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Isan language
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===Consonants=== ====Initials==== Isan shares its consonant inventory with the Lao language whence it derives. The [[stop consonant|plosive]] and [[affricate consonant|affricate]] consonants can be further divided into three [[voice-onset time]]s of [[voiced consonant|voiced]], [[tenuis consonant|tenuis]] and [[aspirated consonant|aspirated]] consonants. For example, Isan has the plosive set of voiced {{IPAslink|b}}, tenuis {{IPAslink|p}} which is like the 'p' in 'spin' and aspirated {{IPAslink|pʰ}} like the 'p' in 'puff'. Isan and Lao lack the sound {{IPAslink|tɕʰ}} and its allophone {{IPAslink|ʃ}} of Thai, replacing these sounds with {{IPAslink|s}} in analogous environments. Similarly, {{IPAslink|r}} is rare. Words in Isan and Lao cognate to Thai word with {{IPAslink|r}} have either {{IPAslink|h}} or {{IPAslink|l}} in their place, although educated speakers in Isan or Laos may pronounce some words with {{IPAslink|r}}. In Central and Southern Thai, words with {{IPAslink|r}} may be pronounced as {{IPAslink|l}} ([[lambdacism]]) in casual environments although this is frowned upon in formal or cultivated speech. Unlike Central and Southern Thai, Isan and Lao have a {{IPAslink|j}}–{{IPAslink|ɲ}} distinction, whereas cognate words from Isan and Lao with {{IPAslink|ɲ}} are all {{IPAslink|j}} in Central and Southern Thai. Substitution of {{IPAslink|w}} with {{IPAslink|ʋ}}, which is not used in Thai, is common in large areas of both Laos and Isan but is not universal in either region, but is particularly associated with areas influenced by Vientiane and Central Lao dialects. The glottal stop occurs any time a word begins with a vowel, which is always built around a null consonant. {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |+ Isan consonant distribution with Thai and Lao alphabets. ! colspan="2" | ! [[Labial consonant|Labial]] ! [[Dental consonant|Dental]]/[[Alveolar consonant|Alveolar]] ! ([[Alveolo-palatal consonant|Alveolo-]]) [[Palatal consonant|Palatal]] ! [[Velar consonant|Velar]] ! [[Glottal consonant|Glottal]] |- ! colspan="2" | [[Nasal consonant|Nasal]] | {{IPAslink|m}} ม, หม{{ref|ligature|4}}ມ, ໝ{{ref|ligature|4}}/ຫມ{{ref|ligature|4}} | {{IPAslink|n}} ณ{{ref|Sanskrit|1}}, น, หน{{ref|ligature|4}}ນ, ໜ{{ref|ligature|4}}/ຫນ{{ref|ligature|4}} | {{IPAslink|ɲ}}{{ref|NotThai|2}}<sup>,</sup>{{ref|LaoFinal|5}} ญ{{ref|ThaiY|3}}, ย{{ref|ThaiY|3}}, หญ{{ref|ThaiY|3}}<sup>,</sup>{{ref|ligature|4}}, หย{{ref|ThaiY|3}}<sup>,</sup>{{ref|ligature|4}}ຍ{{ref|LaoFinal|5}}, ຫຽ{{ref|ligature|4}}<sup>,</sup>{{ref|OldLao|11}}/ຫຍ{{ref|ligature|4}} | {{IPAslink|ŋ}} ง, หง{{ref|ligature|4}}ງ, ຫງ{{ref|ligature|4}} | |- ! rowspan="3" | [[Plosive]]/<br>[[Affricate]] ! <small>[[Voicelessness|voiceless]]</small> | {{IPAslink|p}} ป ປ | {{IPAslink|t}} ฏ{{ref|Sanskrit|1}},ต ຕ | {{IPAslink|tɕ}} จ ຈ | {{IPAslink|k}} ก ກ | {{IPAslink|ʔ}}{{ref|glottalstop|10}} อ{{ref|glottalstop|10}} ອ{{ref|glottalstop|10}} |- ! <small>[[Voicelessness|voiceless]] [[Aspirated consonant|aspirated]]</small> | {{IPAslink|pʰ}} ผ, พ, ภ ຜ, ພ | {{IPAslink|tʰ}} ฐ{{ref|Sanskrit|1}}, ฑ{{ref|Sanskrit|1}}, ฒ{{ref|Sanskrit|1}}, ถ, ท, ธ ຖ, ທ | {{IPAslink|tɕʰ}}{{ref|ThaiCH|6}} ฉ{{ref|ThaiCH|6}}, ช{{ref|ThaiCH|6}}, ฌ{{ref|Sanskrit|1}}<sup>,</sup>{{ref|ThaiCH|6}}ຊ{{ref|ThaiCH|6}} | {{IPAslink|kʰ}} ข, ฃ{{ref|obsolete|7}}, ค, ฅ{{ref|obsolete|7}}, ฆ{{ref|Sanskrit|1}}ຂ, ຄ | |- ! <small>[[Voice (phonetics)|voiced]]</small> | {{IPAslink|b}} บ ບ | {{IPAslink|d}} ฎ{{ref|Sanskrit|1}}, ด ດ | | | |- ! colspan="2" | [[Fricative consonant|Fricative]] | {{IPAslink|f}} ฝ, ฟ ຝ, ຟ | {{IPAslink|s}} ซ, ศ{{ref|Sanskrit|1}}, ษ{{ref|Sanskrit|1}}, ส ສ, ຊ | | {{IPAblink|x}}{{ref|Dialect|13}} ข, ฃ{{ref|obsolete|7}}, ค, ฅ{{ref|obsolete|7}}, ฆ{{ref|Sanskrit|1}}ຂ, ຄ | {{IPAslink|h}} ห, ฮ{{ref|LaoH|9}}ຫ, ຮ{{ref|LaoH|9}} |- ! colspan="2" | [[Approximant consonant|Approximant]] | {{IPAblink|ʋ}}{{ref|NotThai|2}}<sup>,</sup>{{ref|LaoFinal|5}} ว{{ref|LaoFinal|5}}, หว{{ref|ligature|4}}ວ{{ref|LaoFinal|5}}, ຫວ{{ref|ligature|4}} | {{IPAslink|l}} ล, ฬ{{ref|Sanskrit|1}}, ร{{ref|informal|12}}, หล{{ref|ligature|4}}, หร{{ref|ligature|4}}<sup>,</sup>{{ref|informal|12}}ຣ{{ref|OldLao|11}}, ລ, ຫຼ{{ref|ligature|4}}/ຫລ{{ref|ligature|4}}, ຫຼ{{ref|ligature|4}}<sup>,</sup>{{ref|OldLao|11}}/ຫຣ{{ref|ligature|4}}<sup>,</sup>{{ref|OldLao|11}} | {{IPAslink|j}} ย, อย, หย{{ref|ligature|4}}ຢ, ຫຽ{{ref|ligature|4}}<sup>,</sup>{{ref|OldLao|11}} | {{IPAslink|w}} ว, หว{{ref|ligature|4}}ວ, ຫວ{{ref|ligature|4}} | |- ! colspan="2" | [[Rhotic consonant|Rhotic]]/[[Liquid consonant|Liquid]] | | {{IPAslink|r}}{{ref|LaoR|8}} ร{{ref|LaoR|8}}, หร{{ref|ligature|4}}<sup>,</sup>{{ref|LaoR|8}} ຣ{{ref|LaoR|8}}<sup>,</sup>{{ref|OldLao|11}}, ຫຼ{{ref|ligature|4}}<sup>,</sup>{{ref|LaoR|8}}/ຫຣ{{ref|ligature|4}}<sup>,</sup>{{ref|LaoR|8}}<sup>,</sup>{{ref|OldLao|11}} | | | |} *{{note|Sanskrit|1}} Only used in Sanskrit or Pali loan words. *{{note|NotThai|2}} Unique to Isan and Lao, does not occur in Thai but {{IPAslink|ʋ}} is only an allophone of {{IPAslink|w}} whereas {{IPAslink|ɲ}} is phonemic. *{{note|ThaiY|3}} Central and Southern Thai spelling does not distinguish {{IPAslink|j}} from {{IPAslink|ɲ}}. *{{note|ligature|4}} Lao ligature of silent {{IPAslink|h}} (ຫ) or digraph; Thai digraph with silent {{IPAslink|h}} (ห). *{{note|LaoFinal|5}} Only as syllable-initial consonants. *{{note|ThaiCH|6}} Use of {{IPAslink|tɕʰ}} is Thai interference in Isan and rare in Laos, usually interference from a northern tribal Tai language, almost always {{IPAslink|s}}. *{{note|obsolte|7}} Still taught as part of the alphabet, 'ฃ' and 'ฅ' are obsolete and have been replaced by 'ข' and 'ค', respectively. *{{note|LaoR|8}} Mark of interference from Isan or erudition in Laos. Usually replaced by {{IPAslink|l}} and even by 'ລ' {{IPAslink|l}} in modern Lao writing. *{{note|LaoH|9}} Used to mark {{IPAslink|h}} in words that are etymologically {{IPAslink|r}}. *{{note|glottalstop|10}} All