Editing Lao language (section)

==Dialects==
The standard written Lao based on the speech of Vientiane has leveled many lexical differences between dialects found in Laos, and although spoken regional variations remain strong, speakers will adjust to it in formal situations and in dealings with outsiders.<ref>Compton, C. J. (2009) ''Contemporary Lao Studies: Research on Development, Language and Culture, and Traditional Medicine''. Compton, C. J., Hartmann, J. F. Sysamouth, V. (eds.). (pp. 160–188). San Francisco, CA: Center for Lao Cultural Studies.</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-----bgcolor="#eeeeee"
|+ Lao Dialects
||'''Dialect'''||'''Lao Provinces'''||'''Thai Provinces'''
|----- bgcolor="#ffffff"
| Vientiane Lao
| [[Vientiane]], [[Vientiane Prefecture]], [[Bolikhamsai Province|Bolikhamxay]] and southern [[Xaisomboun Province|Xaisômboun]]
| [[Nong Khai Province|Nong Khai]], [[Nong Bua Lamphu Province|Nong Bua Lamphu]], [[Chaiyaphum Province|Chaiyaphum]], [[Udon Thani Province|Udon Thani]], portions of [[Yasothorn Province|Yasothon]], [[Bueng Kan Province|Bueng Kan]], [[Loei Province|Loei]] and [[Khon Kaen Province|Khon Kaen]] (Khon Chaen)
|----- bgcolor="#ffffff"
| Northern Lao<br>Louang Phrabang Lao
| [[Luang Prabang Province|Louang Phrabang]], [[Sainyabuli Province|Xaignbouli]], [[Oudomxay Province|Oudômxay]], [[Phongsaly Province|Phôngsali]], [[Bokeo Province|Bokèo]], and [[Luang Namtha Province|Louang Namtha]], portions of [[Houaphanh Province|Houaphan]]
| [[Loei Province|Loei]], portions of [[Udon Thani Province|Udon Thani]], [[Khon Kaen]](Khon Chaen), also [[Phitsanulok Province|Phitsanulok]], [[Phetchabun Province|Phetchabun]] (Phetsabun) and [[Uttaradit Province|Uttaradit]] (outside Isan)
|----- bgcolor="#ffffff"
| Northeastern Lao<br>Phuan (Phouan) Lao
| [[Xiangkhouang Province|Xiangkhouang]], portions of [[Houaphanh Province|Houaphan]] and [[Xaisomboun Province|Xaisômboun]]
| Scattered in isolated villages of [[Chaiyaphum Province|Chaiyaphum]], [[Sakon Nakhon Province|Sakon Nakhon]], [[Udon Thani Province|Udon Thani]], [[Bueng Kan Province|Bueng Kan]], [[Nong Khai Province|Nong Khai]] and [[Loei Province|Loei]]{{efn|Northeastern Lao is sometimes considered a separate language, as it is traditionally spoken by Phuan tribal members, a closely related but distinct [[Tai peoples|Tai]] group. Also spoken in a few small and scattered Tai Phuan villages in [[Sukhothai Province|Sukhothai]], [[Uttaradit Province|Uttaradit]], and [[Phrae Province|Phrae]].}}
|----- bgcolor="#ffffff"
|Central Lao ({{lang|lo|ລາວກາງ}})
| [[Khammouane Province|Khammouan]] and portions of [[Bolikhamsai Province|Bolikhamxay]] and [[Savannakhet Province|Savannakhét]]
| [[Mukdahan Province|Mukdahan]], [[Sakon Nakhon Province|Sakon Nakhon]], [[Nakhon Phanom Province|Nakhon Phanom]], [[Mukdahan Province|Mukdahan]]; portions of [[Nong Khai Province|Nong Khai]] and [[Bueng Kan Province|Bueng Kan]]
|----- bgcolor="#ffffff"
| Southern Lao
|[[Champasak Province|Champasak]], [[Salavan Province|Saravan]], [[Sekong Province|Xékong]], [[Attapeu Province|Attapeu]], portions of [[Savannakhet Province|Savannakhét]]
| [[Ubon Ratchathani Province|Ubon Ratchathani]] (Ubon Ratsathani), [[Amnat Charoen Province|Amnat Charoen]], portions of [[Si Sa Ket Province|Si Sa Ket]], [[Surin Province|Surin]], [[Nakhon Ratchasima Province|Nakhon Ratchasima]] (Nakhon Ratsasima), and [[Yasothorn Province|Yasothon]]{{efn|Southern Lao gives way to [[Northern Khmer dialect|Northern Khmer]] in Sisaket, Surin, and Buriram, and to [[Khorat Thai]] and, to some extent, Northern Khmer in Nakhon Ratchasima.}}
|----- bgcolor="#ffffff"
| Western Lao (Standard Isan)
| * Not found in Laos
| [[Kalasin Province|Kalasin]], [[Roi Et Province|Roi Et]] (Hoi Et), [[Maha Sarakham Province|Maha Sarakham]], portions of [[Khon Kaen]] (Khon Chaen), [[Chaiyaphum]] (Sainyaphum), and [[Nakhon Ratchasima]] (Nakhon Ratsasima)
|----- bgcolor="#ffffff"
|}

