Laos people in the U.S. looking like Thai Lakorn Stars

[nophankh]

wow, I'm really impressed with all the historical contributions to this thread. I usually think that most Lao-Americans are ignorant of their history. I glad to see a lot of knowledgeable Laotians in this thread.

If you want to look at ethnicities, Laotian and Thais are the same.
I think we're arguing over whether Laotians and Thais are the same because we're getting confuse over the concept of culture.
I think genetically we are very similar, we derived from the same group, but as we separate from each other, we develop new cultures.
IF you look at Lao and Thai cultures, majority of the time it can be very similar compared to Cambodia and Burma.

Yea some Laos people can pass as thai lakorn stars because we're genetically similar.
It's culture that defines us, so we say we're different.

Also there is a lot of talk about Thai looking down one other groups such as Cambodians, Burmese, and Laos. The reason is all about economics.
All race is equal. There is no proof that any race is superior to another. It's been studied and it's fact.

 

[reagan1986]

maybe its because they dress themselves up? builds up there appearance and overall body figure =)

 

[marduk]

monkey muchacho, u presented lots of great points and historical insights there. but i just wanted to correct some of ur minor points on the similarities of the Lao & Mandarin Chinese though. The grammar is quite similar, but your examples don't seem to fit. So let's present a more accurate example along what u've already got.

"Gin kao lerl yung?" = (in literal translation of PraSa Thai) "Eat rice yet"
"Gin kao lerl bau?" = (in literal translation of PraSa Lao) "Eat rice yet"
"Ni Chr fun la ma?"= (in literal translation of Mandarin) "Eat rice yet"

In that instance the syntax of the grammar is practically the same. But not all the time.

Ni hui bu hui shuo zhongua ---> in PraSa Lao, you wouldn't say, "Do you or do you not speak Chinese", but you would say, "Can you speak Chinese" (Jao vao pra sa jeen dai bau"). In asking for an affirmative or a negation, that's just the nature of the question that can exist in any language. Precisely, you should look at the syntax rather than the nature of the question itself.

And for the last one where you mentioned that "both languages use ma at the end". THAT'S INCORRECT! only mandrin uses MA at the end of questions. the "MA" used in your sample question is a matter of context not grammatical syntax.

"Pa nai ma?" = Where did you come from? --> in this situation, MA is used to mean come. but it wouldn't be found in other Thai/Laotian question.

"Ni hui shuo Zhong Wen Ma" = Can you speak Chinese (btw ZhongGua is the country not the language)? --> in this situation, MA is just a punctuation to indicate a question.

So what you mean to say is not that both the languages end their questions in MA, but that both the languages PUNCTUATE their questions with an ending word. Whereas in PraSa Lao a question is punctuated with BAU and in Chinese with MA.

"Jao yak aan beum nee bau" = would you like to read this book?
"Ni yao kaan dao jer gher shu ma?" = would you like to read this book?

there the BAU is comparable to MA, but both of the languages do NOT end their questions in MA to punctuate it as a question, ONLY in mandarin

Sorry to sound so particular (n don't mean to come off as a nit picky anal person), but it's important to keep disseminate accurate information. Being from these cultures, I feel it's important to have ideas about both the culture and language be understood as accurately as possible by everyone.

You're absolutely right on the ma thing. The bau would be more comparable. I still stand by my point on the affirmative/negation type questions though, but I see it more in the thai language. Another interesting thing I've noticed is the use of the word le or lerl or whatever you want to spell it. It's an interesting word with no real comparison in westernized languages. It's like a place marker, but it's not. It makes things past tense sometimes and it also is used in questions. It's a funky word. Think about that.

 

[noungning]

isn't lerl or le...leur? um it's like the word "or"

kin kow leur yung? did u eat or not?

 

[nuthida]

wow interesting..

 

[marduk]

isn't lerl or le...leur? um it's like the word "or"

kin kow leur yung? did u eat or not?

What about in lao when you ask "gin kao le bau?" and you answer "gin kao le" or "gin le." Isn't it past tense in that phrase?

 

[jensen]

what's ur "le" or " leu"???? in thai or lao?

is it the thai and lao word for "or"?

in thai it is : Reu (Roh Reua)
in lao it is : Leu (with a Loh)

when u ask about eating :
in thai : kin (or tarn) khaow reu yang?
Kin laew.
in lao : kin khaow la bor/la vaa?
kin laew/or Kin lah deh/kin ma laew.

 

[jensen]

I'm off topic : Ananda Everingham is half lao and is in the thai entertainment.

 

[marduk]

what's ur "le" or " leu"???? in thai or lao?

is it the thai and lao word for "or"?

in thai it is : Reu (Roh Reua)
in lao it is : Leu (with a Loh)

when u ask about eating :
in thai : kin (or tarn) khaow reu yang?
Kin laew.
in lao : kin khaow la bor/la vaa?
kin laew/or Kin lah deh/kin ma laew.

