Editing Lao language (section)

===Divergence and convergence===
As the Southwestern Tai-speaking peoples diverged, following paths down waterways, their dialects began to diverge into the various languages today, such as the Lao-Phuthai languages that developed along the Mekong River and includes Lao and its Isan sub-variety and the Chiang Saen languages which includes the Central Thai dialect that is the basis of Standard Thai. Despite their close relationship, there were several phonological divergences that drifted the languages apart with time such as the following examples:<ref name="Pittay">{{cite journal |last1=Pittayaporn |first1=Pittayawat |title=Proto-Southwestern-Tai revised: A new reconstruction |journal=Journal of the Southeast Asian Linguistics Society |volume=2 |issue= |date=2009 |pages=119–143 |url=http://jseals.org/JSEALS-2.pdf#page=125 |hdl=1885/113003 }}</ref><ref name="PWST1">{{cite journal |last1=Greenhill |first1=Simon J. |last2=Blust |first2=Robert |last3=Gray |first3=Russell D. |title=The Austronesian Basic Vocabulary Database: From Bioinformatics to Lexomics |journal=Evolutionary Bioinformatics Online |date=3 November 2008 |volume=4 |pages=271–283 |id={{ProQuest|1038141425}} |doi=10.4137/ebo.s893 |pmid=19204825 |pmc=2614200 }}</ref><ref name="PWST2">Jonsson, Nanna L. (1991) Proto Southwestern Tai. Ph.D dissertation, available from UMI.</ref>

; PSWT *''ml'' > Lao /m/, > Thai /l/
{{fs interlinear|indent=3
| {} {} {{lang|lo|ມື່ນ}} {} {{lang|th|ลื่น}}
| {} {} muen {} luen
| *mlɯn <math>\rightarrow</math> /mɯ̄ːn/ <math>\rightarrow</math> /lɯ̂ːn/
| 'slippery' {} {} {} {}
|}}
; PSWT *''r'' (initial) > Lao /h/, > Thai /r/
{{fs interlinear|indent=3
| {} {} {{lang|lo|ຮາກ}} {} {{lang|th|ราก}}
| {} {} hak {} rak
| *raːk <math>\rightarrow</math> /hâːk/ <math>\rightarrow</math> /râːk/
| {'to vomit'} {} {} {} {}
|}}
; PSWT *''ɲ'' > Lao /ɲ/, > Thai /j/
{{fs interlinear|indent=3
| {} {} {{lang|lo|ຍູງ}} {} {{lang|th|ยุง}}
| {} {} nyung {} yung
| *ɲuŋ <math>\rightarrow</math> /ɲúːŋ/ <math>\rightarrow</math> /jūŋ/
| 'mosquito' {} {} {} {}
|}}

Similar influences and proximity allowed for both languages to converge in many aspects as well. Thai and Lao, although separated, passively influenced each other through centuries of proximity. For instance, the Proto-Southwestern Tai *''mlɛːŋ'' has produced the expected Lao /m/ outcome ''maeng'' ({{lang|lo|ແມງ}} ''mèng'', {{IPA|/mɛ́ːŋ/}}) and the expected Thai /l/ outcome ''laeng'' ({{lang|th|แลง}} {{IPA|/lɛ̄ːŋ/}}), although this is only used in Royal Thai or restricted academic usage, with the common form ''malaeng'' ({{lang|th|แมลง}} {{IPA|/máʔ.lɛ̄ːŋ/}}), actually an archaic variant. In slang and relaxed speech, Thai also has ''maeng'' ({{lang|th|แมง}} {{IPA|/mɛ̄ːŋ/}}), likely due to influence of Lao.<ref name="Pittay"/>