===Vientiane Lao dialect===
In Laos, the written language has been mainly based on Vientiane Lao for centuries after the capital of Lan Xang was moved in 1560. The speech of the old élite families was cultivated into Standard Lao as emulated by television and radio broadcasts from the capital as well as taught to foreign students of Lao. The speech of the Isan city of Nong Khai, which sits on the opposite bank of the Mekong, is almost indistinguishable in tone and accent from the speech of Vientiane. Vientiane Lao predominates in Vientiane City, the surrounding [[Vientiane Province]] and portions of [[Bolikhamxai Province|Bolikhamxai]] and some areas of [[Xaisomboun Province|Xaisômboun]].

In Isan, Vientiane Lao is the primary form of Isan spoken in the northern third of the region which was long settled since the days of Lan Xang and was ruled as part of the Kingdom of Vientiane, including most of [[Nong Khai Province|Nong Khai]], [[Nong Bua Lamphu Province|Nong Bua Lamphu]], eastern [[Loei Province|Loei]] and portions of [[Chaiyaphum Province|Saiyaphum]] and [[Bueng Kan Province|Bueng Kan]]. As a result of the Lao rebellion of 1826 the ''Tai Wiang'' ({{lang|lo|ໄທວຽງ}}), {{IPA|/tʰáj wíaŋ/}}), 'Vientiane people' of the city and surrounding parts of the kingdom, were rounded up by Siamese armies and forced to the right bank, greatly boosting the Lao population of what is now Isan. The Tai Wiang strengthened numbers in the northern third, where Vientiane Lao was traditionally spoken, but were scattered across the Isan region overall, with heavier concentrations in [[Yasothorn Province|Yasothon]], [[Khon Kaen Province|Khon Kaen]], and [[Roi Et Province|Hoi Et]] provinces. This likely had a leveling effect on the Lao language as spoken in Isan, as most Isan speakers regardless of speech variety are prone to using /ʋ/ as opposed to /w/ and the informal conversion of syllable-initial /k/ to /tɕ/ in relaxed, informal speech, which in Laos, is particularly characteristic of Vientiane speech. For example, the word ''kaem'' ({{lang|lo|ແກ້ມ}} ''kèm'', {{IPA|/kɛ̂ːm/}}), 'cheek', is often pronounced *''chaem'' (*{{lang|lo|ແຈ້ມ}} ''chèm'', *{{IPA|/tɕɛ̂ːm/}}).

{| class="wikitable"
|-----bgcolor="#eeeeee"
|+ Vientiane Dialect Six-Tone Distribution<ref>Hartmann, J. (2002). [http://www.seasite.niu.edu/lao/LaoLanguage/LaoTones/Vientianetones.htm Vientiane Tones.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200811163156/http://www.seasite.niu.edu/lao/LaoLanguage/LaoTones/Vientianetones.htm |date=2020-08-11 }} Center for Southeast Asian Studies. DeKalb: University of Northern Illinois. Based on Crisfield-Hartmann 2002/Enfield 2000, Brown 1965, and Chittavoravong (1980) (unpublished).</ref>
! style="font-weight:bold; background-color:rgb(238, 238, 238); color:rgb(32, 33, 34);" | Tone Class
! style="font-weight:bold; background-color:rgb(238, 238, 238); color:rgb(32, 33, 34);" | Inherent Tone
! style="font-weight:bold; background-color:rgb(238, 238, 238); color:rgb(32, 33, 34);" | Mai ek ({{lang|lo|◌່}})
! style="font-weight:bold; background-color:rgb(238, 238, 238); color:rgb(32, 33, 34);" | Mai tho ({{lang|lo|◌້}})
! style="font-weight:bold; background-color:rgb(238, 238, 238); color:rgb(32, 33, 34);" | Long Vowel
! style="font-weight:bold; background-color:rgb(238, 238, 238); color:rgb(32, 33, 34);" | Short Vowel
|-
! High
| style="background-color:#c1a2e1;" | Low-Rising
| style="background-color:#f8ff00;" | Middle
| style="background-color:#3dbaaf;" | Low-Falling (glottalized)
| style="background-color:#3dbaaf;" | Low-Falling
| style="background-color:#ffcb2f;" | Mid-Rising
|-
! Middle
| style="background-color:#c1a2e1;" | Low-Rising
| style="background-color:#f8ff00;" | Middle
| style="background-color:#6200c9;" | High-Falling (glottalized)
| style="background-color:#6200c9;" | High-Falling
| style="background-color:#ffcb2f;" | Mid-Rising
|-
! Low
| style="background-color:#7432b9;" | High-Rising
| style="background-color:#f8ff00;" | Middle
| style="background-color:#6200c9;" | High-Falling
| style="background-color:#6200c9;" | High-Falling
| style="background-color:#f8ff00;" | Middle (high)
|}

