Phuan or Northeastern Lao is a Tai languages spoken in Laos, Thailand and Cambodia.
Distribution
The Phuan people (ພວນ, พวน Phuan, ) are a Tai peoples people originally inhabiting Xiangkhouang and parts of Houaphan provinces of Laos. As a result of slave raids and forced population transfers, there are small, scattered villages of Phuan in Sakon and Udon Thani provinces and another area around Bueng Kan, Nong Khai and Loei Province provinces in Thailand. Despite the small numbers and isolation, the Siamese kept the Phuan people apart from the Lao people, and in from other Thai people in Northern and Central Thailand were small communities of Phuan also exist, forcing them to live apart and dress in black clothing. The Phuan in turn practised Endogamy marriage habits and steadfastness to their language and culture. It is distinct enough that Thai people and Isan people generally consider it distinct, although Phuan is considered a Lao dialect in Laos. As a Tai languages language of northern Southeast Asia, it shares many similarities with Tai Dam and Tai Lan Na. In contrast to other minority languages of Isan, it is not losing ground to the Thai or Isan.[
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In Thailand, Phuan is spoken in Chachoengsao, Chaiyaphum, Lopburi Province, Nakhon Nayok, Phetchabun, Phichit Province, Prachinburi, Suphan Buri, and Saraburi provinces; it is also spoken in an isolated area of Bueng Kan Province, and in one village south of Bangkok[
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There are approximately 5,000 Phuan in Mongkol Borei District of Banteay Meanchey Province in Cambodia,
Phonology
Similar to Northern Lao, Phuan has maintained the Proto-Southwestern Tai distinction of Proto-Tai */aɰ/ and */aj/, but the outcome is /ɤː/ and /aj/, respectively, similar to the Northern Lao dialects of Houaphan which has a significant Phuan presence. Similar to the Phuthai (ผู้ไท, ຜູ້ໄທ Phou Tai, ), final /k/ has been replaced by the glottal stop /ʔ/. What mainly distinguishes Phuan from all other Lao dialects are the vowel transformations that distinguish cognates, such as Thai and Lao /ua/ appearing as Phuan /oː/ and Thai and Lao /ɯa/ appearing as Phuan /ia/. This and a very distinct vocabulary make Phuan mutually intelligible but with difficulty to other Isan or Lao speakers and even harder to understand for native speakers of Central Thai.[Akharawatthanakun, P. (2010). 'Phonological variation in Phuan' in MANUSYA Journal of Humanities Regular. Bangkok, Thailand: Chulalongkon University. pp. 50–87.]
Consonants
Phuan has the following consonant inventory:
Phuan features two consonant clusters, and .
Vowels
Phuan has the following vowel inventory:
Comparison with Lao, Isan and Thai
| + Northeastern Lao (Phuan) vowel differences |
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ให้
hai
hâj | ให้
hai
hàj | ໃຫ້
hai
hȁj | ໃຫ້ (เห้อ)
* hoe
hɤ̏ː | 'to give' |
ใจ
chai
tɕāj | ใจ
chai
tɕàj | ໃຈ
chai
tɕàj | ໃຈ (เจ่อ)
* choe
tɕɤ̀ː | 'heart' |
ไม้
mai
máːj | ไม้
mai
mȁj | ໄມ້
mai
mâj | ໄມ້ (ไม้)
mai
mȁj | 'wood', 'tree' |
ไฟ
fai
fāj | ไฟ
fai
fâj | ໄຟ
fai
fáj | ໄຟ (ไฟ)
fai
fàj | 'fire' |
|
ช้อน
chon
tɕʰɔ́ːn | บ่วง
buang
búaŋ | ບ່ວງ
buang
būaŋ | ໂບ່ງ (โบ่ง)
bong
bòːŋ | 'spoon' |
สะพาน
saphan
sā.pʰāːn | สะพาน
saphan
sā.pʰâːn | ຂົວ
khua
kʰŭa | ໂຂ (โข)
kho
kʰòː | 'bridge' |
กล้วย
kluai
klûaj | กล้วย
kluai
kȗaj | ກ້ວຍ/ກ້ວຽ
kuai
kȗaj | ໂກ້ຍ/ໂກ້ຽ (โก้ย)
koi
kôːj | 'banana' |
|
เดือน
duean
dɯ̄an | เดือน
duean
dɯ̀an | ເດືອນ
duean
dɯ̀an | ດຽນ (เดียน)
* dian
dìan | 'month' |
เหลือง
lueang
lɯ̌aŋ | เหลือง
lueang
lɯ̌aŋ | ເຫລືອງ/ເຫຼືອງ
lueang
lɯ̆aŋ | ຫລຽງ/ຫຼຽງ (เหลียง)
* liang
lìaŋ | 'yellow' |
เปลือย
plueai
plɯ̄aj | เปลือย
plueai
pɯ̀aj | ເປືອຍ/ເປືອຽ
pueai
pɯ̀aj | ເປີຍ/ເປີຽ (เปย)
poei
pɤ̀ːj | 'undressed', 'nude' |
|
ผล, มะ-
phon, ma-
pʰǒn, máʔ | บัก
bak
bǎk | ຫມາກ/ໝາກ
mak
mȁːk | ຫມາ (หม่า)
ma
màː | 'fruit' |
ลูก
luk
lûːk | ลูก
luk
lȗːk | ລູກ
luk
