I take it this must be for Southern Laos because Northern Laos is different!
Northern Laos (mostly Tai Lue, or Tai Sipsongbanna, or Tai Muang Sing or plainly Tai):
Usually people add Tao before these words listed below:
1. Paternal grandfather (your father's father): Poo or Pou
2. Paternal grandmother (your father's mother): Yaa
3. Maternal grandfather(your mother's father): Jai (chai) or Taa
4. Maternal grandmother (your mother's father): Ying or Yai
5. Older woman (your father's sister after you have kid(s) you called her) or (someone around your parents age or somene that look around your parents age or older than you,but female):
- Mae luang or Baa
6. Older man (your father's brother after you have kid(s) you called him) or (someone around your parents age or someone that look around your parents age or older than you):
-Par luang or Loong
Same rules apply as above to 7 and 8:
7. Maternal sister (your aunt-your mother's sister): Naa
8. Maternal brother (your uncle-your mother's brother): Ai Naa or just Naa
*Naa can be use for people you don't know as well. It is the respect thing.
9. Paternal sister (your aunt-your father's sister): Aaa
10. Paternal brother (you uncle-your mother's sister): Owl
* Aaa and Owl can also be for people you don't know as well. It is the respect thing.
11. You call someone that is older than you: P (Pee)
12. Refer to oneself: Koy
Referring to oneself in rude way, not advise to use toward older adult or someone your not familiar with: Goo
13. Grandchildren: Laan
14. Great grandchildren: Den (din)
15. Can't forget "Jao" or "Koy" at the end of your sentence similar to Thai "ka" and "krup"
16. Older brother: Pee chai or just say Pee (P) or Ai Luang or Pee (P) Luang
17. Older sister: Pee Ying or just say Pee (P)
18. Younger brother: Nong chai or just say nong
19. Younger sister: Nong Ying or just say nong
*P (pee) or Nong also use as a respect to acknowledge someone who is also older or younger than you.
This is very broad, but it gets more difficult as you go down the line.
Have you guys ever heard of this: "koy, jao nee dai gin nam oy; goo, goo, mung,mung nee dai hi"? haha
it seems like the names listed to call several people are more thai than laotian... and if i'm more precise sounds like how chiang mai people talks. my parents are both from the northern part of laos, and there are some similarities to the names listed here but probably only 60%
regional wise, when you say people in the north would refer to another person as P or Pee, whereabout is that? I've just never heard someone go by P but rather by Ai.
#3, 4, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, especially 18 & 19, i know we say nong, but it's nong'sai for younger brother or nong'sow for younger sister... when i hear people from other region in laos talk, they also say the same, but it'd be with a different accent.
and your marriage description is very good, i can see the ceremony in the making.
well my family has been eating together for the past year. Does you guy's parents only eat Asian Food or do they like have the All american food for supper?