===Northern Lao (Louang Phrabang) dialect===
Northern Lao is a very distinct dialect, exhibiting several features and lexical differences quite apart from other Lao dialects except Northeastern Lao (Phuan). Even though it borders the Vientiane Lao dialect region, there is a sharp boundary that divides them. The dialect shares many similarities with [[Northern Thai language|Tai Lanna]] and is classified accordingly as a Chiang Saen language by Ethnologue.<ref name="ethny">Paul, L. M., Simons, G. F. and Fennig, C. D. (eds.). 2013. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Seventeenth edition. Dallas, Texas: SIL International. Retrieved from http://www.ethnologue.com {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071227170852/http://www.ethnologue.com/ |date=2007-12-27 }}</ref> The dialect is not common in Isan, restricted to western portions of [[Loei Province|Loei]] and pockets of villages spread throughout [[Udon Thani Province|Udon Thani]] provinces. The Isan people of [[Phitsanulok Province|Phitsanulok]] and [[Uttaradit Province|Uttaradit]] provinces, particularly the narrow strip hugging the shore of the Mekong and bordering Loei, outside of Isan are generally speakers of Northern Lao. In Laos, it is the primary dialect spoken in [[Luang Prabang Province|Louang Phrabang]] and [[Sainyabuli Province|Xaignabouli]] provinces. In the other northern Laotian provinces of [[Oudomxai Province|Oudômxai]], [[Houaphanh Province|Houaphan]], [[Luang Namtha Province|Louang Namtha]] and [[Phongsaly Province|Phôngsali]], native Lao speakers are a small minority in the major market towns but Northern Lao, highly influenced by the local languages, is spoken as the ''lingua franca'' across ethnic groups of the area.<ref name="dialectal">เรืองเดช ปันเขื่อนขัติย์. ภาษาถิ่นตระกูลไทย. กทม. สถาบันวิจัยภาษาและวัฒนธรรมเพื่อการพัฒนาชนบทมหาวิทยาลัยมหิดล. 2531.</ref>

Northern Lao, specifically the speech of the city of [[Luang Prabang|Louang Phrabang]] was originally the prestigious variety of the language with the city serving as the capital of Lan Xang for the first half of its existence, with the kings of the city made kings of all of Laos by the French. Although the language lost its prestige to Vientiane Lao, Northern Lao is important for its history, as many of the earliest Lao literary works were composed in the dialect, and it served, in a refined form, as the royal speech of the Laotian kings until 1975 when the monarchy was abolished. Louang Phrabang remains the largest city in the northern region of Laos, serving as an important center of trade and communication with the surrounding areas.

