шаблон:Lang khouak /kʰūːək/ | ||
| C/w/-/am/ | Шаблон:Lang | Шаблон:Lang | *Шаблон:Lang | Шаблон:Lang | *Шаблон:Lang | 'to capsize a boat' |
| Шаблон:Lang khwam /kʰwâm/ |
Шаблон:Lang khwam */kʰwâm/ |
*Шаблон:Lang *khuam /kʰuām/ |
Шаблон:Lang *khoam */kʰwām/ |
*Шаблон:Lang khouam /kʰuːə̄m/ | ||
| C/w/-/ɛː/C | Шаблон:Lang | Шаблон:Lang | Шаблон:Lang | 'to hang' (an object) | ||
| Шаблон:Lang khwaen /kʰwɛ̆ːn/ |
Шаблон:Lang khwaen /kʰwɛ̆ːn/ |
Шаблон:Lang khwèn /kʰwɛ̆ːn/ | ||||
/ua/ > /uːə/
The Thai diphthongs and triphthongs with the component /ua/ undergo a lengthening of the /u/ to /uː/ and shortens the /a/ to /ə/, although the shortened diphthong can sound like /uː/ to Thai speakers. In Thai, this includes the vowels /ua/ represented medially by 'Шаблон:Lang' and finally by 'Шаблон:Lang', /uaʔ/ by 'Шаблон:Lang' and the final triphthong /uaj/ by 'Шаблон:Lang'. Lao has /uːə/ represented medially by 'Шаблон:Lang' and finally by 'Шаблон:Lang', /uːəʔ/ by 'Шаблон:Lang' and the final triphthong /uːəj/ by 'Шаблон:Lang'. This may have been another innovation, like C/w/ diphthongization, that occurred after the adoption of writing as it is not represented orthographically.
| Thai | Isan | Lao | Gloss | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Шаблон:Lang hua |
/hŭa/ | Шаблон:Lang hua |
/hŭa/ | Шаблон:Lang houa |
/hŭːə/ | 'head' |
| Шаблон:Lang ruam |
/rûam/ | Шаблон:Lang huam |
/hūam/ | Шаблон:Lang houam |
/hūːəm/ | 'to share', 'to participate' |
| Шаблон:Lang lua |
/lúaʔ/ | Шаблон:Lang lua |
/lùaʔ/ | Шаблон:Lang loua |
/lūːəʔ/ | 'Lawa people' |
| Шаблон:Lang muai |
/muaj/ | Шаблон:Lang muai |
/múaj/ | Шаблон:Lang mouai |
/múːəj/ | 'boxing' |
/ɯ/ > /ɨ/
The close back unrounded vowel /ɯ/ is centralized to the close central unrounded vowel /ɨ/ in Lao, which is not found in Thai. This also applies to all variants of /ɯ/ that occur in Thai, i.e., all cognates with instances of Thai /ɯ/ are Lao /ɨ/, including diphthongs and triphthongs that feature this vowel element. Some very traditional dialects of Southern Lao and the Phuan dialect front the vowel all the way to /iː/.
| Thai | Isan | Lao | Gloss | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Шаблон:Lang | /mɯ̀k/ | Шаблон:Lang | /mɯ́k/ | Шаблон:Lang | /mɨ̄k/ | 'squid' |
| Шаблон:Lang | /lɯː/ | Шаблон:Lang | /lɯ́ː/ | Шаблон:Lang | /lɨ́ː/ | 'rumour'/'rumor' (US) |
| Шаблон:Lang | /mɯ̂a raj/ | Шаблон:Lang | /mɯ́a daj/ | Шаблон:Lang | /mɨ̄ːə dàj/ | 'when' |
| Шаблон:Lang | /rɯ̂aj/ | Шаблон:Lang | /lɯ̄aj/ | Шаблон:Lang | /lɨ̑ːəj/ | 'often', 'repeatedly' |
/ɤ/ > /ɘ/
The close-mid back unrounded vowel /ɤ/ is centralized to the close-mid central unrounded vowel /ɘ/ in Lao. Similar to the conversion of /ɯ/ to /ɨ/, it also affects all instances in diphthongs as well.
