how many dialect do people speak in Laos?

Date: Aug 30, 2009

how many dialect do people speak in Laos?

Date: Aug 30, 2009

Anonymous wrote:

how many dialect do people speak in Laos? do you speak dialect? what dialect you heard?

I believe 68 dialects, I guess. it' seem like alot for 6 something million populations. i might be wrong about.

Date: Aug 30, 2009

68 son pao, and 68 dialects...

Date: Aug 30, 2009

68 tribes but we are the ONE

Date: Aug 30, 2009

Anonymous wrote:

68 tribes but we are the ONE

before 1975 was 68, now it's 48.. haha

Date: Aug 30, 2009

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

68 tribes but we are the ONE

before 1975 was 68, now it's 48.. haha

BUT DO WE REALLY SPEAK 48 DIALECTS.???

eye_sky · Guru

It's interesting having 68 ethnolinguistic variety. It speaks well of the richness of a people and the Lao culture. I just hope some of these languages have been PRESERVED by local historians before any of these languages become totally extinct and forgotten.

http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2009/08/butterfly-garden-and-city-baywalk.html

DK · Member

Growing up, I've heard at least a dozen dialects from my Mom. She's from the North...Nam Tha

ban nok · Senior Member

Dialect doesn't mean a different language but the same language with different words etc.

People from Luang Prabang, Vang Vien, Pakse, etc. speak a different dialect but Hmong people speak a different language.

I suspect the question was how many different languages, right?

Linh · Member

for lao speakers, i don't think you can estimate the number of dialects in laos
i've heard that dialects can vary not just regionally (tai viengchan, tai savan, tai luang prabang, etc)
but it can also vary by what village you're from

don't quote me on that though, i'm not completely sure

and to answer your question, i've heard dialects: luang prabang, vientiane, champasack, savannakhet, khammoune, lao lue, tai dam, phutai (for the last 3 i don't know if you'd count those as 'lao' dialects, however they are related to us

and i speak tai savan dialect

nonetheless, all lao dialects are unique in their own way :D

ENTER · Veteran Member

There are between 70 to 120 different dialects and languages spoken throughout the country, due to the geographical diversity created by the mountains which constitute about 70% of the total land area in Laos. These dialects are classified into 4 main language groups: 1) Tai, consisting of languages of the southwestern and northern Tai branches; 2) Mon-Khmer, consisting of Bahnaric, Katuic, Vietic, Khmuic, and Palaungic branches; 3) Hmong-Mien, consisting languages of Hmongic and Mienic branches; 4) Tibeto-Burman, consisting of languages of Lolo-Burmese branch. (Brown, Vol. 6, p. 698) Among these languages, Hmong of Hmong-Mien group and Khmu of the Mon-Khmer group are the most commonly spoken minority languages. The Hmong-Mien group is also the newest language group in the area, having been introduced into Laos about 200 years ago. (Brown, Vol. 6, p. 699)

Source: http://sea.lib.niu.edu/lang/lao.html

WienjhunSyvoraWong · Veteran Member

well I speak Tai Savan"Savanakehet" Some chinese that I talked to or hear me talk sometime they think I was speaking in another tone of the Cantonese language lol. But I do think TaiSaven is populated with Vietnamese and Chinese in the old days in that part of the city which I am apart of that but feel more closer being Laotian then vietnamese. :)

-- Edited by WienjhunSyvoraWong on Tuesday 1st of September 2009 02:44:05 AM

Date: Sep 5, 2009

ban nok wrote:

Dialect doesn't mean a different language but the same language with different words etc.

People from Luang Prabang, Vang Vien, Pakse, etc. speak a different dialect but Hmong people speak a different language.

I suspect the question was how many different languages, right?

