Editing Isan language (section)

====Thaification (1930s–1960s)====
{{Main|Thaification}}
Suppression of the Isan language came with the '[[Thai cultural mandates]]' and other reforms that aimed to elevate Central Thai culture and language, reverence to the monarchy and the symbols of state and complete integration into Thailand, known as '[[Thaification]]'. Most of these reforms were implemented by [[Plaek Phibunsongkhram]], who changed the English name of Siam to 'Thailand' and whose ultra-nationalistic policies would mark Thailand during his rule from 1938 to 1944 and 1948–1957. These policies implemented an official diglossia. Isan was removed from public and official discourse to make way for Thai and the written language was banned, relegating Isan to an unwritten language of the home. Public schools, which finally were built in the region, focussed heavily on indoctrinating Isan people to revere the Thai monarchy, loyalty to the state and its symbols and mastery of the Thai language, with Isan treated as an inferior dialect. Pride in the language was erased as students were punished or humiliated for using the language in the classroom or writing in Tai Noi, planting the seed for future [[language shift]] as the region became bilingual.<ref name="Vacha"/><ref name="Ivarson"/><ref name="Platt">Platt, M. B. (2013). ''Isan Writers, Thai Literature Writing and Regionalism in Modern Thailand.'' (pp. 145–149). Singapore: NUS Press.</ref>

The old written language and the rich literature written in it were banned and was not discussed in schools. Numerous temples had their libraries seized and destroyed, replacing the old Lao religious texts, local histories, literature and poetry collections with Thai-script, Thai-centric manuscripts. The public schools also dismissed the old monks from their role as educators unless they complied with the new curriculum. This severed the Isan people from knowledge of their written language, shared literary history and ability to communicate via writing with the left bank Lao. In tandem with its removal from education and official contexts, the Thai language made a greater appearance in people's lives with the extension of the railroad to Ubon and Khon Kaen and with it the telegraph, radio and a larger number of Thai civil servants, teachers and government officials in the region that did not learn the local language.<ref>Smits, M. (2015). ''Southeast Asian Energy Transitions: Between Modernity and Sustainability''. (pp. 58–75). Ashgate Publishers.</ref>

Words for new technologies and the political realities of belonging to the Thai state arrived from Thai, including words of English and Chinese (primarily Teochew) origin, as well as neologisms created from Sanskrit roots. Laos, still under French rule, turned to French, Vietnamese, repurposing of old Lao vocabulary as well as Sanskrit-derived coinages that were generally the same, although not always, as those that developed in Thai. For example, the word or aeroplane (UK)/airplane (US) in Isan was ''huea bin'' ({{langx|tts|ເຮືອບິນ}} {{IPA|/hɯ́a bìn/}}) 'flying boat', but was generally replaced by Thai-influenced ''khrueang bin'' ({{langx|tts|เครื่องบิน}} {{IPA|/kʰɯ̄aŋ bìn/}}) 'flying machine', whereas Lao retained ''hua bin'' ({{langx|lo|ເຮືອບິນ}} {{IPA|/hɯ́a bìn/}}) RTGS ''huea bin''. Similarly, a game of [[billiards]] {{IPA|/bɪljədz/}} in Isan is ({{langx|tts|บิลเลียด}} {{IPA|/bìn.lȋat/}} from English via Thai; whereas on the left bank, people play ''biya'' ({{langx|lo|ບີຢາ}} {{IPA|/bìː.jàː/}}) from French ''billard'' {{IPA|/bi jaʁ/}}. Despite this slow shift, the spoken language maintained its Lao features since most of the population was still engaged in agriculture, where Thai was not needed, thus many Isan people never mastered Thai fully even if they used it as a written language and understood it fine.<ref name="Vacha"/><ref name="Platt"/>