The Isan Language

Isan or Northeastern Thai refers
to the local development of the
Lao language in Thailand.
The language is still referred to as
the Lao language by native speakers.

Isan culture was at the time quite exotic, with the pungent foods and rural people referred to as stinky and the people
stupid and lazy.

Since the late 1930s, Isan has been
a bilingual area, with most people using Isan at home and in the village, but due
to diglossia, switching to Thai for school, work and formal situations.

Although some Isan people may not speak the language well, Thai is nevertheless
a convenient language of clarification.

The development of 'Isan' identity
and a resurgence in attention to the language has brought increased attention and study of the language...

(here are a few examples)

Holy Basil:

อี่ตู่

i-tu

To Whisper:

ซับซึ่ม

sap-suem

Monkey:

ลีง

ling

Although Thai and Lao are mutually intelligible, Thai speakers without previous exposure to the Isan language encounter several difficulties parsing the spoken language Many Isan (and Lao) terms are very similar to words that are profane, vulgar or insulting
in the Thai language, features which are very much deprecated.

(these prefixes are used in innocent ways as it does not carry the same connotation as insults in Thai)

Small Boy:

หำน้อย

ham noy
“small testicles”

Guy/Younger Male:

บัก

bak
“skinny penis”

A Group:

หมู่

mu
“pigs”

Buffoon:

ควาย

khway
similar to thai slang for “penis”

Although the majority of Isan words are cognate with Thai, and Thai influences are even creeping into the vocabulary, many basic words used in everyday conversation are either lacking cognates in Thai, but share them with Lao.

(some usages vary only by frequency or register)

No, Not:

บ่

bo

How Much:

ท่อใด

tho-dai

Delicious:

แซบ

saap

Northern Thai Sausage:

ไส้อั่ว

sai-ua

Thank You :)

ขอบใจ

khaawp-jai

Good Luck!

โซกดี!

sok-di