THAI, Lao, and hill-tribe languages
Thai and Lao are categorized as different languages, but much of that has to do with the fact there is a national boundary and 2 countries involved. They are really more like dialects of the same language, and about 85 % similar. The entire eastern population of Thais in Issan province speak Lao as their mother tongue. If you know Thai already, you can teach yourself the basics of Lao in a single day, and with a dictionary and word list, go off the beaten path or to a bar near you (where lots of girls from Issan are sure to work) in order to practice speaking Lao. Click here for a handy Thai-Lao guide to help you do exactly that.
Within most of Thailand there are small differences in the way Thai is spoken regionally. The northern dialect surrounding Chiang Mai is known as 'pasa nua.' The southern dialect is called 'pak dai.' There is not only some vocabulary that is different amongst the regions, but more notably to a foreigner, tones are different as well. Regardless, the central Thais tend to insist that tone is much more standard than it really is and frequently take a snobbish attitude toward speech from the other regions. In the far south provinces bordering Malaysia (Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat) the local Thais speak a distinct form of Malay, with Thai words added. This is called 'Bahasa Patani' or 'Jawi' by locals, and 'Pasa Patani' or 'Yahwee' by non-local Thais.
There are a fair number of indigenous hill-tribe 'chao kao' languages (Lisu, Lahu, Mien, Yao, Hmong-Meo, etc.) still spoken in the mountains of Northwest Thailand, near the borders with Laos and Burma, and in western Thailand, in refugee camps and villages bordering Burma (Karen languages). Most of the once traditional and remote hill tribe villages in Thailand have become tourist attractions of sorts. The hill tribe youth speak Thai and their village's native language, but some who are older and left their villages as youth for places like Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, or Bangkok, are not fluent in their parents' language. In Laos, all of these same languages are spoken, and a higher percent of the rural villages are still remote, so these languages are still more important for communication locally than they are in Thailand.
All the hill tribe languages have some common features, and are categorized by linguists as Tibeto-Burman. Among the hill tribe languages, there are numerous dialects of each language; different dialects of the same language are spoken by different branches of the same tribe and are usually 50 - 80 % mutually understandable. The names given to the different branches of the same tribe are most often named after the color of a predominant item of traditional dress or their location.
Within most of Thailand there are small differences in the way Thai is spoken regionally. The northern dialect surrounding Chiang Mai is known as 'pasa nua.' The southern dialect is called 'pak dai.' There is not only some vocabulary that is different amongst the regions, but more notably to a foreigner, tones are different as well. Regardless, the central Thais tend to insist that tone is much more standard than it really is and frequently take a snobbish attitude toward speech from the other regions. In the far south provinces bordering Malaysia (Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat) the local Thais speak a distinct form of Malay, with Thai words added. This is called 'Bahasa Patani' or 'Jawi' by locals, and 'Pasa Patani' or 'Yahwee' by non-local Thais.
There are a fair number of indigenous hill-tribe 'chao kao' languages (Lisu, Lahu, Mien, Yao, Hmong-Meo, etc.) still spoken in the mountains of Northwest Thailand, near the borders with Laos and Burma, and in western Thailand, in refugee camps and villages bordering Burma (Karen languages). Most of the once traditional and remote hill tribe villages in Thailand have become tourist attractions of sorts. The hill tribe youth speak Thai and their village's native language, but some who are older and left their villages as youth for places like Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, or Bangkok, are not fluent in their parents' language. In Laos, all of these same languages are spoken, and a higher percent of the rural villages are still remote, so these languages are still more important for communication locally than they are in Thailand.
All the hill tribe languages have some common features, and are categorized by linguists as Tibeto-Burman. Among the hill tribe languages, there are numerous dialects of each language; different dialects of the same language are spoken by different branches of the same tribe and are usually 50 - 80 % mutually understandable. The names given to the different branches of the same tribe are most often named after the color of a predominant item of traditional dress or their location.
AUDIO SAMPLES
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Coming Soon:
SOUTHERN THAI (Pak Dai) BAHASA MELAYU PATANI |
