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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 2
Speaker Count
3,700,000 2
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.
Status
Living 2
Wikipedia article on Lao: a currently spoken living language with an active native-speaker population; checked 2026-09-27.
Attested From (Year)
from 1350 3
Region
Laos, Thailand (Isan), Cambodia (Stung Treng, Preah Vihear and Ratanakiri), Vietnam (Dien Bien, Lai Chau and Son La), China (Xishuangbanna) 2
Classification
Language Kind
Safe 1
Official Status
Official Language 2
Connections

In Family

Tai, Language Families
Source Wikipedia: Lao Language

Written In

Lao Script, Scripts
Source Wikipedia: Lao Language
In the Other Atlases

Found In

Asia

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Sources
1. Glottolog: Lao (Glottolog languoid laoo1244)
GlottologEndangerment, AES status
Quote, Endangerment, AES status
AES status: not endangered
View the Source
2. Wikipedia: Lao Language
Wikimedia Foundation
  • Lead section
    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
  • Article text
    However, the Vientiane and the Luang Prabang dialects have five tones (see below) (Brown 1965; Osatananda, 1997, 2015).
  • Infobox, Native to
    Laos, Thailand (Isan), Cambodia (Stung Treng, Preah Vihear and Ratanakiri), Vietnam (Điện Biên, Lai Châu and Sơn La), China (Xishuangbanna)
  • Lead section
    Lao (ພາສາລາວ, phasa Lao; [pʰáː.sǎː láːw]), sometimes referred to as Laotian, is a Southwestern Tai language and the official language of Laos.
  • Written In: Lao Script
  • In Family: Tai, Infobox, Language family
    Tai
View the Source
3. Omniglot: Lao language, alphabet and pronunciation
OmniglotLanguage at a glance
Quote, Language at a glance
First written : c. 1350
View the Source
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