Isan Language - Vocabulary

Vocabulary

The Tai languages of Thailand and Laos share a large corpus of cognate, native vocabulary. They also share many common words and neologisms that were derived from Sanskrit, Pali, Mon and Khmer and other indigenous inhabitants to Indochina. However, there are traits that distinguish Isan both from Thai and its Lao parent language.

Isan is clearly differentiated from Thai by its Lao intonation and vocabulary. However, Isan differs from Lao in that the former has more English and Chinese loanwords, via Thai, not to mention large amounts of Thai influence. The Laotian Lao adopted French and Vietnamese loanwords as a legacy of French Indochina. Other differences between Isan and Lao include terminology that reflect the social and political separation since 1893 as well as differences in neologisms created after this. These differences, and a few very small deviations for certain common words, do not, however, diminish nor erase the Lao characters of the language.

Identical Vocabulary
English Isan Lao Thai English Isan Lao Thai
language ภาษา, pʰáː sǎː ພາສາ, pʰáː sǎː ภาษา, pʰaː sǎː city เมือง, mɯ´ːaŋ ເມືອງ, mɯ´ːaŋ เมือง, mɯːaŋ
religion ศาสนา, sȁːt sáʔ nǎː ສາສນາ, sȁːt sáʔ nǎː ศาสนา sàːt sàʔ nǎː government รัฐบาล, lāt tʰáʔ bàːn ຣັຖບາລ, rāt tʰáʔ bàːn รัฐบาล, rát tʰàʔ baːn
heaven สวรรค์, sáʔ vǎn ສວັຣຄ໌, sáʔ vǎn สวรรค์, sàʔ wǎn to be well สบาย, sáʔ bàːj ສະບາຽ, sáʔ bàːj สบาย, sàʔ baːj
child เด็ก, dék ເດັກ, dék เด็ก, dèk to be happy ดีใจ dìː t͡ɕàːj ດີໃຈ, dìː t͡ɕàːj ดีใจ, di: tɕaːj
street ถนน, tʰáʔ nǒn ຖນົນ, tʰáʔ nǒn ถนน, tʰàʔ nǒn sun อาทิตย์, ʔaː tʰīt ອາທິຕຍ໌, ʔaː tʰīt อาทิตย์, ʔa: tʰít
Identical Vocabulary in Lao and Isan but distinct from Thai
English Isan Lao Thai English Isan Lao Thai
no, not บ่, bɔː ບໍ່, bɔː ไม่, mâj to speak เว้า, vâw ເວົ້າ, vâw พูด, pʰûːt
how much ท่อใด, tʰɔ̄ː dàj ທໍ່ໃດ, tʰɔ̄ː dàj เท่าไหร่, tʰâw ràj to do, to make เฮ็ด, hēt* ເຮັດ, hēt ทำ, tʰam
to learn เฮียน, hían ຮຽນ, hían เรียน, rian glass จอก, t͡ʃɔ̏ːk ຈອກ, t͡ʃɔ̏ːk แก้ว, kɛ̂ːw
yonder พู้น, pʰûn ພຸ້ນ, pʰûn โน่น, nôːn fruit หมากไม้, mȁːk mâj ໝາກໄມ້, mȁːk mâj ผลไม้, pʰǒn láʔ máːj
too much โพด, pʰôːt ໂພດ, pʰôːt เกินไป, kɤn paj to call เอิ้น, ʔɤˆːn ເອີ້ນ, ʔɤˆːn เรียก, rîːak
a little หน่อยนึง, nɔ̄ːy nɯ¯ŋ ໜ່ອຽນຶ່ງ, nɔ̄ːj nɯ¯ŋ นิดหน่อย, nít nɔ`ːj house, home เฮือน, hɯ´ːan** ເຮືອນ, hɯ´ːan บ้าน, bâːn
to lower หลุด, lút ຫຼຸດ (ຫລຸດ), lút ลด, lót sausage ไส้อั่ว, sȁj ʔua ໄສ້ອ່ົວ, sȁj ʔūa ไส้กรอก, sâj krɔ̀ːk
to walk ย่าง, ɲāːŋ ຍ່າງ, ɲāːŋ เดิน, dɤːn older child ลูกกก, lûːk kók ລູກກົກ, lûːk kók ลูกคนโต, lûːk kʰon toː
frangipani blossom ดอกจำปา, dɔ̏ːk t͡ʃam paː ດອກຈຳປາ, dɔ̏ːk t͡ʃam paː ดอกลั่นทม, dɔ`ːk lân tʰom tomato หมากเล่น, mȁːk lēːn*** ໝາກເລັ່ນ, mȁːk lēːn มะเขือเทศ, mâʔ kʰɯ̌ːa tʰêːt