Despite the proximity to speakers of Vientiane Lao, Northern Lao is quite distinct. Unlike other Lao dialects with six tones, Northern Lao speakers use only five. Due to the distinctive high-pitch, high-falling tone on words with live syllables starting with low-class consonants, the dialect is said to sound softer, sweeter and more effeminate than other Lao dialects, likely aided by the slower speed of speaking.<ref name="LaoDialects"/> Similar in tonal structure and quality to Tai Lanna, likely facilitated by the immigration of Lanna people to Louang Phrabang after Chiang Mai's fall to the Burmese in 1551, the dialect is classified apart from other Lao dialects as Chiang Saen language by Ethnologue.<ref name="ethny"/> Northern Lao also resisted the merger of Proto-Tai *{{IPA|/aɰ/}} and *{{IPA|/aj/}} that occurred in all other Lao dialects, except Northeastern Lao. This affects the twenty or so words represented by Thai '{{lang|th|ใ◌}}' and Lao '{{lang|lo|ໃ◌}}', which preserve /aɰ/ in Northern Lao. This vowel has become /aj/, similar to Thai '{{lang|th|ไ◌}}' and Lao '{{lang|lo|ໄ◌}}' which is also /aj/. Northern Lao also contains numerous terms not familiar to other Lao speakers.<ref name="Loei">Osantanda, V. (2015). "Lao Khrang and Luang Phrabang Lao: A Comparison of Tonal Systems and Foreign-Accent Rating by Luang Phrabang Judges." ''The Journal of Lao Studies''. pp. 110–143. Special Issue 2(2015).</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Lack of /aj/-/aɯ/ merger in Northern (Louang Phrabang) Lao
! Source
! Thai
! Isan
! Vientiane Lao
! Northern Lao
! Gloss
|-
| */ʰmɤːl/
| {{lang|th|ใหม่}}<br />{{transliteration|th|mai}}<br />{{IPA|[màj]}}
| {{lang|tts|ใหม่}}<br />{{transliteration|tts|mai}}<br />{{IPA|[māj]}}
| {{lang|lo|ໃຫມ່}}<br />{{transliteration|lo|mai}}<br />{{IPA|[māj]}}
| {{lang|lo|ໃຫມ່}}<br />{{transliteration|lo|*maue}}<br />{{IPA|[māɯ]}}
| 'new'
|-
| */haɰ/
| {{lang|th|ให้}}<br />{{transliteration|th|hai}}<br />{{IPA|[hâj]}}
| {{lang|tts|ให้}}<br />{{transliteration|tts|hai}}<br />{{IPA|[hàj]}}
| {{lang|lo|ໃຫ້}}<br />{{transliteration|lo|hai}}<br />{{IPA|[hȁj]}}
| {{lang|lo|ໃຫ້}}<br />{{transliteration|lo|*haue}}<br />{{IPA|[hȁɯ]}}
| 'to give'
|-
| */cɤɰ/
| {{lang|th|ใจ}}<br />{{transliteration|th|chai}}<br />{{IPA|[tɕāj]}}
| {{lang|tts|ใจ}}<br />{{transliteration|tts|chai}}<br />{{IPA|[tɕàj]}}
| {{lang|lo|ໃຈ}}<br />{{transliteration|lo|chai}}<br />{{IPA|[tɕàj]}}
| {{lang|lo|ໃຈ}}<br />{{transliteration|lo|*chaue}}<br />{{IPA|[tɕǎɯ]}}
| 'heart'
|-
| */C̥.daɰ/
| {{lang|th|ใน}}<br />{{transliteration|th|nai}}<br />{{IPA|[nāj]}}
| {{lang|tts|ใน}}<br />{{transliteration|tts|nai}}<br />{{IPA|[nâj]}}
| {{lang|lo|ໃນ}}<br />{{transliteration|lo|nai}}<br />{{IPA|[náj]}}
| {{lang|lo|ໃນ}}<br />{{transliteration|lo|*naue}}<br />{{IPA|[na᷇ɯ]}}
| 'inside'
|-
| */mwaj/
| {{lang|th|ไม้}}<br />{{transliteration|th|mai}}<br />{{IPA|[máːj]}}
| {{lang|tts|ไม้}}<br />{{transliteration|tts|mai}}<br />{{IPA|[mȁj]}}
| {{lang|lo|ໄມ້}}<br />{{transliteration|lo|mai}}<br />{{IPA|[mâj]}}
| {{lang|lo|ໄມ້}}<br />{{transliteration|lo|mai}}<br />{{IPA|[ma᷇j]}}
| 'wood'. 'tree'
|-
| */wɤj/
| {{lang|th|ไฟ}}<br />{{transliteration|th|fai}}<br />{{IPA|[fāj]}}
| {{lang|tts|ไฟ}}<br />{{transliteration|tts|fai}}<br />{{IPA|[fâj]}}
| {{lang|lo|ໄຟ}}<br />{{transliteration|lo|fai}}<br />{{IPA|[fáj]}}
