Lao Nyo or Nyo (autonym: ') is a
Southwestern Tai language spoken mostly in
Banteay Meanchey Province
Banteay Meanchey (, , ) is a Provinces of Cambodia, province of Cambodia located in the far northwest. It borders the provinces of Oddar Meanchey province, Oddar Meanchey to the north, Siem Reap province, Siem Reap to the east, Battambang provi ...
, Cambodia, as well as in
Aranyaprathet District,
Sa Kaew Province, Thailand. There are between 10,000 and 15,000 speakers of Lao Nyo in Cambodia. Lao Nyo is classified as a dialect of
Lao rather than
Nyo (Nyaw), based on linguistic data from Aun Loung Svay Chas village in Cambodia.
Name
The name ''Nyo'' likely came about as an exonym that was later adopted as an endonym; the Lao Nyo did not actually originate from the ethnic
Nyo of
Isan
Northeast Thailand or Isan (Isan language, Isan/, ; ; also written as Isaan, Isarn, Issarn, Issan, Esan, or Esarn; from Pāli ''isāna'' or Sanskrit ईशान्य ''īśānya'' "northeast") consists of 20 provinces in northeastern Thai ...
and Laos. This exonym may have been used due to the Lao Nyo's geographical origins or their language.
Classification
Nyo is a Southwestern Tai language spoken in
Tha Uthen District,
Nakhon Phanom Province
Nakhon Phanom province (, , ; , ) is one of Thailand's seventy-six provinces (''changwat'') lies in upper northeastern Thailand also called Isan. Directly adjacent provinces are (from south clockwise): Mukdahan, Sakon Nakhon, and Bueng Kan. ...
and
Kantharawichai District,
Maha Sarakham Province of Thailand, as well as
Khamkeut District,
Bolikhamxay Province of Laos. However, Trongdee (2014) shows that Lao Nyo of Banteay Meanchey is not Nyo or Yo, although some Lao Nyo tones are more similar to Nyo tones than to Lao tones.
Locations
The following Lao Nyo villages have been documented in Cambodia.
*
Ou Chrov District,
Banteay Meanchey Province
Banteay Meanchey (, , ) is a Provinces of Cambodia, province of Cambodia located in the far northwest. It borders the provinces of Oddar Meanchey province, Oddar Meanchey to the north, Siem Reap province, Siem Reap to the east, Battambang provi ...
**Koub Thom (កូបធំ)
**Dong Aranh (ដុងអារញ្ញ)
**Aunloung Svay Chas (អន្លង់ស្វាយចាស់)
**Aun Loung Svay Thmey (អន្លង់ស្វាយថ្មី)
**Kou Touch (កូបតូច)
**Koub Cherng (កូបជេីង)
**Koub Thboung (កូបត្បូង)
**Khai Dorn (ខៃដន)
**Sery Pheap (សេរីភាព)
*
Srei Sophone District,
Banteay Meanchey Province
Banteay Meanchey (, , ) is a Provinces of Cambodia, province of Cambodia located in the far northwest. It borders the provinces of Oddar Meanchey province, Oddar Meanchey to the north, Siem Reap province, Siem Reap to the east, Battambang provi ...
**Phnum Bak village,
Tuek Thla commune (ភ្នំបាក់)
**Ou Ambel village,
Ou Ambel commune (អូរអំបិល)
*
Bor Vil District,
Battambang Province
Battambang (, , ) is a province of Cambodia in the far northwest of the country. Bordering provinces are Banteay Meanchey to the north, Pursat to the east and south, Siem Reap to the northeast, and Pailin to the west. The northern and south ...
(5 villages)
**Makreu (មក្លឿ)
**Salor Klaen (ស្លខ្លាញ់)
**Phum Leau (ភូមិលេី)
**Prey Kapos (ព្រៃខ្ពស់)
**Phum Koub (ភូមិកូប)
In
Sa Kaew Province, Thailand, the Lao Nyo are found in the following subdistricts (''
tambon
''Tambon'' (, ) is a local governmental unit in Thailand. Below district (''amphoe'') and province ('' changwat''), they form the third administrative subdivision level. there were 7,255 tambons, not including the 180 ''khwaeng'' of Bangkok, whi ...
'') of
Aranyaprathet District.
*Klong Nam Sai (คลองน้ำใส)
*Mueang Phai (เมืองไผ่)
*Phan Suek (ผ่านศึก)
*Tha Kham (ท่าข้าม)
*Aranyaprathet (อรัญประเทศ)
Notes
References
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lao Nyo language
Southwestern Tai languages
Languages of Cambodia
Languages of Thailand