| Thai | Isan | Lao | Gloss | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Шаблон:Lang, ngoen | /ŋɤn/ | Шаблон:Lang, ngoen | /ŋɤ́n/ | Шаблон:Lang, nguen | /ŋɘ́n/ | 'money' |
| Шаблон:Lang, phloe | /pʰlɤ̌ː/ | Шаблон:Lang, phloe | /pʰɤ̌ː/ | Шаблон:Lang, pheu | /pʰɘ̆ː/ | 'to make a mistake', 'unaware' |
| Шаблон:Lang, doem | /dɤːm/ | Шаблон:Lang, doem | /dɤːm/ | Шаблон:Lang, deum | /dɘ̀ːm/ | 'original', 'former' |
| Шаблон:Lang, khoei | /kʰɤːj/ | Шаблон:Lang, khoei | /kʰɤ́ːj/ | Шаблон:Lang, kheui | /kʰɘ́ːj/ | 'to be accustomed to', 'to be habitual to' |
Epenthetic vowels
Abugida scripts traditionally do not notate all vowels, especially the short vowel /a/, usually realized as /aʔ/ in Thai and Lao phonology. This especially affects the polysyllabic loan words of Sanskrit, Pali or Khmer derivation. Instances of when or when not to pronounce a vowel have to be learned individually as the presence of the vowel is inconsistent. For example, the Sanskrit word dharma (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA), which can mean 'dharma', 'moral' or 'justice', was borrowed into Thai as simply tham (Шаблон:Lang Шаблон:IPA). As a root, it appears as simply tham as in thamkaset (Шаблон:Lang Шаблон:IPA) 'land of justice' or 'righteous land' with the /aʔ/ or thammanit (Шаблон:Lang Шаблон:IPA), 'moral person' with /aʔ/. This is not always justified by etymology, as the terms derive from Sanskrit dharmakṣetra (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA)—actually signifies 'pious man' in Sanskrit—and dharmanitya (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA), respectively, both of which feature a pronounced but unwritten /a/. Lao and most Isan speakers in relaxed environments will pronounce the 'extra' vowel yielding *thammakaset (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:Lang thammakasét, Шаблон:IPA) and thammanit (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA). There are also instances where Thai has the epenthetic vowel lost in Lao, such as krommathan (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA), 'debt contract', whereas Lao has nativized the pronunciation to kromtham (Шаблон:Lang kômtham, Шаблон:IPA). This is an exception, as the extra vowel is a sign of Lao-retained pronunciation such as Thai chit (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA), 'paiting' from Sanskrit citra (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA), which is chit (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:IPA), chit[ta] (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:Lang chitta, Шаблон:IPA) or extremely epentheticized chit[tara] (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:Lang chittala, Шаблон:IPA in Isan.
As another feature of Isan that deviates from Thai, it is deprecated. Few Isan people are aware that the stigmatized pronunciations are actually the 'proper' Isan form inherited from Lao. Many of these loan words are limited to academic and formal contexts that usually trigger code-switching to formal Thai, thus Isan speakers may pronounce these words more akin to Thai fashion although to varying degrees of adaptation to Isan pronunciation. Lao speakers also tend to insert epenthetic vowels in normal speech, as opposed to standard Thai where this is less common, thus 'softening' the sentence and making dialogue-less staccato. For instance, the Isan phrase chak noi (Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:Lang Шаблон:IPA), which means 'in just a bit' is often pronounced chak-ka noy (*จักกะน้อย Шаблон:IPA, cf. Lao *ຈັກກະນ້ອຍ) but this may be perceived as 'slurred' speech to Thai speakers.