| {{lang|lo|ໄຟ}}<br />{{transliteration|lo|fai}}<br />{{IPA|[fa᷇j]}}
| 'fire'
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Northern Lao dialectal words
! Thai
! Isan
! Vientiane Lao
! Northern Lao
! Gloss
|-
| {{lang|th|เล่น}}<br>{{transliteration|th|len}}<br>{{IPA|[lên]}}
| {{lang|tts|หลิ้น}}<br>{{transliteration|tts|lin}}<br>{{IPA|[lìn]}}
| {{lang|lo|ຫລິ້ນ/ຫຼິ້ນ}}<br>{{transliteration|lo|lin}}<br>{{IPA|[lȉn]}}
| {{lang|lo|ເອວ (เอว)}}<br>{{transliteration|lo|eo}}<br>{{IPA|[ʔêːw]}}
| 'to joke', 'to play'
|-
| {{lang|th|ลิง}}<br>{{transliteration|th|ling}}<br>{{IPA|[līŋ]}}
| {{lang|tts|ลีง}}<br>{{transliteration|tts|ling}}<br>{{IPA|[lîːŋ]}}
| {{lang|lo|ລີງ}}<br>{{transliteration|lo|ling}}<br>{{IPA|[líːŋ]}}
| {{lang|lo|ລິງ (ลิง)}}<br>{{transliteration|lo|ling}}<br>{{IPA|[lîŋ]}}
| 'monkey'
|-
| {{lang|th|ขนมปัง}}<br>{{transliteration|th|khanom pang}}<br>{{IPA|[kʰā.nǒm pàŋ]}}
| {{lang|tts|ข้าวจี่ ขนมปัง}}<br>{{transliteration|tts|khao chi}}<br>{{transliteration|tts|khanom pang}}<br>{{IPA|[kʰà(ː)w tɕíː]<br>[kʰā.nǒm pàŋ]}}
| {{lang|lo|ເຂົ້າຈີ່}}<br>{{transliteration|lo|khao chi}}<br>{{IPA|[kʰȁw tɕīː]}}
| {{lang|lo|ຂມົນປັງ (ขนมปัง)}}<br>{{transliteration|lo|khanom pang}}<br>{{IPA|[kʰā.nǒm pâŋ]}}
| 'bread'
|-
| {{lang|th|ห่อ}}<br>{{transliteration|th|ho}}<br>{{IPA|[hɔ̀ː]}}
| {{lang|tts|ห่อ}}<br>{{transliteration|tts|ho}}<br>{{IPA|[hɔ̄ː]}}
| {{lang|lo|ຫໍ່}}<br>{{transliteration|lo|ho}}<br>{{IPA|[hɔ̄ː]}}
| {{lang|lo|ຄູ່ (คู่)}}<br>{{transliteration|lo|khu}}<br>{{IPA|[kʰu᷇ː]}}
| 'parcel', 'package'
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|-----bgcolor="#eeeeee"
|+ Northern Lao (Louang Phrabang) Dialect Tone Distribution<ref>Hartmann, J. (2002). [http://www.seasite.niu.edu/lao/LaoLanguage/LaoTones/luangphrabangtones.htm Louang Phrabang Tones.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220126213008/http://www.seasite.niu.edu/lao/LaoLanguage/LaoTones/luangphrabangtones.htm |date=2022-01-26 }} Based Brown (1965).</ref>
! style="color:rgb(32, 33, 34);" | Tone Class
! style="color:rgb(32, 33, 34);" | Inherent Tone
! style="color:rgb(32, 33, 34);" | Mai ek ({{lang|lo|◌່}})
! style="color:rgb(32, 33, 34);" | Mai tho ({{lang|lo|◌້}})
! style="color:rgb(32, 33, 34);" | Long Vowel
! style="color:rgb(32, 33, 34);" | Short Vowel
|-
| style="background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255); color:rgb(32, 33, 34);" | High
| style="background-color:#38fff8;" color:rgb(32, 33, 34);" | Mid-Falling Rising
| style="background-color:#f8ff00;" | Middle
| style="background-color:#6200c9;" | High-Falling (glottalized)
| style="background-color:#6200c9;" | High-Falling
| style="background-color:#ffcb2f;" | Mid-Rising
|-
| style="background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255); color:rgb(32, 33, 34);" | Middle
| style="background-color:#c1a2e1;" | Low-Rising
| style="background-color:#f8ff00;" | Middle
| style="background-color:#ffcb2f;" | Mid-Rising (glottalized)
| style="background-color:#6200c9;" | High-Falling
| style="background-color:#ffcb2f;" | Mid-Rising
|-
| style="background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255); color:rgb(32, 33, 34);" | Low
| style="background-color:#c1a2e1;" | Low-Rising
| style="background-color:#f8ff00;" | Middle
| style="background-color:#ffcb2f;" | Mid-Rising
| style="background-color:#ffcb2f;" | Mid-Rising
| style="background-color:#f8ff00;" | Middle
|}