People from Luang Phabang, VangVieng, Pakse, Savannakhet, etc... are speak different accents, not dialect,But Hmong people spoke their own dialect which it, Hmong Language. and according to my definition of '' Dialect,'' mean variety of language peculierto a region or Class.

ban nok · Senior Member

Maybe this will help you to understand.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/dialect

ENTER · Veteran Member

ban nok wrote:

Maybe this will help you to understand.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/dialect

And here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dialect

Date: Sep 6, 2009

ENTER wrote:

There are between 70 to 120 different dialects and languages spoken throughout the country, due to the geographical diversity created by the mountains which constitute about 70% of the total land area in Laos. These dialects are classified into 4 main language groups: 1) Tai, consisting of languages of the southwestern and northern Tai branches; 2) Mon-Khmer, consisting of Bahnaric, Katuic, Vietic, Khmuic, and Palaungic branches; 3) Hmong-Mien, consisting languages of Hmongic and Mienic branches; 4) Tibeto-Burman, consisting of languages of Lolo-Burmese branch. (Brown, Vol. 6, p. 698) Among these languages, Hmong of Hmong-Mien group and Khmu of the Mon-Khmer group are the most commonly spoken minority languages. The Hmong-Mien group is also the newest language group in the area, having been introduced into Laos about 200 years ago. (Brown, Vol. 6, p. 699)

Source: http://sea.lib.niu.edu/lang/lao.html

Hi Enter. thank for your provided link, it helps me much more to understand about Lao language and dialect in lAOS

Date: Sep 6, 2009

This forum is funny becos is run by Hmong. The webbastard is a Hmong, he acts like Hmong and he facking ugly like Homong. biggrin

ENTER · Veteran Member

Anonymous wrote:

ENTER wrote:

There are between 70 to 120 different dialects and languages spoken throughout the country, due to the geographical diversity created by the mountains which constitute about 70% of the total land area in Laos. These dialects are classified into 4 main language groups: 1) Tai, consisting of languages of the southwestern and northern Tai branches; 2) Mon-Khmer, consisting of Bahnaric, Katuic, Vietic, Khmuic, and Palaungic branches; 3) Hmong-Mien, consisting languages of Hmongic and Mienic branches; 4) Tibeto-Burman, consisting of languages of Lolo-Burmese branch. (Brown, Vol. 6, p. 698) Among these languages, Hmong of Hmong-Mien group and Khmu of the Mon-Khmer group are the most commonly spoken minority languages. The Hmong-Mien group is also the newest language group in the area, having been introduced into Laos about 200 years ago. (Brown, Vol. 6, p. 699)

Source: http://sea.lib.niu.edu/lang/lao.html

Hi Enter. thank for your provided link, it helps me much more to understand about Lao language and dialect in lAOS

Knowledge is power.

Date: Sep 12, 2009

yes so what is your point, because Lao are unable to do such job so someone else have to do the job, jalous???

Date: Sep 12, 2009

Yes a Hmong is born as Hmong live as Hmong and die as Hmong Not like Lao who must converse to Thai, Vietnamese etc. Many people say Thai look down on Lao but I believe Lao look up to Thai, Sorry if I confuse someone who is so shame to have Hmong in Laos. You are mad at them because you can't compete with them my dear brother. You hate them because they don't accept you. you try to distroy them because they are a virus to you. You dislike them because you can't join them. And bit you can't even accept your own kind my brother. You know you should join Hitler but to late he was done and gone. And I know it must hurt a lot

Date: Sep 12, 2009

I believe the webmaster of Samakhomlao have posted some rules in here. But I guess some people never understand anything and can't get over off others people who are better than his own

Date: Oct 25, 2009

Speak-out wrote:

ban nok wrote:

Dialect doesn't mean a different language but the same language with different words etc.

People from Luang Prabang, Vang Vien, Pakse, etc. speak a different dialect but Hmong people speak a different language.

I suspect the question was how many different languages, right?

People from Luang Phabang, VangVieng, Pakse, Savannakhet, etc... are speak different accents, not dialect,But Hmong people spoke their own dialect which it, Hmong Language. and according to my definition of '' Dialect,'' mean variety of language peculierto a region or Class.