| Isan | Thai | Lao | Sanskrit/Pali | Gloss | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Шаблон:Lang chitwithaya |
/tɕǐt tǎʔ wīt tʰāʔ ɲáː/Шаблон:Ref /tɕǐt wít tʰáʔ ɲáː/Шаблон:Ref |
Шаблон:Lang chitwithaya |
/tɕìt wít tʰáʔ jaː/ | Шаблон:Lang chittavitthagna (*จิดตะวิดทะยา) |
/tɕít táʔ ʋít tʰāʔ ɲáː/ | Шаблон:Lang cit + vidya |
/tɕit/ + /ʋid̪jaː/ | 'psychology' |
| Шаблон:Lang matya |
/māt sáʔ ɲăː/Шаблон:Ref /māt ɲăː/Шаблон:Ref |
Шаблон:Lang matya |
/mát jaː/ | Шаблон:Lang matsagna (*มัดสะยา) |
/māt sáʔ ɲăː/ | Шаблон:Lang matsya |
/mat̪sja/ | 'fish' |
| Шаблон:Lang kommathan |
/kom tʰám/Шаблон:Ref /kom māʔ tʰán/ |
Шаблон:Lang kommathan |
/krom máʔ tʰan/ | Шаблон:Lang kômtham kômmatham (*กมทัม) (*กมมะทัน) |
/kòm tʰám/ /kòm māʔ tʰán/ |
Шаблон:Lang kramadharma |
/kramad̪ʱarma/ | 'debt contract' |
| Шаблон:Lang aditchat |
/ʔǎ dìːt tǎʔ sȃːt/Шаблон:Ref /ʔǎ dìːt sȃːt/Шаблон:Ref |
Шаблон:Lang | /ʔà dìːt tɕʰâːt/ | Шаблон:Lang aditxat adittaxat (*อดีดซาด) (*อดีดตะซาด) |
/ʔá dȉːt táʔ sȃːt/ /ʔá dȉːt sȃːt/ |
Шаблон:Lang aditya + jati |
/ad̪it̪ja/ + /dʒat̪i/ | 'previous incarnation' |
| Шаблон:Lang chitrakam |
/tɕǐt tǎʔ kam/ | Шаблон:Lang chitrakam |
/tɕìt tràʔ kam/ | Шаблон:Lang chittakam (*จิดตะกัม) |
/tɕít táʔ kam/ | Шаблон:Lang citrakarma |
/tɕit̪rakarma/ | 'painting' |
| Шаблон:Lang watsana |
/wȃːt sáʔ năː/ /wáː sáʔ năː/Шаблон:Ref |
Шаблон:Lang watsana (*wasana) |
/wâːt sàʔ nǎː/ /waː sàʔ nǎː/Шаблон:Ref |
Шаблон:Lang vatsana (*วาดสะหนา) |
/ʋȃːt sáʔ năː/ | Шаблон:Lang vasna |
/ʋasna/ | 'fortune' |
- Шаблон:Note Basilectal Isan pronunciation based on historic Lao usage.
- Шаблон:Note 'Lao-ified' pronunciation influenced by formal Thai.
- Шаблон:Note Hypercorrection amongst the educated to approximate Sanskrit pronunciation.
Grammatical differences
Classifiers
| Isan | Thai | Lao | Category |
| คน (ฅน), kʰón | คน (ฅน), kʰōn | ຄົນ, kʰon | People in general, except clergy and royals. |
| คัน, kʰán | คัน, kʰān | ຄັນ, kʰán | Vehicles, also used for spoons and forks in Thai. |
| คู่, kʰuː | คู่, kʰûː | ຄູ່, kʰūː | Pairs of people, animals, socks, earrings, etc. |
| ซบับ, saʔbap | ฉบับ, tɕʰaʔbàp | ສະບັບ, saʔbáp | Papers with texts, documents, newspapers, etc. |
| โต, toː | ตัว, tūa | ໂຕ, tòː | Animals, shirts, letters; also tables and chairs (but not in Lao). |
| กก, kok | ต้น, tôn | ກົກ, kók | Trees. Lao ຕົ້ນ is used in all three for columns, stalks, and flowers. |
| หน่วย, nuaj | ฟอง, fɔ̄ːŋ | ໜ່ວຍ, nūaj | Eggs, fruits, clouds. ผล (pʰǒn) used for fruits in Thai. |
Pronouns
Although all the Tai languages are pro-drop languages, which omit pronouns if their use is unnecessary due to context, especially in informal contexts, they are restored in more careful speech. Lao frequently uses the first- and second-person pronouns and rarely drops them in speech compared to Thai, which can sometimes seem more formal and distant. More common is to substitute pronouns with titles of professions or extension of kinship terms based on age, thus it is very common for lovers or close friends to call each other 'brother' and 'sister' and to address the very elderly as 'grandfather' or 'grandmother'. Isan traditionally uses the Lao-style pronouns, although in formal contexts, the Thai pronouns are sometimes substituted as speakers adjust to the socially mandated use of Standard Thai in very formal events.