===Northeastern Lao dialect (Tai Phouan)===
{{main|Phuan language}}
The [[Phuan language]] is a [[Chiang Saen languages|Chiang Saen (Thai) language]] rather than part of the [[Lao–Phutai languages]], but it is considered a Lao dialect in Laos. As a Tai 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 language in Isan.<ref name="ethny"/>

===Central Lao===
Central Lao represents a transitional variety, with northern varieties closer to Vientiane Lao and southern varieties, roughly south of the confluence of the Xé Noi river with the Mekong, the speech varieties begin to approach Southern Lao. Some linguists, such as Hartmann, place Vientiane Lao and Central Lao together as a singular dialect region.<ref>Hartmann, J. (2002). 'Spoken Lao—A regional approach.' SEASITE Laos. DeKalb, IL: Northern Illinois University.</ref> More Vientiane-like speech predominates in the Isan provinces of [[Bueng Kan Province|Bueng Kan]], [[Sakon Nakhon Province|Sakon Nakhon]], most of [[Nakhon Phanom Province|Nakhon Phanom]] and some areas of [[Nong Khai Province|Nong Khai]] provinces and on the Laotian side, portions of eastern and southern [[Bolikhamxai Province|Bolikhamxai]] and [[Khammouane Province|Khammouan]] provinces. More Southern Lao features are found in the speech of [[Mukdahan Province|Mukdahan]] and southern [[Nakhon Phanom Province|Nakhon Phanom]] provinces of Thailand and [[Savannakhet Province|Savannakhét Province]] of Laos.

Nevertheless, the tones of the southern Central varieties, such as spoken in Mukdahan, Thailand and Savannakhét, Laos have a tonal structure more akin to Vientiane Lao, sharing certain splits and contours. These areas do, however, exhibit some Southern features of their lexicon, such as the common use of ''se'' ({{lang|lo|ເຊ}} ''xé'', {{IPA|/sêː/}}), 'river', which is typical of Southern Lao as opposed to ''nam'' ({{lang|lo|ນ້ຳ}}, {{IPA|/nȃːm/}}), which is the more common word and also signifies 'water' in general. Mukdahan-Savannakhét area speakers also understand ''maethao'' ({{lang|lo|ແມ່ເຖົ້າ}}, {{IPA|/mɛ́ː.tʰȁw/}}) as a respectful term for an 'old lady' (as opposed to Vientiane 'mother-in-law') and use ''pen sang'' ({{lang|lo|ເປັນສັງ}}, {{IPA|/pȅn sȁŋ/}}) instead of Vientiane ''pen yang'' ({{lang|lo|ເປັນຫຍັງ}}, {{IPA|/pèn ɲăŋ/}}), 'what's wrong?', as is typical of Southern Lao.

{| class="wikitable"
|-----bgcolor="#eeeeee"
|+ Central Dialect Tone Distribution (Savannakhét)<ref>Hmong Research Group (2009). [http://hmongrp.wisc.edu/IPPL%20Lao/inetpub/wwwroot/ipa/lao/orthography_Savtone.html Central Lao Tones (Savannakhét).] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100614174348/http://hmongrp.wisc.edu/IPPL%20Lao/inetpub/wwwroot/ipa/lao/orthography_Savtone.html |date=2010-06-14 }} Madison: University of Wisconsin.</ref>
||'''Tone Class'''||'''Inherent Tone'''||'''Mai ek ({{lang|lo|◌່}})'''||'''Mai tho ({{lang|lo|◌້}})'''||'''Long Vowel'''||'''Short Vowel'''
|----- bgcolor="#ffffff"
! High
| style="background-color:#34ff34;" | Rising
| style="background-color:#f8ff00;" | Middle
| style="background-color:#3dbaaf;" | Low-Falling
| style="background-color:#34ff34;" | Rising
| style="background-color:#3dbaaf;" | Low-Falling
|----- bgcolor="#ffffff"
! Middle
| style="background-color:#6200c9;" | High-Falling
| style="background-color:#f8ff00;" | Middle
| style="background-color:#10f9c6;" | Rising-Falling
| style="background-color:#34ff34;" | Rising
| style="background-color:#3dbaaf;" | Low-Falling
|----- bgcolor="#ffffff"
! Low
| style="background-color:#6200c9;" | High-Falling
| style="background-color:#f8ff00;" | Middle
| style="background-color:#10f9c6;" | Rising-Falling
| style="background-color:#6200c9;" | High-Falling
| style="background-color:#f8ff00;" | Middle
|}