Ok, maybe I'm off. However, it's just that my linguistic professor pointed out to me about the evolution of the word le from Mandarin. When someone is asked Chi fan le ma? (Did you eat yet?), you can answer with Chi le, which makes the eating past tense. This has also been shown in Lao when someone ask gin kao leu bau? Gin leu. There are also other instances you can use it which makes le one of the more interesting words in sino-tibetan. Since then, it's been evolved to le, lerh, or reu (in Thai). Thai and Lao is part of the Tai-Kadai language family which many linguists originally classified under the sino-tibetan language family. However, nowadays a lot of people consider it a different language group and considered the similarities due to language contact. My professor, however, seems to think otherwise but that's besides the point. However, because of the shared history between the two language families, there are many similarities between how the words are used in different contexts. That's why I thought it was an interesting word. Yeah, they sound different now depending on which language with lerl, laew, le, and reu, but look at the context and check out the similarities.

The following is random, but I think it's fascinating and filled with a lot of controversy. Some believed that the Tai-Kadai language family is derived from the austronesian that may have traveled from the asiatic islands and then been influenced by the Hmong-Mien languages and Chinese. However, that would suggest that languages were traveling inland, which, I don't think makes sense. I prefer to believe the other group of linguists who believe the evolution takes place from mainland out, which suggests that Tai-Kadai is part of sino-tibetan, and has its origin in the prehistoric communities of ancient China.

Another cool thing is that Khmer, though similar in certain ways to Lao (in regards to words I guess, but I don't know much about the Khmer language to make a definitive guess) is part of the Mon-Khmer language family. It's the same family as Munda (in India) and is thought to originate out of India. It was in the SE Asia region much longer than the sino-tibetan. Now if you think of it in terms of migration, it fits and it tells a pretty cool story. Long ago, groups probably migrated into SE Asia from India, which shows why it's of such great cultural importance. These groups probably evolved into the Khmer kingdom and other small tribes. The Tai group (eventual Thailand and Laos) then migrated south, bringing the Tai-Kadai languages with them and cut off the Khmer group. Over centuries, the Khmer language would evolve to incorporate many Tai words, but retain its roots, which explains why it's bizarre and is not tonal when all the languages around it is tonal. So here you have this one small community cut off by three major language groups (Thai, Lao, and Burmese) from its original origin. It's even more interesting if you note that Burmese is part of a subfamily of sino-tibetan, but it takes its script from the mon language, which makes sense given its proximity to Eastern India. Additionally, this fits in more with the idea that the Tai-Kradai language family is derived from mainland China as opposed to the asiatic islands, since the Burmese language can sorta back it up.

Ok, a lot of it is random, but if you look at it in terms of migration, it's so fascinating. It's like I can see these groups traveling in my head and it's interesting to see who's related to who.

 

[jensen]

lol Marduk, i believe u for the stuff u said, i just didn't get the "ler" le" and other words u guys wrote in karaoke lol, i didn't know how to read it, and was just wondering if it was the same as i wrote : reu (roh reua and sala eu) in thai or La vaa in lao.

 

[noungning]

^ wow jen u pointed out what i was thinking i don't really understand the karaoked le leu maybe clips would work with this haha

oh and with leu, in ur case, i think it sounds like la, kin kow la bor? kin la... i think la is shorthanded from leaw, from leaw we get la. we understand it to mean kin kow leaw bor? kin leaw. and it works for anything else i can think of right now.

but to mike, about the khmer being similar to lao's linguistics, i think it's more closer to thai.

i know some khmer, not the big ones but the small ones that i can still remember.

english - head | khmer - ka baln | thai - kla barn
english - glasses | khmer - waen tha | thai - waen tha | lao - waen tha
english - thank you | khmer - aw goun | thai - korb koun | lao - korb jai
english/viet/lao - pho | khmer - ga thiew | thai - kuai thiew
english - gay | khmer - ga thoei | thai - klatoei | lao - klatoei

umm there's more but i can't think of any right now...

*edit

i remember another one

sounds both like lao or thai greeting

khmer - suk sabai | lao - sabaidee/sumbaidee | thai - sawadee/sabaidee

 

[marduk]

^ wow jen u pointed out what i was thinking i don't really understand the karaoked le leu maybe clips would work with this haha

oh and with leu, in ur case, i think it sounds like la, kin kow la bor? kin la... i think la is shorthanded from leaw, from leaw we get la. we understand it to mean kin kow leaw bor? kin leaw. and it works for anything else i can think of right now.

but to mike, about the khmer being similar to lao's linguistics, i think it's more closer to thai.

i know some khmer, not the big ones but the small ones that i can still remember.

english - head | khmer - ka baln | thai - kla barn
english - glasses | khmer - waen tha | thai - waen tha | lao - waen tha
english - thank you | khmer - aw goun | thai - korb koun | lao - korb jai
english/viet/lao - pho | khmer - ga thiew | thai - kuai thiew
english - gay | khmer - ga thoei | thai - klatoei | lao - klatoei

umm there's more but i can't think of any right now...