To turn a pronoun into a plural, it is most commonly prefixed with mu (Шаблон:Lang Шаблон:IPA) but the variants tu (Шаблон:Lang Шаблон:IPA) and phuak (Шаблон:Lang Шаблон:IPA) are also used by some speakers. These can also be used for the word hao, 'we', in the sense of 'all of us' for extra emphasis. The vulgar pronouns are used as a mark of close relationship, such as long-standing childhood friends or siblings and can be used publicly, but they can never be used outside of these relationships as they often change statements into very pejorative, crude or inflammatory remarks.
| Person | Isan | Thai | Lao | Gloss | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | ข้าน้อย khanoi |
/kʰȁː nɔ̑ːj/ | กระผม kraphom |
/kràʔ pʰǒm/ | ดิฉัน dichan |
/di tɕʰǎn/ | ຂ້ານ້ອຍ/ຂ້ານ້ອຽ khanoy |
/kʰȁː nɔ̑ːj/ | I (formal) |
| ข้อย khoi |
/kʰɔ̏j/ | ผม phom |
/pʰǒm/ | ฉัน | /tɕʰǎn/ | ຂ້ອຍ/ຂ້ອຽ khoy |
/kʰɔ̏ːj/ | I (common) | |
| ข้า kha |
/kʰȁː/ | ข้า kha |
/kʰâː/ | ຂ້າ kha |
/kʰȁː/ | I (informal) | |||
| กู ku |
/kuː/ | กู ku |
/kuː/ | ກູ kou |
/kuː/ | I (vulgar) | |||
| ผู้ข้า phukha |
/pʰȕː kʰȁː/ | ข้าพเจ้า khaphachao |
/kʰâː pʰáʔ tɕâw/ | ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າ khaphachao |
/kʰȁː pʰāʔ tɕâw/ | we (formal) | |||
| เฮา hao |
/hȃw/ | เรา rao |
/raw/ | ເຮົາ hao |
/hȃw/ | we (common) | |||
| หมู่เฮา mu hao |
/mūː hȃw/ | พวกเรา phuak rao |
/pʰûak raw/ | ພວກເຮົາ phouak hao |
/pʰûːək hȃw/ | ||||
| 2nd | ท่าน | /tʰāːn/ | ท่าน | /tʰân/ | ທ່ານ | /tʰāːn/ | you (formal) | ||
| เจ้า chao |
/tɕȃw/ | คุณ khun |
/kʰun/ | ເຈົ້າ chao |
/tɕȃw/ | you (common) | |||
| เอ็ง eng |
/eŋ/ | แก kae |
/kɛː/ | เอ็ง eng |
/eŋ/ | ສູ sou |
/sŭː/ | you (informal) | |
| มึง mueng |
/mɯ́ŋ/ | มึง mueng |
/mɯŋ/ | ມຶງ meung |
/mɨ́ŋ/ | you (vulgar) | |||
| หมู่ท่าน mu than |
/mūː tʰāːn/ | พวกคุณ phuak khun |
/pʰûak kʰun/ | ພວກທ່ານ phouak than |
/pʰûːək tʰāːn/ | you (pl., formal) | |||
| หมู่เจ้า mu chao |
/mūː tɕȃw/ | คุณ khun |
/kʰun/ | ພວກເຈົ້າ phouak chao |
/pʰûːək tɕȃw/ | you (pl., common) | |||
| 3rd | เพิ่น phoen |
/pʰɤ̄n/ | ท่าน than |
/tʰân/ | ເພິ່ນ pheun |
/pʰə̄n/ | he/she (formal) | ||
| เขา khao |
/kʰăw/ | เขา khao |
/kʰǎw/ | ເຂົາ khao |
/kʰăw/ | he/she (common) | |||
| ลาว lao |
/láːw/ | ລາວ lao |
/láːw/ | ||||||
| มัน man |
/mán/ | มัน man |
/man/ | ມັນ man |
/mán/ | it (very rude if used on a person) | |||
| ขะเจ้า khachao |
/kʰáʔ tɕȃw/ | พวกท่าน phuak than |
/pʰûak tʰân/ | ຂະເຈົ້າ khachao |
/kʰáʔ tɕȃw/ | they (formal) | |||
| หมู่เขา mu khao |
/mūː kʰăw/ | พวกเขา phuak khao |
/pʰûak kʰáw/ | ພວກເຂົາ phouak khao |
/pʰûːək kʰăw/ | they (common) | |||
| หมู่ลาว mu lao |
/mūː láːw/ | ຫມູ່ລາວ/ໝູ່ລາວ mou lao |
/mūː láːw/ | ||||||
Tones
| Tone Class | Inherent Tone | ไม้เอก (อ่) | ไม้โท (อ้) | Long Vowel | Short Vowel |
| High (Thai/Vientiane) | Rising/Low-Rising | Low/Middle | Falling/Low-Falling | Low/Low-Falling | Low/Mid-Rising |
| High (Thai/Western Lao) | Rising/Low-Rising | Low/Middle | Falling/Low | Low/Low | Low/Low |