===Southern Lao===
Southern Lao is spoken along the southern third of Isan and Laos. This region covers the Thai provinces of [[Surin Province|Surin]], [[Buriram Province|Buriram]] and [[Sisaket Province|Sisaket]], where a large minority of speakers are [[Khmer people|Khmer]] people speaking the archaic [[Northern Khmer dialect|northern]] variety of Khmer and another Austroasiatic people, the [[Kuy people]], use Southern Lao as a second language to engage with their Isan neighbors. It is also spoken in [[Ubon Ratchathani Province|Ubon Ratsathani]], [[Amnat Charoen Province|Amnat Charoen]] and portions of [[Yasothorn Province|Yasothon]] and [[Nakhon Ratchasima Province|Nakhon Ratsasima]]. In Laos, it is the primary dialect of [[Champasak Province|Champasak]], [[Saravane Province|Salavan]], [[Attapeu Province|Attapeu]] and [[Sekong Province|Xékong]] provinces. There are also small pockets of speakers located in [[Steung Treng Province]], Cambodia or ''Siang Taeng'' ({{lang|lo|ຊຽງແຕງ}}, {{IPA|/síaŋ tɛ̀ːŋ/}}), particularly near the Mekong River close to the Laotian border. Many of the areas where Southern Lao is spoken were formerly part of the [[Kingdom of Champasak]], one of the three successor states to the Kingdom of Lan Xang, prior to the division of the Lao-speaking world between France and Siam.

Compared to other Isan and Lao dialects, Southern Lao has low tones in syllables that begin with high- or middle-class consonants and have long vowels. High- and middle-class consonants marked with the ''mai tho'' tone mark are low and low-falling, respectively, but in these cases are pronounced with very strong [[glottalization]], which can be described as 'creaky'. Combined with the somewhat faster manner of speaking and reduced tendency to soften consonants at the end of words, Southern Lao sounds very rough and harsh to speakers of other dialects. Many of these features, such as the faster speaking pace and glottalization may be influences from Austroasiatic languages as most of the region was inhabited by the Khmer, Kuy and various other Austroasiatic peoples until the eighteenth century when the Lao began to settle and even now, Khmer speakers comprise half the population of Surin and roughly a quarter each of the populations of Sisaket and Buriram provinces.<ref name="LaoDialects">Enfield, N. J. (1966). A Grammar of Lao. Mouton de Gruyter: New York, NY. 2007 reprint. p. 19.</ref>

Specific dialectal words include ''don'' ({{lang|lo|ດອນ}}, {{IPA|/dɔːn/}}), 'riparian island', ''se'' ({{lang|lo|ເຊ}} xé, /sȅː/)) and many of the words used in Savannakhét that are more typical of Southern Lao such as ''mae thao'' ({{lang|lo|ແມ່ເຖົ້າ}}, {{IPA|/mɛ́ː tʰȁw/}}) as a respectful term for an 'old lady' (as opposed to Vientiane 'mother-in-law') and use ''pen sang'' ({{lang|lo|ເປັນສັງ}}, {{IPA|/pȅn sȁŋ/}}) instead of Vientiane ''pen yang'' ({{lang|lo|ເປັນຫຍັງ}} ''pén gnang'', {{IPA|/pen ɲăŋ/}}), 'what's wrong?'. Possibly as a result of historical Khmer influence and current influences from Thai, Southern dialects tend to pronounce some words with initial Proto-Southwestern Tai *{{IPA|/r/}} as either the rhotic tap {{IPA|/ɾ/}} or a strongly velarized {{IPA|/ɬ/}} which is confused with {{IPA|/d/}} by speakers of other Lao dialects which have /h/. For example, Vientiane Lao ''hap'' ({{lang|lo|ຮັບ}}, {{IPA|/hāp/}}), 'to receive', and ''hong haem'' ({{lang|lo|ໂຮງແຮມ}} ''hônghèm'', {{IPA|/hóːŋ hɛ́ːm/}}) are pronounced as ''lap'' ({{lang|lo|ລັບ}}, {{IPA|/ɾàp/}}) and ''honglaem'' ({{lang|lo|ໂຮງແລມ}} ''hônglèm'', {{IPA|/hɔ̏ːŋ ɾɛ̏ːm/}}), respectively but may sound like *''dap'' and *''hongdaem'' (''hông dèm'') to other Lao, but are really a strongly velarized /ɬ/ or a rhotic tap /ɾ/.<ref>Davis, G. W. (2015). [http://www.laostudies.org/system/files/subscription/Davis.pdf The Story of Lao r: Filling in the Gaps] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210305221711/http://www.laostudies.org/system/files/subscription/Davis.pdf |date=2021-03-05 }}. ''The Journal of Lao Studies'', Special 2(2015), pps 97–109.</ref> Southerners also tend to use ''chak'' ({{lang|lo|ຈັກ}}, {{IPA|/tɕa᷇k/}}) to mean 'to know someone' as opposed to ''hu chak'' ({{lang|lo|ຮູ້ຈັກ}} ''hou chak'', {{IPA|/hȗː tɕák/}}) used in all other dialects.

