Editing Lao language (section)

=== Lan Xang (1354–1707) ===
[[File:Pha_Tat_Phanom_Nakhon_Phanom.JPG|thumb|right|[[Wat Phra That Phanom]] in Nakhon Phanom. Built in the 16th century over earlier Khmer ruins when Isan was part of Lan Xang, the temple is an important place of pilgrimage, attracting Lao from Laos as well as Isan to its temple festivals.]]
Taking advantage of rapid decline in the Khmer Empire, Phra Chao [[Fa Ngum|Fa Ngoum]] ({{lang|lo|ຟ້າງູ່ມ}} {{IPA|/fâː ŋūːm/}}) defeated the Khmer and united the Tai ''mueang'' of what is now Laos and Isan into the [[mandala (Southeast Asian political model)|mandala kingdom]] of [[Lan Xang]] in 1354. Fa Ngoum was a grandson of the ruler of [[Muang Sua|Muang Xoua]] (RTGS ''Mueang Sawa''), modern-day Louang Phrabang. Lan Xang was powerful enough to thwart Siamese designs from their base at [[Sukhothai Kingdom|Sukhothai]] and later [[Ayutthaya Kingdom|Ayutthaya]].<ref>Stuart-Fox, M. (1998). ''The Lao Kingdom of Lan Xang: Rise and Decline''. (pp. 40–60). Banglamung, Thailand: White Lotus Press.</ref>

Khmer, and Sanskrit via Khmer, continued to influence the Lao language. Since Fa Ngoum was raised in the Khmer court, married to a Khmer princess and had numerous Khmer officials in his court, a now-extinct speech register known as ''rasa sap'' ({{lang|lo|ຣາຊາສັບ}} {{IPA|/láː.sáː sáp/}}) was developed to address or discuss the king and high-ranking clergy. Khmer and Sanskrit also contributed many belles-lettres as well as numerous technical, academic and cultural vocabulary, thus differentiating the Lao language from the tribal Tai peoples, but pushing the language closer to Thai, which underwent a similar process. The end of the Lao monarchy in 1975 made the Lao ''raxasap'' obsolete, but as Thailand retains its monarchy, Thai ''[[rachasap]]'' is still active.<ref name="Diller"/>

The 16th century would see the establishment of many of the hallmarks of the contemporary Lao language. Scribes abandoned the use of written Khmer or Lao written in the Khmer alphabet, adopting a simplified, cursive form of the script known as ''[[Tai Noi script|Tai Noi]]'' that with a few modifications survives as the [[Lao script]].<ref name="Toad">Phra Ariyuwat. (1996). ''Phya Khankhaak, the Toad King: A Translation of an Isan Fertility Myth in Verse.'' Wajuppa Tossa (translator). (pp. 27–34). Lewisburg, PA: Bucknell University Press.</ref> Lao literature was also given a major boost with the brief union of Lan Xang with Lan Na during the reign of [[Setthathirath|Xay Xétthathirat]] ({{lang|lo|ໄຊເສດຖາທິຣາດ}} {{IPA|/sáj sȅːt.tʰăː.tʰīʔ.lȃːt/}}) (1546–1551). The libraries of [[Chiang Mai]] were copied, introducing the ''[[Tai Tham script|tua tham]]'' (BGN/PCGN ''toua tham'', RTGS ''tua tham'') or 'dharma letters' which was essentially the [[Mon script|Mon]]-influenced script of Lan Na but was used in Lao specifically for religious literature.<ref name="Toad"/> The influence of the related Tai Lan Na language was strengthened after the capitulation of Lan Na to the Burmese, leading many courtiers and people to flee to safety to Lan Xang.

==== Theravada Buddhism ====
Lan Xang was religiously diverse, with most of the people practicing [[Tai folk religion]] albeit somewhat influenced by local Austroasiatic [[animism]], as well as the [[historical Vedic religion|Brahmanism]] and [[Mahayana Buddhism]] introduced via the Khmer and Theravada Buddhism which had been adopted and spread by the [[Mon people]]. Although Lao belief is that the era of Lan Xang began the period of Theravada Buddhism for the Lao people, it was not until the mid-[[sixteenth century]] that the religion had become the dominant religion.<ref>Holt, J. C. (2009). ''Spirits of the Place: Buddhism and Lao Religious Culture''. Honolulu, HI: University of Hawai{{okina}}i Press. p. 14.</ref>