words that begin with vowels must be written with the anchor consonant and are pronounced with a glottal stop. *{{note|OldLao|11}} Generally used in pre-1970s Lao. *{{note|informal|12}} Only in very casual, informal Thai. *{{note|Dialect|13}} Allophone of {{IPAslink|kʰ}} in some dialects. ====Clusters==== Consonant clusters are rare in spoken Lao as they disappear shortly after the adoption of writing. In native words, only /kw/ and /kʰw/ are permissible, but these can only occur before certain vowels due to the [[diphthongization]] that occurs before the vowels /aC/, /am/, /aː/ and /aːj/. Isan speakers, who are educated in Thai and often use Thai spelling of etymological vocabulary to transcribe Isan, will generally not pronounce consonant clusters but may do so when code-switching to Thai or when pronouncing high-brow words of Sanskrit, Pali or Khmer derivation. Lao speakers from Laos will sometimes pronounce clusters in these borrowed loan words, but this is restricted to aging speakers of the Laotian diaspora. {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |+ Lack of consonant clusters in Isan |- ! colspan="2" | Isan ! colspan="2" | Thai ! colspan="2" | Lao ! colspan="2" | Isan ! colspan="2" | Thai ! colspan="2" | Lao ! colspan="2" | Isan ! colspan="2" | Thai ! colspan="2" | Lao |- | ก | rowspan="3" | {{IPA|/k/}} | ก | {{IPA|/k/}} | rowspan="3" | ກ | rowspan="3" | {{IPA|/k/}} | ค | rowspan="3" | {{IPA|/kʰ/}} | ค | {{IPA|/kʰ/}} | rowspan="3" | ຄ | rowspan="3" | {{IPA|/kʰ/}} | ป | rowspan="3" | {{IPA|/p/}} | ป | {{IPA|/p/}} | rowspan="3" | ປ | rowspan="3" | {{IPA|/p/}}<br /> |- | กร | กร | {{IPA|/kr/}} | คร | คร | {{IPA|/kʰr/}} | ปร | ปร | {{IPA|/pr/}} |- | กล | กล | {{IPA|/kl/}} | คล | คล | {{IPA|/kʰl/}} | ปล | ปล | /pl/ |- | กว{{ref|LaoDiph|1}} | {{IPA|/kw/}}{{ref|LaoDiph|1}} | กว | /kw/ | ກວ{{ref|LaoDiph|1}} | {{IPA|/kw/}}{{ref|LaoDiph|1}} | คว{{ref|LaoDiph|1}} | {{IPA|/kʰw/}}{{ref|LaoDiph|1}} | คว | {{IPA|/kʰw/}} | ຄວ{{ref|LaoDiph|1}} | /kʰw/{{ref|LaoDiph|1}} | ผ | rowspan="2" | {{IPA|/pʰ/}} | ผ | {{IPA|/pʰ/}} | rowspan="2" | ຜ | rowspan="2" | {{IPA|/pʰ/}} |- | ข | rowspan="3" | {{IPA|/kʰ/}} | ข | {{IPA|/kʰ/}} | rowspan="3" | ຂ | rowspan="3" | {{IPA|/kʰ/}} | ต | rowspan="2" | {{IPA|/t/}} | ต | {{IPA|/t/}} | rowspan="2" | ຕ | rowspan="2" | {{IPA|/t/}} | ผล | ผล | {{IPA|/pʰl/}} |- | ขร | ขร | {{IPA|/kʰr/}} | ตร | ตร | {{IPA|/tr/}} | พ | rowspan="3" | {{IPA|/pʰ/}} | พ | {{IPA|/pʰ/}} | rowspan="3" | ພ | rowspan="3" | {{IPA|/pʰ/}} |- | ขล | ขล | {{IPA|/kʰl/}} | rowspan="2" colspan="6" | | พร | พร | {{IPA|/pʰr/}} |- | ขว{{ref|LaoDiph|1}} | {{IPA|/kʰw/}}{{ref|LaoDiph|1}} | ขว | {{IPA|/kʰw/}} | ຂວ{{ref|LaoDiph|1}} | {{IPA|/kʰw}}/{{ref|LaoDiph|1}} | พล | พล | {{IPA|/pʰl/}} |} *{{note|LaoDiph|1}} Before /aC/, /aː/, /aːj/ and /am/ [[diphthongization]] occurs which assimilates the {{IPA|/w/}} so it is only a true cluster in other vowel environments, only occurs in Isan and Lao. ====Finals==== Isan shares with both Lao and Thai a restrictive set of permissible consonant