*edit

i remember another one

sounds both like lao or thai greeting

khmer - suk sabai | lao - sabaidee/sumbaidee | thai - sawadee/sabaidee

Yeah, I don't know much about the khmer language to really say anything for sure. I only went by what I heard from my driver who was telling me the word toal-sap meu teu was the word for cell phone...which is essentially the same in Lao. But hey, it's still absorbing the languages from the same language family whether it's thai or lao. About the whole leu, le, laew, and reu thing, I think you guys still didn't get my point. It doesn't matter how it's spelled but how it's used. I think (at least, I'm not the only one) it's derived from the particle le which has an odd place in these asiatic languages. But hey, like all old fogies who studied languages, we could all be wrong. But I just want to make sure you guys understood what I was trying to say. Whether it's spelled le or reu in thai doesn't matter.

 

[noungning]

lol yeah um i don't know much of history, just an opinionated addition to the bunch

 

[stardust_magic]

As a Thai, I really don't believe there's much difference. Honestly, I think it's because of all the 'taking land' from a very long time ago. After all, Laos, Khmer, Burma, Vietnam, and Malay used to be Siam aka Thailand. People hold grudges with that...

 

[dfemc]

As a Thai, I really don't believe there's much difference. Honestly, I think it's because of all the 'taking land' from a very long time ago. After all, Laos, Khmer, Burma, Vietnam, and Malay used to be Siam aka Thailand. People hold grudges with that...

ooooh...eeeks that's a very bold statement to make, and historically inaccurate. all those sovereign nations were not under Siam rule. they were distinct kingdoms, and there were moments when either one of those nations ransacked each other back and forth. but just be careful with how you state things, going around making inaccurate generalizations like that (putting all southeast asian nations under the umbrella of Siam) can get you into LOOOTS of trouble. yeah it's not just a matter of cultural sensitivity but more of historical accuracy.

another OFF topic: what do thai lakorn stars look like? if ur talking about all those banner fotos, it looks like all the sarnies look like that, as a matter of fact, all asians look alike and they all look like that in the U.S. or in Asia

 

[Liberty]

To understand the dislike (I don't wanna say hatred, it's kinda harsh) between Thais and Laos, you really have to look into their histories. It's a long story and I really doubt anyone here wants a history lesson.

Anyway, I'm new, so um..hi! I didn't know these places existed. I'm not even sure how active this place is but I can never find an active board with Laos people, I'm not around my people much, if ever, so I try to find Laos people online.

I know what the poster means by Laos people in the US looking like Thai celebrities.
I get told all the time that I don't look Laos, which gets irritating fast. Most of the time people think I'm mix or hispanic with light skin (although when I'm tan it doesn't help, even if I tan goldish and not brown).

And to correct a previous poster about the historical aspect of things.
Technically all those other nations had their own kingdoms, never were they under Siam's rule. BUT there was some betrayal and land taking done by Siam to their brother nations, that's why there are grudges. Laos use to be a much bigger country but huge chunks of it is now part of Thailand and Vietnam.

 

[2cute2care]

when i was in thailand, the people working in the hotel were saying that i could become a thai model :huh: :huh: i'm assuming standards aren't too high in thailand

lol oh no im sure u are very attractive

well u wont be seeing that happening any sooner.....maybe next life but i'll be sure to hollar ur name out so pay attention k :yahoo:


still will they accept u even if ur some what alittle thai?? that's what i'm wondering...........cause my grams is half Thai but does that make me thai, alittle and not alot....lol so it's going to hard to get around that area......damn it why aint i mixed and rich, i'll surely get an easy access into the entertainment industry.........hehe jk jk :drool:

they will accept u lek... xo

 

[pangiaxiong]

:lmao:

 

[narkrakdin24^^]

What? Idk. I'm part Thai and part Laos and my families get along fine. However, some of my Laos family don't really like Hmong and Vietnam.
Their reason: They just don't like Homng ppl (I have no idea why cuz I've never asked) and becuz the Viet fought against the Lao and Thai ppl.
And actually outside from the cyber world, some ppl say I have similar features to the girl who was in Thep Sarm Ruedoo who played that Princess who was only out during winter.

 

[mmgjp314]

@nark
 
I am part Thai and part Laotian too, and part Chinese hahah And yup, my family also get along with one another just fine too. I have some relatives in Thailand, however, I've never met them because I've never been to Thailand, Laos, nor any other Asian countries all my life, but my uncles still contact with them for sometimes too.
________________________________________________________
 
You know, I think about those things, it's been a history now. Some people just maybe still have grudges about the history. BUT if you see Thailand now, you can see they accept Laotian people more now, however those people are also mixed with multiple ethnicities too. Looking down on some nationalities/races is actually a normal thing for humans' judgements. If you compare the ethnicities, Thailand and Laos are the same, cultures, religions, language, and also music. It's equal lol