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Glite Dictionary
Lao language

Lao language

7.5
A language spoken by the Lao people in Laos and parts of Thailand and official in Laos
  • noun
translation icon : idioma lao
  • Many people in the Isan region of Thailand use the Lao language at home.

Examples

  • The Lao language uses its own unique script closely related to Thai.

  • She is learning to speak Lao language to communicate with her relatives in Vientiane.

  • The Lao language is rich in history.

  • Many people in Laos speak the Lao language.

  • I am learning the Lao language to communicate better with my friends from Laos.

  • The Lao language has many tones that change the meaning of words.

  • She translated the book into Lao language to help more people access its content.

Synonyms

Lao
vsLao language
8.4

The main language spoken in Laos and parts of Thailand

is the official national language of Laos rather than a regional label

Surface Forms

Lao language singular
Lao languages plural

Morphology

Lao + language

The meaning is directly compositional: 'Lao' names the people/language and 'language' denotes a speech system, so a learner who knows both words will understand this refers to the language of the Lao people. This follows the common cross-linguistic 'X language' pattern and is therefore immediately interpretable by B1 learners.

Etymology

Lao language combines the name Lao, meaning the people and the country, and the word language, meaning the way people speak. So it literally means 'the language of the Lao people' and is used for the official language of Laos.