sounds at the end of a syllable or word. Isan, using its current method of writing according to Thai etymological spelling, preserves the spelling to imply the former sound of borrowed loan words even if the pronunciation has been assimilated. Due to spelling reforms in Laos, the letters that can end a word were restricted to a special set of letters, but older writers and those in the Lao diaspora occasionally use some of the more etymological spellings. In pronunciation, all [[plosive consonant|plosive sounds]] (besides the [[glottal stop]] /ʔ/) are [[unreleased stop|unreleased]], as a result, there is no voicing of final consonants or any release of air. The finals {{IPA|/p/}}, {{IPA|/t/}} and {{IPA|/k/}} are thus actually pronounced {{IPA|[p̚]}}, {{IPA|[t̚]}}, and {{IPA|[k̚]}}, respectively. Of the consonant letters, excluding the disused ฃ and ฅ, six (ฉ ผ ฝ ห อ ฮ) cannot be used as a final and the other 36 are grouped as following. {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |+ Isan final consonants with Lao script for comparison |- style="font-weight:bold;" ! style="font-weight:normal;" | ! colspan="2" | Labial ! colspan="2" | Alveolar ! Palatal ! colspan="2" | Velar ! Glottal |- ! rowspan="3" | Nasal | colspan="2" | {{IPAslink|m}}<br /> | colspan="2" | {{IPAslink|n}}<br /> | rowspan="6" | | colspan="2" | {{IPAslink|ŋ}} | rowspan="3" style="text-align:left;" | |- | colspan="2" | ม | colspan="2" | ญ, ณ, น, ร, ล, ฬ | colspan="2" | ง |- | colspan="2" | ມ | ນ{{ref|only|1}} | ຣ{{ref|oldish|2}}, ລ{{ref|oldish|2}} | colspan="2" | ງ |- ! rowspan="3" | Plosive | colspan="2" | {{IPAslink|p}} | colspan="2" | {{IPAslink|t}} | colspan="2" | {{IPAslink|k}} | {{IPAslink|ʔ}} |- | colspan="2" | บ, ป, พ, ฟ, ภ | colspan="2" | จ, ช, ซ, ฌ, ฎ, ฏ, ฐ, ฑ, ฒ, ด, ต, ถ, ท, ธ, ศ, ษ, ส | colspan="2" | ก, ข, ค, ฆ | rowspan="2" | *{{ref|glottal stop|3}} |- | ບ{{ref|only|1}} | ປ{{ref|oldish|2}}, ພ{{ref|oldish|2}}, ຟ{{ref|oldish|2}} | ດ{{ref|only|1}} | ຈ{{ref|oldish|2}}, ສ{{ref|oldish|2}}, ຊ{{ref|oldish|2}}, ຕ{{ref|oldish|2}}, ຖ{{ref|oldish|2}}, ທ{{ref|oldish|2}} | ກ{{ref|only|1}} | ຂ{{ref|oldish|2}}, ຄ{{ref|oldish|2}} |- ! rowspan="3" | Approximant | colspan="2" | /w/{{ref|vowel|4}} | rowspan="3" colspan="2" | | /j/{{ref|vowel|4}} | rowspan="3" colspan="3" | |- style="text-align:left;" | colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | ว | style="text-align:center;" | ย |- style="text-align:left;" | colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | ວ | style="text-align:center;" | ຍ |} *{{note|only|1}} Where alternative spellings once existed, only these consonants can end words in modern Lao. *{{note|oldish|2}} Used in pre-1970s Lao spelling as word-final letters. *{{note|glottal stop|3}} Glottal stop is unwritten but is pronounced at the end of short vowels that occur at the end of a consonant. *{{note|vowel|4}} These occur only as parts of diphthongs or triphthongs and are usually included as parts of vowels.
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