Lao vs Laotian ... - Thorn Tree travel forum

Lao vs Laotian

Replies: 25 - Last Post: 20-May-2009 18:16 Last Post By: LungPaul

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Posted
12-May-2009 20:11
by: callippo

Posts: 6,135
Registered: 12/07/04

Lao vs Laotian

with this drugs case getting widely reported in the media here in the UK recently, the Lao authorities etc are routinely referred to as 'the Laotian government', just as I've noticed that Lao restaraunts in the US are often referred to as a 'Laotian restaurant'.

I don't know Laos all that well but I thought that most people with experience of South east Asia wouldn't use this term in English but instead simply use 'Lao government' or 'Lao restarant' and so on.

is there any case where 'Laotian' is the correct form, or is it purely a western concoction?

maybe this has come up before, if it has, I hope that it isn't too repetitious.

or should that be too repetitive?

Posted
12-May-2009 20:28
by: montyman

Posts: 4,095
Registered: 09/05/03

1

We've had this a number of times formally correct
The country is Laos
the language is Laotian but usually called Lao
the people are Laotian and referred to as the Lao people
and usually the Government is refferred to as the Lao Government
the booze is Lao lao or beer Lao

montyman St East Asia , montyman2008 on flikr , montyman in Europe, Ukraine, Estonia ,Latvia,Berlin

Posted
12-May-2009 22:16
by: somsai

Posts: 3,033
Registered: 05/10/03

2

Your press is probably quoting directly from your foriegn service who would use the term that has been used in English for correct official communication. In the US restaurants are often begun by the educated monied Laotians (he he) who first arrived here and had a formal English language education.

The blogger LAO-OCEAN girl is probably a prime example of that section of the Lao/American diaspora. She takes offence at the tourist's use of "Lao".

I chased down one of her sources once to Nick Enfield an ethno linguist who studies the Lao Language and it's use (Laotian if you preffer), and blogged about it here, On Laos and Laotians He brings up some interesting points, after all do you call it pasa angit or English, pahted angit or England? Just imagine, if the French hadn't gotten into the discussion we might be now calling the place Laoland.

I use em all. But if the word Lao, it's in conjuntion with the word food or people or language or whatever as they do in Laotian.

Lao Bumpkin a blog about Laos

Posted
13-May-2009 01:31
by: Hanuman

Posts: 1,951
Registered: 16/01/01

3

somsai--do you ever use the term, 'Laotian' with your family and friends. I've always thought it was a French-farang invention. So the language and people are Lao, not 'Laos' or LA-Ocean/Laotian.

Posted
13-May-2009 02:09
by: ronaldo22

Posts: 299
Registered: 06/03/08

4

I have recently been having debate with my friend about how to pronounce the word 'Laotian.'
Is it Laos ( as in the country ) shun , Laos shun, or is it Lay Ocean .
Numerous beers are dependant on your answers. Cheers.

I took "The Road Less Travelled" there were no street lights and my torch batteries ran out.....

Posted
13-May-2009 04:46
by: Hacky

Posts: 2,787
Registered: 10/09/03

5

This was discussed before.

Laotian is so 60’s hippie era. All the LAO I know prefer Lao people, Lao language and a glass of lao Lao.

Yim nit-noi.

Posted
13-May-2009 06:14
by: Hanuman

Posts: 1,951
Registered: 16/01/01

6

Lay-o-ceans seems so 'martian'-like.

Posted
13-May-2009 06:33
by: callippo

Posts: 6,135
Registered: 12/07/04

7

I prefer Malatians and Indonetians to Laotians in any case, they know the glory of Allah unlike the northern Buddhist barbarians.

Posted
13-May-2009 06:57
by: bun_cha

Posts: 1,631
Registered: 23/08/07

8

You're all - every single one of you - wrong. It's Loas and Loaitians.

Oh Bun Cha! How I yearn for you so!

Posted
13-May-2009 07:19
by: TravelingKid

Posts: 238
Registered: 16/03/04

9

… And no matter how one says it. To me. it’s a wonderful place and wonderful people.

***

Posted
13-May-2009 11:56
by: somsai

Posts: 3,033
Registered: 05/10/03

10

Hanuman at 3, often I just stick in the two words of Lao language, kon Lao, ahan Lao, pasa Lao, etc, for the country I pronounce the S, my wife usually doesn't. Lots of different words and language float around as it is, I try to limit my use of French.

I was at a party Saturday and listening. I heard the word Laotian twice, both older and educated in the 70s, in Laos. Many seemed to say the S, the noticable exception recent emigrants, but then they mostly speak Lao. The twenty year olds and younger naturaly used English as the easiest language.

I wrote a school report back in 68, (little did I imagine) and there were only the two then. After the report I always noticed it when heard on TV. Didn't get much mention on the nightly news until Nixons incursion very late, maybe 71 or 72.

Soon I'll be missing the Boloven however they say it.

Lao Bumpkin a blog about Laos

Posted
13-May-2009 15:06
by: HenningWessel

Posts: 11,307
Registered: 20/10/03

11

I speak English/French/German,Mandarin,Suaheli so I use the words used in those languages.

Posted
13-May-2009 16:09
by: Craig Schuler

Posts: 1,458
Registered: 22/01/03

12

"with this drugs case getting widely reported in the media here in the UK recently"... why not just call the country Lagos and be done with it!!!

CRAIG SCHULER: People Art Photography

Posted
13-May-2009 17:34
by: montyman

Posts: 4,095
Registered: 09/05/03

13

WOW!!! HW im impressed I can't even speak English properly Londoners drop H's Berliners do something similar and say na! Icke Dicke
some Laotians say they are Lao
It is still officially Laotian, end of Saga so to all you grumpy old Saga louts here, get on with travel even if only in Laotian

montyman St East Asia , montyman2008 on flikr , montyman in Europe, Ukraine, Estonia ,Latvia,Berlin

Posted
13-May-2009 17:46
by: HenningWessel

Posts: 11,307
Registered: 20/10/03

14

Monty, those were just examples... of course I speak a couple more... NOT!
I'm surprised you mention Berlin, weren't you 'disappeared' off the board right after your Berlin trip a couple of years ago?

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