Thai and Lao also share similar sources of loan words. Aside from many of the deeply embedded Sinitic loan words adopted at various points in the evolution of Southwestern Tai at the periphery of Chinese influence, the Tais in Southeast Asia encountered the Khmer. Khmer loan words dominate all areas and registers of both languages and many are shared between them. Khmer loan words include body parts, urban living, tools, administration and local plants. The Thai, and likely the Lao, were able to make Khmer-style coinages that were later exported back to Khmer.<ref name="Huffy">{{cite journal |last1=Huffman |first1=Franklin E. |title=Thai and Cambodian – A Case of Syntactic Borrowing? |journal=Journal of the American Oriental Society |date=1973 |volume=93 |issue=4 |pages=488–509 |doi=10.2307/600168 |jstor=600168 }}</ref> The heavy imprint of Khmer is shown in the genetics of Tai speakers, with samples from Thai and Isan people of Lao descent showing proof of both the Tai migration but also intermarriage and assimilation of local populations. Scholars such as Khanittanan propose that the deep genetic and linguistic impact of the autochthonous Khmer and their language indicates that the earliest days of [[Ayutthaya Kingdom|Ayutthaya]] had a largely bilingual population.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Khanittanan |first1=W. |year=2001 |title=Khmero-Thai: The great change in the history of Thai |journal=ภาษาและภาษาศาสตร์ |volume=19 |issue=2 |pages=35–50 }}</ref> Although evidence and research in Lao is lacking, major Lao cities were known to have been built atop existing Khmer settlements, suggesting assimilation of the locals. Isan and Lao commonly use a Khmer loan not found in Thai, ''khanong'' ({{lang|lo|ຂະໜົງ/ຂນົງ}} ''khanông'', {{IPA|/kʰáʔ.nŏŋ/}}), 'doorframe', from Khmer ''khnâng'' ({{lang|km|ខ្នង}}, {{IPA|/knɑːŋ/}}), which means 'building', 'foundation' or 'dorsal ridge'.<ref name="Huffy"/><ref>Gunn, G. C. (2004). 'Laotinization' in ''Southeast Asia: A Historical Encyclopedia, from Angkor Wat to East Timor''. Ooi, K. G. (ed.). Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, Inc.</ref>

Indic languages also pushed Thai and Lao closer together, particularly Sanskrit and Pali loan words that they share. Many Sanskrit words were adopted via the Khmer language, particularly concerning Indian concepts of astrology, astronomy, ritual, science, kingship, art, music, dance and mythology. New words were historically coined from Sanskrit roots just as European languages, including English, share Greek and Latin roots used for these purposes, such as 'telephone' from Greek roots {{lang|el|τῆλε}} ''tēle'', 'distant' and {{lang|el|φωνή}} ''phōnē'' which was introduced in Thai as ''thorasap'' ({{lang|th|โทรศัพท์}}, {{IPA|/tʰōː.ráʔ.sàp/}}) and spread to Isan as ''thorasap'' ({{lang|lo|ໂທຣະສັບ/ໂທລະສັບ}} ''thôrasap'', {{IPA|/tʰóː.làʔ.sáp/}}) from Sanskrit ''dura'' ({{lang|sa|दूर}}, {{IPA|/d̪ura/}}), 'distant', and ''śabda'' ({{lang|sa|शब्द}}, {{IPA|/ʃabd̪a/}}), 'sound'. Indic influences also came via [[Pali]], the [[liturgical language]] of [[Theravada Buddhism]].

The effects of Khmer and Indic vocabulary did not affect all the Tai languages of Southeast Asia equally. The [[Tai Dam people|Tai Dam]] of northern Vietnam were shielded from the influence of the Khmer language and the Indic cultural influences that came with them and remain traditionally a non-Buddhist people. Although the Tai Dam language is a Chiang Saen language, albeit with a lexicon and phonology closer to Lao, the lack of Khmer, Sanskrit and Pali loan words makes the language unintelligible to Thai and Lao speakers.<ref name="Diller">Diller, A. V. N., Edmondson, J. A. & Luo, Y. (2004) ''Tai-Kadai languages.'' (pp. 49–56). New York, NYC: Routledge.</ref>