much, many หลาย, lǎːj ຫຼາຍ, lǎːj มาก, mâːk father-in-law พ่อเฒ่า, pʰɔ̄ː tʰȁw ພໍ່ເຖົ້າ, pʰɔ̄ː tʰȁw พ่อตา, pʰɔ̑ː taː
to stop เซา, sáw ເຊົາ, sáw หยุด, jùt to like มัก, māk ມັກ, māk ชอบ, tɕʰɔ̂ːp
good luck โซกดี, sôːk diː ໂຊຄດີ, sôːk diː โชคดี, tɕʰôːk diː delicious แซบ, sɛ̂ːp ແຊບ, sɛ̂ːp อร่อย, ʔàʔ rɔ`j
fun ม่วน, mūan ມ່ວນ, mūan สนุก, sàʔ nùk really อิหลี, ʔīː lǐː**** ອີ່ຫຼີ, ʔīː lǐː จริง, tɕiŋ
elegant โก้, kôː ໂກ້, kôː หรูหรา, rǔː rǎː ox งัว, ŋúaː ງົວ, ŋúaː วัว, wua
  • 1 Also appears in Isan ทำ and Lao ທຳ, /tʰám/.
  • 2 Very formal Thai word เรือน (rɯːan) is cognate. Thai word also appears in Isan บ้าน and Lao ບ້ານ /bâːn/.
  • 3 Also known as เขอเคอ in Isan and ເຂືອເຄືອ in Lao, /kʰɤˇːa kʰɤˇːa/.
  • 4 Also appears as จริง (Lao: ຈິງ) /t͡ʃiŋ/.
Shared Thai and Isan Vocabulary Distinct From Lao
English Isan Lao Thai English Isan Lao Thai
ice น้ำแข็ง, /nâm kʰɛ̌ːŋ/ ນ້ຳກ້ອນ, /nâm kɔ̂ːn/* น้ำแข็ง, /náːm kʰɛ̌ŋ/ plain (adj.) เปล่า, /paw/ ລ້າ, /lâː/ เปล่า, /plàːw/
necktie เน็กไท, /nēk tʰáj/ ກາຣະວັດ, /kaː rāʔ vát/** เน็กไท, /nék tʰáj/ province จังหวัด, /t͡ʃàŋ vát/ ແຂວງ, /kʰwɛ̌ːŋ/*** จังหวัด, /tɕaŋ wàt/
wine ไวน์, /váj/ ແວງ /vɛ́ːŋ/**** ไวน์, /waːj/ noodle soup ก๋วยเตี๋ยว, /kuǎj tǐaw/ ເຝີ, fɤ̌ː***** ก๋วยเตี๋ยว, /kuǎj tǐaw/
January มกราคม, /mōk káʔ ráː kʰóm/ ມັງກອນ, /máŋ kɔ̀ːn/ มกราคม, /mók kàʔ raː kʰom/ paper กะดาษ, /káʔ dȁːt/ ເຈັ້ຽ, /t͡ɕìa/ กระดาษ, /kràʔ dàːt/
window หน้าต่าง, /nȁː tāːŋ/ ປ່ອງຢ້ຽມ, /pɔ̄ːŋ jîam/ หน้าต่าง, /nâː tàːŋ/ book หนังสือ, /nǎŋ.sɨ̌ː/ ປຶ້ມ, /pɨ̂m/ หนังสือ, /nǎng.sɯ̌ː/
motorcycle มอเตอร์ไซค์, /mɔ́ː tɤ̀ː sáj/ ຣົຖຈັກ, /lōt t͡ʃák/ มอเตอร์ไซค์, /mɔː tɤː saj/****** butter เนย, /nɤ´ːj/ ເບີ, /bɤ`ː/******* เนย, /nɤːj/
  • 1 Formerly น้ำก้อน, but this is now archaic/obsolete.
  • 2 From French cravate, /cra vat/
  • 3 Thai and Isan use แขวง to talk about provinces of Laos.
  • 4 From French vin (vɛ̃) as opposed to Thai and Isan ไวน์ from English wine.
  • 5 From Vietnamese phở /fə̃ː/, noodle soup.
  • 6 From English motorcycle.
  • 7 From French beurre, /bøʁ/
Generally Distinct Vocabulary
English Isan Lao Thai English Isan Lao Thai
to work เฮ็ดงาน, hēt ŋáːn ເຮັດວຽກ hēt vîak* ทำงาน, tʰam ŋaːn papaya บักหุ่ง, bák hūŋ ໝາກຫຸ່ງ, mȁːk hūŋ มะละกอ, màʔ làʔ kɔː
fried beef ทอดซี้น, tʰɔ̂ːt sîːn ຂົ້ວຊີ້ນ, kʰȕa sîːn เนื้อทอด, nɯ´ːa tʰɔ̂ːt hundred ร้อย, lɔ̂ːj ຮ້ອຍ, hɔ̂ːj ร้อย, rɔ́ːj
barbecued pork หมูปิ้ง, mǔː pîːŋ ປີ້ງໝູ, pîːŋ mǔː หมูย่าง, mǔː jâːŋ ice cream ไอติม, ʔaj tim ກາແລ້ມ, kaː lɛ̂ːm ไอศกรีม, ʔaj sàʔ kriːm
  • 1 Lao ເຮັດ, to do + Vietnamese việc, to work, /viək/ (ວຽກ).

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