{| class="wikitable"
|-----bgcolor="#eeeeee"
|+ Southern Dialect Tone (Pakxé) Distribution<ref>Hartmann, J. (2002). [http://www.seasite.niu.edu/lao/LaoLanguage/LaoTones/pakse_tones.htm Southern Lao Tones (Pakxé).] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200713001818/http://www.seasite.niu.edu/lao/LaoLanguage/LaoTones/pakse_tones.htm |date=2020-07-13 }} Based on Yuphaphann Hoonchamlong (1981).</ref>
||'''Tone Class'''||'''Inherent Tone'''||'''Mai ek ({{lang|lo|◌່}})'''||'''Mai tho ({{lang|lo|◌້}})'''||'''Long Vowel'''||'''Short Vowel'''
|----- bgcolor="#ffffff"
! High
| style="background-color:#7432b9;" | High-Rising
| style="background-color:#cc9e15;" | Lower-Middle 
| style="background-color:#fd6864;" | Low (glottalized)
| style="background-color:#fd6864;" | Low
| style="background-color:#7432b9;" | High-Rising
|----- bgcolor="#ffffff"
! Middle
| style="background-color:#f8ff00;" | Middle
| style="background-color:#cc9e15;" | Lower-Middle 
| style="background-color:#3dbaaf;" | Low-Falling (glottalized)	
| style="background-color:#fd6864;" | Low
| style="background-color:#7432b9;" | High-Rising
|----- bgcolor="#ffffff"
! Low
| style="background-color:#c94f19;" | Mid-Falling
| style="background-color:#cc9e15;" | Lower-Middle 
| style="background-color:#3dbaaf;" | Low-Falling
| style="background-color:#3dbaaf;" | Low-Falling
| style="background-color:#cc9e15;" | Lower-Middle (short)
|}

===Western Lao===
Western Lao (Standard Isan) does not occur in Laos but is the primary dialect of [[Khon Kaen Province|Khon Kaen]], [[Kalasin Province|Kalasin]], [[Roi Et Province|Roi Et]], and [[Maha Sarakham Province|Maha Sarakham]] in Isan, Thailand. It is also spoken in much of [[Chaiyaphum Province|Chaiyaphum]] and portions of [[Nakhon Ratchasima Province|Nakhon Ratsasima]].

{| class="wikitable"
|-----bgcolor="#eeeeee"
|+ Western Lao Dialect Tone Distribution (Roi Et)<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hartmann |first1=J. |year=1971 |url=http://www.siamese-heritage.org/jsspdf/1971/JSS_068_1g_Hartmann_AlignmentOfDialectsInSouthwesternTai.pdf |title=A model for the alignment of dialects in southwestern Tai |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210418090250/http://www.siamese-heritage.org/jsspdf/1971/JSS_068_1g_Hartmann_AlignmentOfDialectsInSouthwesternTai.pdf |archive-date=2021-04-18 |journal=Journal of the Siam Society |volume=65 |issue=2 |pages=72–87 }}</ref>
||'''Tone Class'''||'''Inherent Tone'''||'''Mai ek ({{lang|lo|◌່}})'''||'''Mai tho ({{lang|lo|◌້}})'''||'''Long Vowel'''||'''Short Vowel'''
|----- bgcolor="#ffffff"
! High
| style="background-color:#c1a2e1;" | Low-Rising
| style="background-color:#f8ff00;" | Middle
| style="background-color:#fd6864;" | Low
| style="background-color:#fd6864;" | Low
| style="background-color:#fd6864;" | Low
|----- bgcolor="#ffffff"
! Middle
| style="background-color:#ea8538:" | Rising-Mid-Falling
| style="background-color:#f8ff00;" | Middle
| style="background-color:#c94f19;" | Mid-Falling
| style="background-color:#fd6864;" | Low
| style="background-color:#fd6864;" | Low
|----- bgcolor="#ffffff"
! Low
| style="background-color:#38eada;" | Rising-High-Falling
| style="background-color:#fd6864;" | Low
| style="background-color:#6200c9;" | High-Falling
| style="background-color:#f8ff00;" | Middle
| style="background-color:#f8ff00;" | Middle
|}