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Lao

Other Language Families of Asia

Lao, sometimes referred to as Laotian, is a Southwestern Tai language and the official language of Laos. It is also spoken in the Isan region of northeastern Thailand, where it is usually called the Isan language.

Facts
ISO 639-3 Code
lao 1
Speaker Count
3,700,000 1
2015 estimate, first-language (L1) speakers of PDR Lao; the infobox also gives a second-language total of 800,000 with no date, not captured here.
Region
Laos, Thailand (Isan), Cambodia (Stung Treng, Preah Vihear and Ratanakiri), Vietnam (Dien Bien, Lai Chau and Son La), China (Xishuangbanna) 1
Classification
Official Status
Official Language 1
Connections

Written In

Lao Script, Scripts
Source Wikipedia: Lao Language
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Lao Language
Wikimedia Foundation
  • Lead section
    Lao, sometimes referred to as Laotian, is a Southwestern Tai language and the official language of Laos. It is also spoken in the Isan region of northeastern Thailand, where it is usually called the Isan language. The political split of the Lao-speaking population along the Mekong River resulted from the Franco-Siamese crisis of 1893.
  • Infobox, ISO 639-3
    lao
  • Infobox, Speakers
    L1: 3.7 million (2015)
  • Infobox, Native to
    Laos, Thailand (Isan), Cambodia (Stung Treng, Preah Vihear and Ratanakiri), Vietnam (Điện Biên, Lai Châu and Sơn La), China (Xishuangbanna)
  • Official status, Lao entity page
    Lao, sometimes referred to as Laotian, is a Southwestern Tai language and the official language of Laos.
  • Written In: Lao Script
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