| Middle (Thai/Vientiane) | Middle/Low-Rising | Low/Middle | Falling/High-Falling | Falling/High-Falling | Low/Mid-Rising |
| Middle (Thai/Western Lao) | Middle/Rising-Mid-Falling | Low/Middle | Falling/Mid-Falling | Falling/Low | Low/Low |
| Low (Thai/Vientiane) | Middle/High-Rising | Falling/Middle | High/High-Falling | High/High-Falling | Falling/Middle |
| Low (Thai/Western Lao) | Middle/Rising-High-Falling | Falling/Low | High/High-Falling | High/Middle | Falling/Middle |
Even Thai words with clear cognates in Lao can differ remarkably by tone. Determining the tone of a word by spelling is complicated. Every consonant falls into a category of high, middle or low class. Then, one must determine whether the syllable has a long or a short syllable and whether it ends in a sonorant or plosive consonant and, if there are any, whatever tone marks may move the tone.[8] Thai กา ka, crow, has a middle tone in Thai, as it contains a mid-class consonant with a long vowel that does not end in a plosive. In Standard Lao, the same environments produce a low-rising tone Шаблон:IPA but is typically Шаблон:IPA or rising-mid-falling in Western Lao.
Despite the differences in pattern, the orthography used to write words is nearly the same in Thai and Lao, even using the same tone marks in most places, so it is knowing the spoken language and how it maps out to the rules of the written language that determine the tone. However, as the Tai languages are tonal languages, with tone being an important phonemic feature, spoken Lao words out of context, even if they are cognate, may sound closer to Thai words of different meaning. Thai คา kha Шаблон:IPA, 'to stick' is cognate to Lao ຄາ, which in Vientiane Lao is pronounced Шаблон:IPA, which may sound like Thai ค้า kha Шаблон:IPA, 'to trade' due to similarity in tone. The same word in some parts of Isan near Roi Et Province would confusingly sound to Thai ears like ขา kha Шаблон:IPA with a rising tone, where the local tone patterns would have many pronounce the word with a rising-high-falling heavier on the rising. Although a native Thai speaker would be able to pick up the meaning of the similar words of Lao through context, and after a period of time, would get used to the different tones (with most Lao speech varieties having an additional one or two tones to the five of Thai), it can cause many initial misunderstandings.
Lexical differences
Although the majority of Lao words are cognate with Thai, many basic words used in everyday conversation lack cognates in Thai. Some usages vary only by frequency or register. For instance, the Thai question word 'เท่าไหร่' is cognate with Lao 'ເທົ່າໃດ' Шаблон:IPA, but Lao tends to use a related variant form 'ท่อใด' Шаблон:IPA and 'ທໍ່ໃດ' Шаблон:IPA, respectively, more frequently, although the usage is interchangeable and preference probably more related to region and person.