With Theravada Buddhism came its liturgical language, Pali, an Indic language derived from the [[Prakrit]]. Many Pali terms existed alongside earlier Sanskrit borrowings or were Sanskritized, leading to doublets such as Sanskrit ''maitri'' ({{lang|lo|ໄມຕີ/ໄມຕຣີ}} {{IPA|/máj.tìː/}}) and Pali ''metta'' ({{lang|lo|ເມດຕາ/ເມຕຕາ}} {{IPA|/mȇːt.tàː/}}), both of which signify 'loving kindness' although the Sanskrit term is more generally used for 'friendship'. The spread of Theravada Buddhism spread literacy, as monks served as teachers, teaching reading and writing as well other basic skills to village boys, and the [[Tai Noi script]] was used for personal letters, record-keeping, and signage, as well as to record short stories and the ''[[klon (poetry)|klon]]'' ({{lang|lo|ກອນ}} {{IPA|/kɔ̀ːn/}}) poetry that were often incorporated into traditional folksongs.<ref name="Toad"/>
{| class="wikitable" 
|+ Shared Pali loan words from Theravada Buddhism
! Pali
! Isan
! Thai
! Lao
! Gloss
|-
| {{lang|pi|पुञ्ञ}}<br>{{transliteration|pi|puñña}}<br>{{IPA|/puɲɲa/}}
| {{lang|tts|บุญ}}<br>{{transliteration|tts|bun}}<br>{{IPA|[būn]}}
| {{lang|th|บุญ}}<br>{{transliteration|th|bun}}<br>{{IPA|[būn]}}
| {{lang|lo|ບຸນ}}<br>{{transliteration|lo|bun}}<br>{{IPA|[bùn]}}
| 'merit'<br>'virtue'
|-
| {{lang|pi|दुक्ख}}<br>{{transliteration|pi|dukkha}}<br>{{IPA|/d̪ukkʰa/}}
| {{lang|tts|ทุกข์}}<br>{{transliteration|tts|thuk}}<br>{{IPA|[tʰùk]}}
| {{lang|th|ทุกข์}}<br>{{transliteration|th|thuk}}<br>{{IPA|[tʰúk]}}
| {{lang|lo|ທຸກ}}<br>{{transliteration|lo|thuk}}<br>{{IPA|[tʰūk]}}
| 'suffering'<br>'misery'
|-
| {{lang|pi|पापकम्म}}<br>{{transliteration|pi|pāpakamma}}<br>{{IPA|/paːpakamma/}}
| {{lang|tts|บาปกรรม}}<br>{{transliteration|tts|bap kam}}<br>{{IPA|[bàːp kām]}}
| {{lang|th|บาปกรรม}}<br>{{transliteration|th|bap kam}}<br>{{IPA|[bàːp kām]}}
| {{lang|lo|ບາບກຳ/ບາບກັມ}}<br>{{transliteration|lo|bap kam}}<br>{{IPA|[bȁːp kàm]}}
| 'sin'<br>'transgression'
|-
| {{lang|pi|अनुमोदना}}<br>{{transliteration|pi|anumōdanā}}<br>{{IPA|/ʔanumoːd̪anaː/}}
| {{lang|tts|อนุโมทนา}}<br>{{transliteration|tts|anumo thana}}<br>{{IPA|[ʔā.nù(ʔ).môː tʰā.nâː]}}
| {{lang|th|อนุโมทนา}}<br>{{transliteration|th|anumo thana}}<br>{{IPA|[ʔā.nú(ʔ).mōː tʰā.nāː]}}
| {{lang|lo|ອະນຸໂມທະນາ}}<br>{{transliteration|lo|anoumo thana}}<br>{{IPA|[ʔā.nū(ʔ).móː tʰā.náː]}}
| 'to share rejoicing'
|-
| {{lang|pi|सुख}}<br>{{transliteration|pi|sukha}}<br>{{IPA|/sukʰa/}}
| {{lang|tts|สุข}}<br>{{transliteration|tts|suk}}<br>{{IPA|[sȕk]}}
| {{lang|th|สุข}}<br>{{transliteration|th|suk}}<br>{{IPA|[sùk]}}
| {{lang|lo|ສຸກ}}<br>{{transliteration|lo|suk}}<br>{{IPA|[súk]}}
| 'health'<br>'happiness'
|-
| {{lang|pi|विज्जा}}<br>{{transliteration|pi|vijja}}<br>{{IPA|/ʋiɟdʒaː/}}
| {{lang|tts|วิชชา}}<br>{{transliteration|tts|witcha}}<br>{{IPA|[wìt.sâː]<br>[wì(ʔ).sâː]}}
| {{lang|th|วิชชา}}<br>{{transliteration|th|witcha}}<br>{{IPA|[wít.tɕʰāː]}}
| {{lang|lo|ວິຊາ}}<br>{{transliteration|lo|wisa}}<br>{{IPA|[wī(ʔ).sáː]}}
| 'knowledge'<br>'wisdom'
|-
| {{lang|pi|च‍क्कयुग}}<br>{{transliteration|pi|cakkayuga}}<br>{{IPA|/tʃakkajuga/}}
| {{lang|tts|จักรยาน}}<br>{{transliteration|tts|chakkrayan}}<br>{{IPA|[tɕǎk.kā.ɲâːn]}}
| {{lang|th|จักรยาน}}<br>{{transliteration|th|chakkrayan}}<br>{{IPA|[tɕàk.krā.jāːn]}}
| {{lang|lo|ຈັກກະຍານ}}<br>{{transliteration|lo|chakkanyan}}<br>{{IPA|[tɕák.kā.ɲáːn]}}
| 'bicycle'
|-
| {{lang|pi|धम्म}}<br>{{transliteration|pi|ḍhamma}}<br>{{IPA|/ɖʱamma/}}
| {{lang|tts|ธรรม}}<br>{{transliteration|tts|tham}}<br>{{IPA|[tʰâm]}}
| {{lang|th|ธรรม}}<br>{{transliteration|th|tham}}<br>{{IPA|[tʰām]}}
| {{lang|lo|ທຳ/ທັມ}}<br>{{transliteration|lo|tham}}<br>{{IPA|[tʰám]}}
| 'dharma'<br>'morals'
|}