| content | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lao |
|---|
 Khene player in Isan |
| Total population |
|
28 million (est.) |
| Regions with significant populations |
| Thailand: 19 million (Isan Lao) 2 million (Laotian Lao) |
| Languages |
| Lao, Isan, Thai and English |
| Religion |
| Predominantly Theravada Buddhist with strong animist tradition as one |
| Related ethnic groups |
| Thais and other Tai ethnic groups |
The Lao (Lao: ລາວ, Isan: ลาว, IPA: laːw) are an ethnic subgroup of Tai/Dai in Southeast Asia. The vast majority of Lao people live in either Laos (approximately 4 million) or Thailand (approximately 19 million, 18.7 million Isan Lao and 0.4 million immigrant Lao). The Lao of Thailand are concentrated in the Isan region, although there are many migrant workers from Isan working in other parts of the country, especially in Bangkok. Many Lao speakers in Thailand prefer the term Isan to Lao, but there remain many close cultural bonds between the Thai and the Lao people.
Contents |
Names
The Lao people, like many other Tai peoples refer to themselves as Tai (Lao: ໄທ, Isan: ไท, IPA: tʰɑj) and more specifically Tai Lao (ໄທລາວ, ไทลาว). Ethnic groups descended from the Lao or closely related Lao sub-ethnic groups often use Tai or Lao interchangeably (e.g. Lao Wieng cf. Tai Wieng). The naming situation is more complex in Isan, where although older people acknowledge that they are Lao, it is more often than not used as an insult against them by Central Thai people. In general, they are known as Isan or Tai Isan (Lao: ອີສານ, Isan: อีสาน, IPA: iːsaːn) which identifies them as part of Thailand as opposed to their relation to the Lao of Laos. The Lao of Laos will also usually refer to the Lao of Thailand as Isan.[1]
History
The Lao people are descended from migrations of Tai peoples from what is now southern China and northern Vietnam beginning approximately three thousand years ago, where many Tai peoples remain to this day. Population pressures, finding suitable habitat for wet-rice cultivation, and escape from the growing tensions of Chinese settlement and Mongol invasions pushed the Tai tribes further south along the Mekong river valleys. Evidence of these migrations are included in legends of Khun Borom, a possibly mythical king whose descendants begot the various Tai peoples.[2] Although Lan Xang (Lao: ລ້ານຊ້າງ, Isan: ล้านซ้าง, IPA: laːn saːŋ) is usually considered the first Lao kingdom, other kingdoms and principalities in what is now Laos and Isan flourished before this date.[3] The Tai peoples pushed out earlier groups of Austronesian and Mon-Khmer peoples and established their own kingdoms.
The areas were subject to many pressures from surrounding kingdoms, such as Siam, Vietnam, and the old Khmer Empire. After the split of Lan Xang, the three successor kingdoms were severely weakened and over-ran by Siam, which lead to massive population transfers into what is now Isan, which was also formerly part of various Lao kingdoms, and to Central Thailand, where many groups are descendants of Lao slaves and corvée labourers. The 19th century and early 20th century, when much of what was Lan Xang was ceded to Thailand and the rest became a French colony led to the modern-day divisions of the Lao people.[4] For the history of the Lao people after the late 19th century, see History of Laos, History of Isan, and History of Thailand.
Distribution
There are around 3.6 million Lao in Laos, constituting approximately 68% of the population (the remainder are largely hill tribe people). The ethnic Lao of Laos form the bulk of the Lao Loum ("Lowland Laotians") (Lao: ລາວລຸ່ມ, Isan: ลาวลุ่ม, IPA: laːw lum). The Lao make up around a third of the population of Thailand: the main concentrations are in Isan (about 15 million people) and in Bangkok (where there are thought to be at least one million migrant Lao from Isan). There are other populations of ethnic Lao throughout Central Thailand, but these have been increasingly incorporated into the general Thai population. Small Lao communities exist in Cambodia, residing primarily in the former Lao territory of Stung Treng (Xieng Teng in Lao), and Vietnam. There are also substantial, unknown numbers of Lao overseas perhaps as many as 500,000 people. Most of the latter were refugees from Laos who fled during the Vietnam War (Second Indochina War) from the Pathet Lao. Places of asylum for the Lao refugees are the United States, France, Japan, Australia, Germany, Canada, Singapore, and the United Kingdom; many also live in Argentina, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Switzerland and Myanmar.