In other areas, Lao preserves the older Tai vocabulary. For example, the old Thai word for a 'glass', such as a 'glass of beer' or 'glass of water' was 'จอก' chok Шаблон:IPA, but this usage is now obsolete as the word has been replaced by Thai 'แก้ว' kaew Шаблон:IPA. Conversely, Lao continues to use 'ຈອກ' chok to mean 'glass' (of water) as Шаблон:IPA, but Lao 'ແກ້ວ' kéo Шаблон:IPA retains the earlier meaning of Thai 'แก้ว' as 'gem', 'crystal' or 'glass' (material) still seen in the names of old temples, such as 'Wat Phra Kaew' or 'Temple of the Holy Gem'. Nonetheless, a lot of cognate vocabulary is pronounced differently in vowel quality and tone and sometimes consonant sounds to be unrecognizable or do not share a cognate at all. For example, Lao ບໍ່ Шаблон:IPA bo is not related to Thai ไม่ Шаблон:IPA, mai
| English | Isan | Lao | Thai |
| "no", "not" | บ่, Шаблон:IPA, bo | ບໍ່, Шаблон:IPA, bo | ไม่, Шаблон:IPA, mai |
| "to speak" | เว้า, Шаблон:IPA, wao | ເວົ້າ, Шаблон:IPA, vao | พูด, Шаблон:IPA, phut |
| "how much" | ท่อใด, Шаблон:IPA, thodai | ທໍ່ໃດ, Шаблон:IPA, thodai | เท่าไหร่*, Шаблон:IPA, thaorai |
| "to do, to make" | เฮ็ด, Шаблон:IPA, het* | ເຮັດ, Шаблон:IPA, het | ทำ*, Шаблон:IPA, tham |
| "to learn" | เฮียน, Шаблон:IPA, hian | ຮຽນ, Шаблон:IPA, hian | เรียน, Шаблон:IPA, rian |
| "glass" | จอก, Шаблон:IPA, chok | ຈອກ, Шаблон:IPA, chok | แก้ว*, Шаблон:IPA, kaew |
| "yonder" | พู้น, Шаблон:IPA, phun | ພຸ້ນ, Шаблон:IPA, phoune | โน่น, Шаблон:IPA, non |
| "algebra" | พีซคณิต, Шаблон:IPA, phisakhanit | ພີຊະຄະນິດ/Archaic ພີຊຄນິດ, Шаблон:IPA, phixakhanit | พีชคณิต, Шаблон:IPA, phitkhanit |
| "fruit" | หมากไม้, Шаблон:IPA, makmai | ໝາກໄມ້, Шаблон:IPA, makmai | ผลไม้, Шаблон:IPA, phonlamai |
| "too much" | โพด, Шаблон:IPA, phot | ໂພດ, Шаблон:IPA, phôt | เกินไป, Шаблон:IPA, koenbai |
| "to call" | เอิ้น, Шаблон:IPA, oen | ເອີ້ນ, Шаблон:IPA, une | เรียก, Шаблон:IPA, riak |
| "a little" | หน่อยนึง, Шаблон:IPA, noi neung | ໜ່ອຍນຶ່ງ/Archaic ໜ່ຽນຶ່ງ, Шаблон:IPA, noi nung | นิดหน่อย, Шаблон:IPA, nit noi |
| "house, home" | เฮือน, Шаблон:IPA, heuan | ເຮືອນ*, Шаблон:IPA, huane | บ้าน*, Шаблон:IPA, ban |
| "to lower" | หลุด, Шаблон:IPA, lut | ຫຼຸດ/ຫລຸດ), Шаблон:IPA, lout | ลด, Шаблон:IPA, lot |
| "sausage" | ไส้อั่ว, Шаблон:IPA, sai ua | ໄສ້ອ່ົວ, Шаблон:IPA, sai oua | ไส้กรอก, Шаблон:IPA, sai krok |
| "to walk" | ย่าง, Шаблон:IPA, [n]yang | ຍ່າງ, Шаблон:IPA, gnang | เดิน, Шаблон:IPA, doen |
| "philosophy" | ปรัซญา, Шаблон:IPA, pratsaya | ປັດຊະຍາ/Archaic ປັຊຍາ, Шаблон:IPA, patsagna | ปรัชญา, Шаблон:IPA, pratya |
| "oldest child" | ลูกกก, Шаблон:IPA, luk kok | ລູກກົກ, Шаблон:IPA, louk kôk | ลูกคนโต, Шаблон:IPA, luk khon to |
