Phuan or Northeastern Lao is a Tai language spoken in Laos, Thailand and Cambodia.
Distribution The Phuan (, Phuan, ) are a Tai people originally inhabiting Xiangkhouang and parts of Houaphan provinces of Laos. As a result of slave raids and forced population transfers, there are small, scattered villages of Phuan in Sakon and Udon Thani provinces and another area around Bueng Kan, Nong Khai and Loei provinces in Thailand. Despite the small numbers and isolation, the Siamese kept the Phuan apart from the Lao, and in from other Thai people in Northern and Central Thailand were small communities of Phuan also exist, forcing them to live apart and dress in black clothing. The Phuan in turn practised endogamous marriage habits and steadfastness to their language and culture. It is distinct enough that Thais and Isan people generally consider it distinct, although Phuan 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.
In Thailand, Phuan is spoken in Chachoengsao, Chaiyaphum, Lopburi, Nakhon Nayok, Phetchabun, Phichit, Prachinburi, Suphan Buri, and Saraburi provinces; it is also spoken in an isolated area of Bueng Kan Province, and in one village south of Bangkok
There are approximately 5,000 Phuan in Mongkol Borei District of Banteay Meanchey Province in Cambodia, as well in Battambang Province.
Phonology Similar to Northern Lao, Phuan has maintained the Proto-Southwestern Tai distinction of Proto-Tai */aɰ/ and */aj/, but the outcome is /ɤː/ and /aj/, respectively, similar to the Northern Lao dialects of Houaphan which has a significant Phuan presence. Similar to the Phuthai (, Phou Tai, ), final /k/ has been replaced by the glottal stop /ʔ/. What mainly distinguishes Phuan from all other Lao dialects are the vowel transformations that distinguish cognates, such as Thai and Lao /ua/ appearing as Phuan /oː/ and Thai and Lao /ɯa/ appearing as Phuan /ia/. This and a very distinct vocabulary make Phuan mutually intelligible but with difficulty to other Isan or Lao speakers and even harder to understand for native speakers of Central Thai.Akharawatthanakun, P. (2010). 'Phonological variation in Phuan' in MANUSYA Journal of Humanities Regular. Bangkok, Thailand: Chulalongkon University. pp. 50–87.
Consonants Phuan has the following consonant inventory: +Consonant phonemes Labial Dental/Alveolar (Alveolo-)Palatal Velar Glottal Plosive voiceless aspirated voiced Fricative Nasal Approximant Trill
Phuan features two consonant clusters, and .
Vowels Phuan has the following vowel inventory: Front Central Back unr. unr. rnd. short long short long short long Close Mid Open Two diphthongs are found: and .
Comparison with Lao, Isan and Thai + Northeastern Lao (Phuan) vowel differences Thai Isan Vientiane Lao PhuanNortheastern Lao Gloss Lack of - merger ให้hai ให้hai ໃຫ້hai ໃຫ້ (เห้อ)*hoe 'to give' ใจchai ใจchai ໃຈchai ໃຈ (เจ่อ)*choe 'heart' ไม้mai ไม้mai ໄມ້mai ໄມ້ (ไม้)mai 'wood', 'tree' ไฟfai ไฟfai ໄຟfai ໄຟ (ไฟ)fai 'fire' Thai and Lao (Isan) > Phuan ช้อนchon บ่วงbuang ບ່ວງbuang ໂບ່ງ (โบ่ง)bong 'spoon' สะพานsaphan สะพานsaphan ຂົວkhua ໂຂ (โข)kho 'bridge' กล้วยkluai กล้วยkluai ກ້ວຍ/ກ້ວຽkuai ໂກ້ຍ/ໂກ້ຽ (โก้ย)koi 'banana' Thai and Lao (Isan) > Phuan or เดือนduean เดือนduean ເດືອນduean ດຽນ (เดียน)*dian 'month' เหลืองlueang เหลืองlueang ເຫລືອງ/ເຫຼືອງlueang ຫລຽງ/ຫຼຽງ (เหลียง)*liang 'yellow' เปลือยplueai เปลือยplueai ເປືອຍ/ເປືອຽpueai ເປີຍ/ເປີຽ (เปย)poei 'undressed', 'nude' Thai and Lao final > Phuan ผล, มะ-phon, ma- บักbak ຫມາກ/ໝາກmak ຫມາ (หม่า)ma 'fruit' ลูกluk ลูกluk ລູກluk ລູ (ลู)lu 'child' กระดูกkraduk กระดูกkraduk ກະດູກkaduk ດູ (ดู)du 'bone'
Vocabulary + Northeastern Lao (Phuan) words Thai Isan Vientiane Lao PhuanNortheastern Lao Gloss โซ่so โส้so ໂສ້so ເສັຍ/ເສັຽ (เสียะ)sia 'chain' อีแร้งi raeng อีแฮ้งi haeng ອີ່ແຮ້ງi haeng ບ້າແຮ້ງ (บ้าแฮ้ง)ba haeng 'vulture' พุทราphut sa บักทันbak than ຫມາກກະທັນ/ໝາກກທັນmak kathan ຫມາທັນ/ໝາທັນ (หมาทัน)ma than 'jujube' คิดถึงkhit thueng คึดฮอดkhuet hot ຄຶດຮອດkhuet hot ຄຶດຮູ້ (คึดฮู้)khuet hu 'to miss someone/something' ไหนnai ใสsai ໃສsai ກະເລີ (กะเลอ)kaloe 'where'
Tones Outside of Xiangkhouang and other native areas in Laos, the scattered Phuan settlements in Thailand have been greatly influenced by the tones of the local languages, however even though most maintain six, those in Louang Phrabang or Central Thailand only have five and when spoken as a second language by tribal peoples of various languages, they may use seven. However all Phuan dialects share distinct tonal split, with syllables beginning with low-clas consonants and marked with the mai ek (may ék) tone mark pronounced differently than similar situations with other class consonants. This is also done in some varieties of Western Lao. Most other Lao dialects have the same tone when marked with the mai ek tone mark. + Tai Phuan of Ban Fai Mun, Nan Province, Thailand Tone Class Inherent Tone Mai ek () Mai tho () Long Vowel Short Vowel High Low-Rising Low Middle (glottalised) Low Mid-Rising Middle Mid-Rising Low High-Falling Low Mid-Rising Low Mid-Rising Mid-Falling High-Falling Mid-Falling Low + Tai Phouan of Xiangkhouang Province, Laos Tone Class Inherent Tone Mai ek () Mai tho () Long Vowel Short Vowel High Rising Low Falling Low Middle Middle Rising Low Falling Low Middle Low Middle Low-Falling Rising High-Falling Low-Falling Rising Low + Tai Phouan of Pak Xèng, Louang Phrabang Province, Laos Tone Class Inherent Tone Mai ek () Mai tho () Long Vowel Short Vowel High High-Falling (glottalised) Falling High-Rising Falling High-Rising Middle Middle Falling High-Rising Falling High-Rising Low Middle High-Rising Low-Falling High-Rising High-Rising
References
Further reading Burusphat, S., Sujaritlak Deepadung, S., Suraratdecha, N. A., Patpong, P., & Setapong, P. "Language Vitality and the Ethnic Tourism Development of the Lao Ethnic Groups in the Western Region of Thailand."