Phu Thai (Thai:
Phasa Phuthai,
ภาษาผู้ไท), also known as Phuu Thai, is the language of the
Phutai people. It is a closely related language to the
Tai Dam,
Tai Don, as well as the
Isan and the
Lao languages, having only few vocabulary, tonal and pronunciation differences.
Speakers
Speakers of the Phu Thai language in Thailand numbered about 156,000 in 1993. They can be found mainly in the areas around
Khamcha-i,
Nakhon Phanom,
Ubon Ratchathani,
Kalasin and
Sakhon Nakhon. Phu Thai speakers live as well in the
Khammouan,
Savannakhet,
Saravan, and
Champassak provinces of
Laos (with 154,400 speakers in 2001), northern areas of
Vietnam (209,000 speakers in 2002) and possibly also in
China.
There is little dialect differentiation in this language.
Status
Despite its rich heritage, and regional fame, in Thailand this language group is increasingly becoming integrated into the mainstream Issan language. This is due in large part to a campaign by the Thai government to modernize all
Thai people, as well as due to outside influences of television, Internet and local radio broadcasts. Most younger members of northeastern tribal groups in Thailand prefer to be called Thais rather than by their traditional tribal group name. Due to its beautiful sound, it is likely that the Phu Thai language will become a traditional language used as a showpiece of rich Northeast Thai culture within fifty years.
See also