| "frangipani blossom" | ดอกจำปา, Шаблон:IPA | ດອກຈຳປາ, Шаблон:IPA | ดอกลั่นทม, Шаблон:IPA |
| "tomato" | หมากเล่น, Шаблон:IPA, mak len | ໝາກເລັ່ນ, Шаблон:IPA, mak lén | มะเขือเทศ, Шаблон:IPA, makheuathet |
| "much", "many" | หลาย, Шаблон:IPA, lai | ຫຼາຍ, Шаблон:IPA, lai | มาก, Шаблон:IPA, mak |
| "father-in-law" | พ่อเฒ่า, Шаблон:IPA, pho thao | ພໍ່ເຖົ້າ, Шаблон:IPA, pho thao | พ่อตา, Шаблон:IPA, pho ta |
| "to stop" | เซา, Шаблон:IPA, sao | ເຊົາ, Шаблон:IPA, xao | หยุด, Шаблон:IPA, yut |
| "to like" | มัก, Шаблон:IPA, mak | ມັກ, Шаблон:IPA, mak | ชอบ, Шаблон:IPA, chop |
| "good luck" | โซกดี, Шаблон:IPA, sok di | ໂຊຄດີ, Шаблон:IPA, xôk di | โชคดี, Шаблон:IPA, chok di |
| "delicious" | แซบ, Шаблон:IPA, saep | ແຊບ, Шаблон:IPA, xèp | อร่อย, Шаблон:IPA, aroi |
| "fun" | ม่วน, Шаблон:IPA, muan | ມ່ວນ, Шаблон:IPA, mouane | สนุก, Шаблон:IPA, sanuk |
| "really" | อีหลี, Шаблон:IPA, ili**** | ອີ່ຫຼີ, Шаблон:IPA, ili | จริง*, Шаблон:IPA, ching |
| "elegant" | โก้, Шаблон:IPA, ko | ໂກ້, Шаблон:IPA, kô | หรูหรา, Шаблон:IPA, rura |
| "ox" | งัว, Шаблон:IPA, ngua | ງົວ, Шаблон:IPA, ngoua | วัว, Шаблон:IPA, wua |
- 1 Thai เท่าไหร่ is cognate to Lao ເທົ່າໃດ, thaodai, Шаблон:IPA.
- 2 Thai แก้ว also exists as Lao ແກ້ວ,kèo Шаблон:IPA, but has the meaning of "gem".
- 3 Thai ทำ also exists as Lao ທຳ, tham, Шаблон:IPA.
- 4 Lao ເຮືອນ also exists as formal Thai เรือน, reuan Шаблон:IPA.
- 5 Thai บ้าน also exists as Lao ບ້ານ, bane, Шаблон:IPA.
- 6 Thai จริง also exists as Lao ຈິງ, ching, Шаблон:IPA.
See also
References
- ↑ Paul, L. M., Simons, G. F. and Fennig, C. D. (eds.). 2013. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Seventeenth edition. Dallas, Texas: SIL International. Retrieved from http://www.ethnologue.com
- ↑ Keyes, Charles F. (1966). "Ethnic Identity and Loyalty of Villagers in Northeastern Thailand". Asian Survey.
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Hesse-Swain, C. (2011). "Speaking in Thai, Dreaming in Isan: Popular Thai Television and Emerging Identities of Lao Isan Youth Living in Northeast Thailand" (Master's thesis, Edith Cowan University) (pp. 1–266). Perth, Western Australia.
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite journal
- ↑ Davis, G. W. (2015). "The Story of Lao r: Filling in the Gaps". The Journal of Lao Studies, 2(2015), pp. 97-109.
- ↑ Pittayaporn, P. (2009). "Proto-Southwestern-Tai Revised: A New Reconstruction" Journal of the Southeast Asian Linguistics Society Vol II. pp. 121–144. Canberra, Australia: Pacific Linguistics.
- ↑ Campbell, S., and Shaweevongs, C. (1957). The Fundamentals of the Thai Language (5th ed). Bangkok: Thai-Australia Co. Ltd.
