Lao Language Pt3 - Syntax

Syntax is boring from more programming language but its probably a relevant concept to use for the Lao language. Grammar in Lao does not employ conjugation of verbs as it does in English. Some tenses are indicated through the use of specific words which can be used before or after the verb. Speaking from experience one of the most significant attributes to Lao language is the positioning of words. Unlike the romantic languages which generally adopt similar syntax, the syntax (specifically the position of some words relative to subjects, objects and verbs in the sentence can be distinctly different. I'm still coming across surprises in this regard but I think in general the extent of the rules around syntax are not that extensive. 

Pronouns - Similar to English and the romantics, this pronouns can be use before or after the verbs to indicate it is being employed as the subject or the object. I've also seen reference to a 'passive tense' which may alter the positioning of this word which may be something else to look out for.

Me ຂ້ອຍ We ຜວດເຮົາ
You ເຈົ້ງ You ຜວດເຈົາ
Him ລາວ They ຜວດເຂົາ

Possession

ຂອງ is the possession particle and can be a prefix to a noun or pronoun.

Demonstrative Pronouns
Generally used after a subject classifier (nouns that can refer to a category of nouns ie. things, swarm, pile . ມຶ້ນື້ is quite literally 'day this' or its more proper translation 'today' 
ນີ້ -This 
ນັນ -That
ເຫຼົານິ້ -These

ເຫຼົານັນ -Those

Modal Verbs - These are common verbs, often used in combination with other verbs to generated a more specific meaning. The verb ຄວນ (or 'should') contrary to English is placed after an initial verb to indicate that verb needs doing. However, the verb for need or want (ຕ້ອງ or ຢາກ) are placed before the verb they effect. There are more combinations so its useful to recognise these.

Should - ຄວນ
Need - ຕ້ອງ
Want - ຢາກ
Can – ໄດ້(able to do).ເປັນ(understand how to do).ສາມາດ(within physically ability to do)
Enter,join - ເຂົາ
Give, permit - ໃຫ້

Question words - Below are some of the popular ones but by no means an extensive list. Notice below 'Whose' is a combination of 'Who' and the possession particle discussed before.

English	What?	Where?	Whose?	Who?	When?
Lao	ຫຍັງ	ໃສ	ຂອງໃຜ	ໃຜ	ເມືອໃດ
English	Which?	How (in what way	How much?	How Many?	How long?
Lao	ອັນໃດ	ເປັນຍ່າງໃດ	ເທົາໃດ	ຈັກ	ດົນປານໃດ
Participles	ບ	ເນາະ	ເດ່	ວະ	ເເມ່ນບໍ່
English	?	Okay?	Isn't it?	And...?	True?/Huh

Connecting Participles - These words are used to connect phrases

ວະ – introducing a second thought (like 'and')

ຈຶງ – then so because (cause and effect)

ກໍ - then because (second thought)

ທິ່ - that, which, what, for

ຕັ້ງ – 'so' many (such that it is unusual)

Tenses

Past

ເເລ້ວ comes after the verb and indicates the past as the word 'already' would.

ໄດ້ comes before the verb and indicates completion as in 'did' or 'already'

Future

ຈະ can be used before the verb to indicate future tense

ຊິ can be used before the verb to indicate future tense. When this is more appropriately used than the former I've yet to identify. Help appreciate if anyone has thoughts.

Passive

ຖືກ

Progressive

ພວມ before indicates progressive tense ie. Incomplete but occuring action

ກໍາລັງ before indicates progressive tense ie. Incomplete but occuring action

ຢູ່ after indicates progressive tense ie. Incomplete but occuring action

Comparatives 

ຄືກັນ indicates that both leading aspects are the same

ກວ່າ is a suffix that indicates a comparative (A is more than B)

ທືສຸດ is a suffix that indicates a superlative (it is of most significant magnitude)

Periods
Morning - ມື້ເຊົ້າ

Noon - ຕອນທຽງ
Afternoon - ຕອນບ່ຍ
Evening - ມື້ເເລງ
Night - ກາງຄືນ

Days

Monday - ວັນຈັນ
Tuesday - ວັນອາງຄານ
Wednesday - ວັນພຸດ
Thursday - ວັນພະຫັດ
Friday - ວັນສຸກ
Saturday - ວັນເສົາ
Sunday - ວັນອາທິດ

Lao Language Pt 2 - Tones

Tones

In English, tones are not an official part of the language. Native English speakers from across the little blue planet tend to employ tones different based upon their origin. Commonly a high rising tone at the end of a sentence can signify a question. Tones become more noticeable when talking with non-native speakers that tend to apply speaking patterns similar to their mother language. This is one of the aspects that renders the non-native speakers accent as unusual. Internationals and persons from ethnically diverse societies tend to have a stronger ability to comprehend non native speakers as well. 