It bears noting that the last official census conducted in Siam (later Thailand) in which "Lao" was a unique ethnic category showed almost half the population being "Lao" (though the category also included the Northern Thais). As part of Thaification, the "Lao" category was dropped and today it is unclear what percent of the population of Thailand is of Lao origin.citation needed It is not unusual to find Thai families with Cambodian, Lao, Burmese and even Vietnamese relatives, as all these areas were part of Siam in antiquity.
The 2000 United States census figure of 168,707 Laotians and the 2005 figure of 200,000 exclude Hmong, but include Mien, Thai Dam, Khmu and other groups in addition to the Lao. Isan people are included with Thai Americans. The precise figure for the Lao ethnic group is therefore unknown.
Language
The Lao speak phasa lao (Lao: ພາສາລາວ, Isan: IPA: pʰaːsa aːw), the Lao in Laos, or Phasa Isan (Lao: ພາສາອີສານ, Isan: ภาษาอีสาน, IPA: pʰaːsa iːsaːn) the Lao/Isan language of the Isan region of Thailand. Although both are mutually intelligible, and for the most part identical, they are considered distinct for political rather than purely linguistic reasons. The Lao language of Laos is based on the dialect of Vientiane, although various Lao dialects continue to be spoken. In Isan, there is no standard and dialects mirror the divisions on the other side of the Mekong. Although distinctions between Isan and Lao can be made, the differences are no greater than for different dialects of Lao as spoken in Laos or with other languages/dialects spoken by closely related groups.[5] The languages (or dialects) have further diverged since the late 19th century political divisions, mainly because of mandatory Thai-language education in Isan, which has greatly influenced the vocabulary, importation of neologisms, and even aspects of pronunciation which are mostly absent in Laos. Neologisms created after this split are also different (e.g. "motorcycle" (Lao: ຣົຖຈັກ, Isan/Thai: รถมอเตอร์ไซค์, IPA (Isan): lot moːɗɤːsɑj, IPA (Thai): rot moːɗɤːsɑj, IPA (Lao): lot jak), is lot motasai in Isan and rot motasai in Thai, but lot jak in Lao). The Lao alphabet, still used in Buddhist temples in Isan is mostly extinct in Thailand; subsequently, Lao as a written language is also extinct in Thailand. When it is written, the Thai alphabet is used.[6]
The Lao and Isan languages are related to other languages which it is often debated whether they are languages or just dialects of Lao that are spoken by distinct sub-groups or different ethnic groups, but whose languages are often mutually intelligible as well.
Culture
Laos and Isan are both very rural areas, and most of the people support themselves by agriculture, with rice being the most important crop.[7]. As inhabitants of river valleys and lowlands that have been long-settled, ethnic Lao do not practise swidden agriculture like upland peoples.
Lao people are generally Theravada Buddhist, as is common in much of Southeast Asia, with most villages containing a wat or temple (Lao: ວະດ, Isan: วัด, IPA: wat). Animism is also practised to various degrees. Spirits, generally known as phi (Lao: ຜີ, Isan: ผี, IPA: pʰiː) are commonly revered, and include tutelary spirits, ancestors, as well as ghosts and demons. Although Brahmanism was also introduced and one the predominate religion of the Khmer that ruled much of what is now Laos and Thailand, its presence alongside Buddhism is not as pronounced as it is in Thailand. Despite this, the Hindu epic Ramayana, known as Phra Lak Phra Lam (Lao: ພຮະລັກພຮະຮາມ, Isan: พระลักษมณพระราม, IPA: pʰaʔlak pʰaʔlaːm) is a well-known story and Hindu iconography depicting such deities as Brahma, Shiva, and others can be found at many temples, many of which were built on top of former Hindu temples.
