Northern Thai language

Northern Thai language

The Northern Thai language or Kham Mueang (คำเมือง) is the language of the Thai Yuan people of Lannathai, Thailand. It is a Tai language, closely related to Thai and Lao. Northern Thai has approximately six million speakers, most of whom live in Thailand, with a few thousand in northwestern Laos.

Speakers of this language generally consider the name Yuan to be pejorative. They generally call themselves Khon Muang (คนเมือง) (or Lannathai or Northern Thai). The language is generally known by one of these terms, or as Phayap. The term Yuan is still used for the distinctive Lannathai script, which is closely related to the old Thai Lue alphabet and the Lao religious alphabets. It also resembles the Burmese and Mon alphabets. (All these alphabets derive from the Old Mon alphabet.) The use of the tua mueang, as the traditional alphabet is known, is now largely limited to Buddhist temples, where many old sermon manuscripts are still in active use. There is no active production of literature in the traditional alphabet.

Most linguists consider Northern Thai to be more closely related to Thai and the other Chiang Saeng languages than to Lao and the Lao-Phutai languages, but the distinction is never easy to make, as the languages form a continuum with few sharp dividing lines.

Vocabulary

Different words

Many words differ from central Thai greatly.

ยี่สิบ > ซาว (yi sip > sao, twenty)

พูด > อู้ (phut > u, speak)

พี่ชาย > อ้าย (phi chai > ai, older brother)

Similar words

Some words differ in tone only.

หนึ่ง > นึ่ง (nueng, one)

หก > ฮก (hok, six)

เจ็ด > เจ๋ด (chet, seven)

สิบ > ซิบ (sip, ten)

เป็น > เป๋น (pen, be)

กิน > กิ๋น (kin, eat)

Some words differ in a single sound and associated tone. In many words, the initial ร (r) is spoken as ฮ (h).

ร้อน > ฮ้อน (ron > hon, hot)

รัก > ฮัก (rak > hak, love)

รู้ > ฮู้ (ru > hu, know)

เชียงราย > เจียงฮาย (Chiang Rai > Jiang Hai, Chiang Rai city and province)

คิด > กึ๊ด (khit > kit, think)

ช้อน > จ๊อน (chon > *jon, spoon) *Both initials are transcribed ch in RTGS.

ใช้ > ใจ๊ (chai > *jai, use)

ให้ > หื้อ (hai > hue, give, let)

พ่อ > ป้อ (pho > po, father)

โกรธ > โขด (krot > khot, (be) angry)