This reinforces a fact a German friend once told: English really is not just one language. Perhaps as a result of my travels or my background I found it easier than most to comprehend some of the unique accents and variations on the English language. This has not help me in learning a tonal language such as Lao. My mind, so used to quickly making those connections of different pronunciation struggled at first to find any aspect of difference. All the listening I was doing was not getting me very far. It was time to get academic on this bad boy. I started to learn the alphabet but the similar sounds still confused me. I learnt the vowels which help a little but there was still a large piece missing. There was combination pattern of these and 'tone markers' which underlay communication and were producing the distinct differences that I found so difficult to discern.

Enter the wonderful world of technology and the world wide web. Thanks to youtube and a polyglot called Stuart Jay Raj, I was able to start upon a journey to find my tone ears.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TV1F8ZE_AyA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TV1F8ZE_AyA. 

So how difficult can it be? Want of the first struggle points I came upon was the difference between dog and horse (ຫມາ and ມ້າ).[Transliterated too maa and maah] . Dog has the rising tone and horse starts off high and then falls.  

Vientiane Tones

To the left is a representation of the tones used in Vientiane Lao. This model is generally accepted although some variations are discussed in certain texts. They also vary slightly depending on the province in Laos. It is the most recognised of the Lao accents however due to influence particular from broadcast government television.

In reading Lao, the tone is characterised by the combination of consonant, vowels, final consonants and the tone markers below:

້ - mai toh     ໋ - mai chatava (rare)     ່ - mai ek

How they are derived will be described but it may be useful to familiarise with the Lao script as discussed in the Lao Language Pt 1  post.

Kang Consonants

The Kang Consonants produce a low tone (Tone 1) when combined with a long vowel. Conversely, when it is combined with a short vowel it produces a high tone (Tone 3).

Tam Consonants

The Tam Consonants are pronounced on the high tone (Tone 3) with long vowels and tone 2 with short vowels. The latter is the only combination that produces tone 2 without the tone marker Mai ek ( ່ ).

Sung Consonants

The Sung Consonants are pronounced on the rising tone (tone 4) when combined with a long vowel. Sung consonants have similar sounding counterparts as Tam consonants however they are pronounced on different tones. With short vowels they produce are high tone (tone 3) counter to the mid tone (tone 2) of the Tam consonants. So generically they can be considered as obfuscated Tam consonants producing a higher tone or a rising tone.

Nasal finals (ມ,ນ,ງ)

Nasal finals only affect the spoken tones which include short vowels. They finish syllables with m, n or ng sound (ມ,ນ,ງ). Kang Consonant with short vowel and nasal finals produces a low tone. With Tam Consonants, nasal finals raises the tone of short vowel tone to high. Sung consonants with nasal finals produce the rising tone also.

In other words, nasal finals tonal production is similar to their non-stopped long vowel counterparts.

Aspiration

A significant pattern between the consonants classes are the presence of common sound consonants. Tam and Sung Consonants have aspirated letters with counterparts in the Kang class that are unaspirated letters. The unaspirated are ກ , ຕ and ປ; pronounced as g, dt and bp without a noticeable puff of air. ກ sound particularly like a English 'k' sound which unaspirated is more similar to the English 'g' sound.

A useful exercise is when reciting the alpabet sounds for these letters, place the back of your hand close to your mouth. The aspirated letters will produce a distinct puff of air where as the unaspirated is more dispersed.

Mai Toh (   ້) & Mai Ek ( ່)

As mentioned earlier, Mai ek overrides the tone to the mid tone. This is the natural spoken tone. Mai to, produces a falling tone. For Kang and Tam consonants, it produces a high falling (tone 5); sung consonants produce a low falling (tone 6) .

Stops

Stops are unreleased sounds and are generally written as ກ,ດ or ບ. Transliterated they are t, k or p sounds at the end of words. They only affect the tones of words with long vowel combinations. Kang and sung consonants combined with stops produced a low falling tone (tone 6) . Tam consonants with a stop produced a high falling tone (tone 5).

A stopped vowel only needs a mai toh tone marker if it is a Kang Consonants. Tam and Sung consonants do not change in their falling tone between stopped words and mai toh marked words.

Tone Summary (LR - Low Rising, HF - High Falling, LF - Low Falling)

	Long Vowel or Short Vowel Nasal	Short vowel	Long Vowel with stop	Mai Ek	Mai To
Kang Consonants	Low	High	LF	Mid	HF
Tam Consonants	High	Mid	HF	Mid	HF
Sung Consonants	LR	High	LF	Mid	LF

Final Notes

After struggling for a long time trying to make a start to learning this language the simplest advice I would give myself is to really focus upon the movement of your throat and tongue and where the sounds a being produced. Thinking about sounds, letters and vowels as a reference to a mechanical function being undertaken in your body rather than a replication or a reference to another language. 

I don't quite know how the International Phonetic Alphabet works but it seems to use this a reference point. Could be of further benefit in cracking the difference between English and Lao languages.

Add caption