Lao cuisine is very similar to that of neighbouring countries, and many 'Thai' dishes are in fact introductions from Isan migrant workers who brought their Lao tastes with them to Bangkok where it was introduced to the rest of the country and then the world, with the rising growth in popularity of Thai restaurants. A notable difference from other cuisines is the prevalent use of sticky rice (Lao: ເຂົ້າໜຽວ, Isan: ข้าวเหนียว, IPA: kʰaːw nio), use of mint and dill, raw vegetables as an accompaniment to most meals, lack of sweetness in savoury dishes, and signature dishes such as papaya salad (Lao: ຕໍາໝາກຫຸ່ງ, Isan: ตำบักหุ่ง, IPA: ɗambakhuŋ) and larb (Lao: ລາບ, Isan: ลาบ, IPA: laːp).[8]
The traditional folk music is lam lao (Lao: ລາລາວ, Isan: ลำลาว, IPA: lam laːw), although it is also known as morlam (Lao: ໝ່ໍລາ, Isan: หม่อลำ, IPA: mɔːlam) which is the preferred term in Isan language. Artists from Thailand are also popular in Laos and vice versa, which has re-enforced Lao culture in Isan despite heavy Thaification. The music is noted for the use of the khene (Lao: ແຄນ, Isan: แคน, IPA: kʰɛːn) instrument.[9]
The incorporation of the Lao people into Thailand has created a cultural rivalry, as things that are Lao, such as papaya salad and the fine silks of Isan are shared with Laos and historically Lao marks of culture are often considered Thai by foreigners whose first experiences of Lao culture are via Thai dissemination (and self-branding). This has caused problems for the modern state of Laos as its national culture is over-whelmingly shared with its neighbour, particularly as more and more cultural traits of Isan are accepted into the Thai mainstream.
Subdivisions of the Lao people
The main division of Lao people is between the Lao people of Laos and the Isan of northeastern Thailand. In Laos, distinction between the Lao and other closely related Tai peoples with mutually intelligible languages are grouped together as Lao Loum or 'Lowland Lao' (Lao: ລາວລຸ່ມ, Isan: ลาวลุ่ม, IPA: laːw lum). Most of these groups share many common cultural traits and speak dialects or languages that are very similar, with only minor differences in tones, vocabulary, and pronunciation of certain words, but usually not enough to impede conversation, but many of these groups, such as the Nyaw and Phuthai consider themselves distinct, and often have differences in clothing that differentiate them[10]. Other groups in Thailand, such as the Lao Krang, Lao Ga, Lao Wieng, and other groups are descended from Lao people removed from what is now Isan and Laos during forced population transfers. These groups were either enslaved or forced into corvée labour. Isolated from Isan and Laos, they have maintained their traditions and languages in isolation and consider themselves distinct as well.[11]
Most of the ethnic groups, or sub-ethnic groups (depending on definition and self-categorisation), are from the Lao-Phu Thai sub-clade of nuclear Tai languages.
See also
References
- Lao settlement patterns in the U.S.
- Reports on languages spoken in Laos and Thailand, from Ethnologue.com
- Thongchai Winichakul. Siam Mapped. University of Hawaii Press, 1984. ISBN 0-8248-1974-8
- Wyatt, David. Thailand: A Short History (2nd edition). Yale University Press, 2003. ISBN 0-300-08475-7
- ^ Hayashi, Yukio. (2002) Pracical Buddhism Among the Thai-Lao: Religion in the Making of a Region. Kyoto: Trans-Pacific Press.
- ^ Wyatt, David K., Thailand: A Short History, New Haven (Yale University Press), 2003
- ^ Eliot Joshua et all. (2002). Laos Handbook. London: Footprint Publishers.
- ^ Hattaway, Paul. (2004). Peoples of the Buddhist World: A Christian Prayer Guide. Pasadena: William Carey Library.
- ^ Mugerauer, Robert. (2002). Discourses in Hybridity and Identity. Center for Environmental Design Research. Berkeley, CA: UC Berkeley Publishers.
- ^ Brown, David. (1997). The State and Ethnic Politics in Southeast Asia. New York: Routledge.
- ^ Mackill, D.J. et al. (1996) Rainfed Lowland Rice Improvement. International Rice Research Institute. IRRI Publications: Manila.
- ^ Joliat, Bernard and Vian, Sonia. (2003). Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia. New Jersey: Hunter Publishing.
- ^ Taylor, J.L. (1993). Forest Monks and the Nation-State: An Anthropological and Historical Study in Northeastern Thailand. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.
- ^ The Thai and Other Tai-Speaking Peoples
- ^ Hattaway, Paul. (2004). Peoples of the Buddhist World: A Christian Prayer Guide. Pasadena: William Carey Library.
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