French language in Laos

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Bilingual Lao-French sign in front of government ministry building in Pakse.

French is spoken by a significant minority in Laos. Laos has the second largest Francophone community in Southeast Asia after Vietnam and ahead of Cambodia. French is used as an administrative language and is also widely present in commerce, and is also studied by over a third of students in Laos.[1] Consequently, the language enjoys a healthier status in Laos compared to other Francophone Southeast Asian countries, although its influence is still under threat from the encroaching use of English.[2]

History

The French language was introduced to Laos in the 19th century when French explorers arrived in Laos trying to make inroads into

Franco-Siamese crisis and the borders of Laos and Siam were established in favor of France and Laos became a French protectorate.[5] Unlike in Vietnam, the French did not pursue to fully exert their influence in Laos and it was not until the 1900s that French began to be introduced into schools in Laos, but it was mostly limited to Vientiane. However, French rule finally gained firmer ground and French soon became the primary language of government and education and the language spread into southern Laos following the founding of Pakse. The French language peaked between the 1910s and World War II and spread throughout the nation but, like Vietnam, was not widely spoken in most rural areas. French eventually became the language of government officials and the elite. When Japan invaded Laos in World War II, French remained in the educational system, unlike in Vietnam, where Vietnamese became the sole language of education, but the Lao language was briefly used in the government.[6] French returned as the sole political language after France resumed its rule of Laos and was co-official with Lao when Laos was granted self-rule in 1949
, but Lao became the sole official language after independence in 1953.

The French language's decline was slower and occurred later than in Vietnam and Cambodia in Laos as the monarchy of Laos had close political relations with France. At the eve of the

La Francophonie
.

Characteristics

The French spoken in Laos is based on standard Parisian French but has some minor differences in vocabulary as in other French dialects of Asia. Mixtures of Lao are sometimes added into French, giving it a local flavor. Some Lao words that have found their way into the French language are used in Laos as well. There are some notable differences between Lao and standard French such as:

  • The word rue can be used to refer to any street, road, avenue and highway unlike standard French which also uses avenue or boulevard.
  • The incorporation of Lao words into French when referring to native Lao topics such as food, plants, etc.

See also

References

  1. ^ Aménagement linguistique dans le monde - Laos, Université Laval (in French)
  2. ^ a b c La Francophonie in Asia, France-Diplomatie, 2005, archived from the original on 2009-05-02, retrieved 2010-10-14
  3. ^ French legacy in Laos, France-Diplomatie, archived from the original on 2010-08-27, retrieved 2010-10-30
  4. ^ John Holt (2009). Page 79. Spirits of the Place: Buddhism and Lao Religious Culture. University of Hawaii Press.
  5. ISBN 1-57607-770-5
    .
  6. ^ Chieu, p. 309.

External links

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