         YEAH, THE QUESTION IN THIS TOPIC WASN'T CLEAR. I AGREED WITH THIS
        COMMENT. ANYWAY, SOOOOO HAPPY TO BE BORN AS LAO. IN LAOS LOCALLY
       SPEAKING ACCENTS IS WIDELY ACCEPTABLE. DIDN'T MATTER WHAT PART OF
      LAOS YOU'RE FROM CENTRAL,NORTHER OR SOUTHERN. YOU ARE FREELY SPEAK
     IN YOUR OWN ACCENT. UNLIKE OUR NEIGHBOURS EVERY PART OF THE
    COUNTRY ALL HAVE TO SPEAK MAIN LANGUAGE BECAUSE THEY FEEL UNSECURE
   OF THE PEOPLE WOULD FIND LATER THEY AREN'T BELONG TO THAT COUNTRY.
AND BIG OOPSY..............

Date: Oct 25, 2009

3 dialect do people speak in Laos.
First Vietnamese Languge.
second Chinese
Third Thai.
so Lao dialect are minority Laguge

Date: Oct 25, 2009

I spoke Vietnamese in Vientiane and every body respect me.

Date: Oct 26, 2009

You misunderstand the word dialect. Vietnamese and Lao are different languages not dialects.

Look it up.

Date: Oct 26, 2009

Anonymous wrote:

I spoke Vietnamese in Vientiane and every body respect me.

THE MAJORITY OF LAOTIAN DO NOT SPEAK VIETNAMESE. DID YOU NOT SEE THE TOPIC IS NOT ABOUT OTHER LANGUAGE.

Date: Oct 26, 2009

People speak Vietnamese every corner in vientiane

Date: Nov 20, 2012

Lao,Lao thin,Lao thin nok,Lao khammu,Lao Hmong ,Lao lue,Lao miam,and Lao hu. I think a lot people's did not know Lao thin if they never been to xayabury.Lao thin language is very different from other language in Lao.

Date: Nov 20, 2012

I think more Lao thin and Lao thin nok found in Minnesota states and California.Also some of Lao thin live in Tennessee states.

Date: Nov 22, 2012

Anonymous wrote:
3 dialect do people speak in Laos.
First Vietnamese Languge.
second Chinese
Third Thai.
so Lao dialect are minority Laguge

Dumb idiot strike again, can't distinguished between dialect and language.

Date: Nov 22, 2012

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
3 dialect do people speak in Laos.
First Vietnamese Languge.
second Chinese
Third Thai.
so Lao dialect are minority Laguge
Dumb idiot strike again, can't distinguished between dialect and language.

Let him talked whatever he want, he knew that is not true to that...

Date: Nov 27, 2012

What do you mean dialect? You might want to be very specific. I think you mean accent? Lao hmong, lao khmue, etc are languges not dialect but when they speak the "Lao" language they have different accent, pitch and tonality, but still those spoken groups are not quite dialect. I know there are more than 68 what so ever the previous poster posted. Even from one village to village the "Lao" accent or sound will very and different and become very distinctive dialects. even a few kilometers away from town to town. Example ban Nasu next to ban Nayang will have a very degree to accent and dialect. Strangely there's also a new dialect or accent being formed for example Oudomxay, mueng Xay will have the same accent as the main people in Vientiane Capital. Accent of Tai Phuan from Xekong and Samnuer Laos are widely spoken in Sakhon Nakon and Chunbuly Thailand, but when the Phuan are miggrated to say, Vientiane capital along the Don Chan and Sukhothai Thailand, their accent elongates and very stress.

Also there's no such thing as Vientiane capital accent or the former people. Vientiane (not the Vientiane province) is composed of many migrants from many provinces of Laos. The real "Vientiane accent" is of those Essan, example the Nong Khai and Udon Thani Thailand. Surprisinly there are many "essan accent" speakers in ban DongKhamxang, Siengda, Nakor, Dong Dock, and many more villages in Vientiane capital. Example Tai Pao and Long when they speak Lao they become almost a different Lanuage, dialect.

I have to say there are more than 400 accent and dialect.

I have been doing research on many of these accent and dialects. Email me if you want to know more.