lȗːk | ລູ (ลู)
lu
lùː | 'child' |
กระดูก
kraduk
krā.dùːk | กระดูก
kraduk
kā.dùːk | ກະດູກ
kaduk
kā.dȕːk | ດູ (ดู)
du
dùː | 'bone' |
Vocabulary
| + Northeastern Lao (Phuan) words |
|
โซ่
so
sôː | โส้
so
sòː | ໂສ້
so
sȍː | ເສັຍ/ເສັຽ (เสียะ)
sia
sìaʔ | 'chain' |
อีแร้ง
i raeng
ʔīː | อีแฮ้ง
i haeng
ʔìː | ອີ່ແຮ້ງ
i haeng
ʔīː | ບ້າແຮ້ງ (บ้าแฮ้ง)
ba haeng
bâː | 'vulture' |
พุทรา
phut sa
pʰút | บักทัน
bak than
bǎk | ຫມາກກະທັນ/ໝາກກທັນ
mak kathan
mȁːk | ຫມາທັນ/ໝາທັນ (หมาทัน)
ma than
màː | 'jujube' |
คิดถึง
khit thueng
kʰít | คึดฮอด
khuet hot
kʰɯ̀t | ຄຶດຮອດ
khuet hot
kʰɯ̀t | ຄຶດຮູ້ (คึดฮู้)
khuet hu
kʰɯ̀t | 'to miss someone/something' |
ไหน
nai
nǎj | ใส
sai
sǎj | ໃສ
sai
sǎj | ກະເລີ (กะเลอ)
kaloe
kā.lɤ̀ː | 'where' |
Tones
Outside of Xiangkhouang and other native areas in Laos, the scattered Phuan settlements in Thailand have been greatly influenced by the tones of the local languages, however even though most maintain six, those in Louang Phrabang or Central Thailand only have five and when spoken as a second language by tribal peoples of various languages, they may use seven. However all Phuan dialects share distinct tonal split, with syllables beginning with low-clas consonants and marked with the mai ek ( may ék) tone mark pronounced differently than similar situations with other class consonants. This is also done in some varieties of Western Lao. Most other Lao dialects have the same tone when marked with the mai ek tone mark.|
+ Tai Phuan of Ban Fai Mun, Nan Province, Thailand | Tone Class
! style="font-weight:bold; background-color:rgb(238, 238, 238); color:rgb(32, 33, 34);" style="width: 120px;" | Inherent Tone
! style="font-weight:bold; background-color:rgb(238, 238, 238); color:rgb(32, 33, 34);" style="width: 120px;" | Mai ek (◌່)
! style="font-weight:bold; background-color:rgb(238, 238, 238); color:rgb(32, 33, 34);" style="width: 120px;" | Mai tho (◌້)
! style="font-weight:bold; background-color:rgb(238, 238, 238); color:rgb(32, 33, 34);" style="width: 120px;" | Long Vowel
! style="font-weight:bold; background-color:rgb(238, 238, 238); color:rgb(32, 33, 34);" style="width: 120px;" | Short Vowel |
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+ Tai Phouan of Xiangkhouang Province, Laos | Tone Class
! style="font-weight:bold; background-color:rgb(238, 238, 238); color:rgb(32, 33, 34);" style="width: 120px;" | Inherent Tone
! style="font-weight:bold; background-color:rgb(238, 238, 238); color:rgb(32, 33, 34);" style="width: 120px;" | Mai ek (◌່)
! style="font-weight:bold; background-color:rgb(238, 238, 238); color:rgb(32, 33, 34);" style="width: 120px;" | Mai tho (◌້)
! style="font-weight:bold; background-color:rgb(238, 238, 238); color:rgb(32, 33, 34);" style="width: 120px;" | Long Vowel
! style="font-weight:bold; background-color:rgb(238, 238, 238); color:rgb(32, 33, 34);" style="width: 120px;" | Short Vowel |
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+ Tai Phouan of Pak Xèng, Louang Phrabang Province, Laos | Tone Class
! style="font-weight:bold; background-color:rgb(238, 238, 238); color:rgb(32, 33, 34);" style="width: 120px;" | Inherent Tone
! style="font-weight:bold; background-color:rgb(238, 238, 238); color:rgb(32, 33, 34);" style="width: 120px;" | Mai ek (◌່)
! style="font-weight:bold; background-color:rgb(238, 238, 238); color:rgb(32, 33, 34);" style="width: 120px;" | Mai tho (◌້)
! style="font-weight:bold; background-color:rgb(238, 238, 238); color:rgb(32, 33, 34);" style="width: 120px;" | Long Vowel
! style="font-weight:bold; background-color:rgb(238, 238, 238); color:rgb(32, 33, 34);" style="width: 120px;" | Short Vowel |
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Further reading
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Burusphat, S., Sujaritlak Deepadung, S., Suraratdecha, N. A., Patpong, P., & Setapong, P. "Language Vitality and the Ethnic Tourism Development of the Lao Ethnic Groups in the Western Region of Thailand."
