Tradition of lao

L

lalalek

[quote=Karen,Oct 4 2005, 05:24 PM]
yep dat's true!! at home i always eat after my mom and dad!
[post="22453"][/post]​
[/quote]


Dang are you guys for real, you guys still do that..I know we use to do that but that was like 15 years ago. Dang, i guess my family and i have been living in America too long..haha :lol: 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?

One more Question, Karen are you laos. your a Yang right?
 

missjoy

sarNie Elites
when we are at home we don't follow that rule but when we have gatherings at other people's house, we do have to wait for the elders to have the first bite.
 

vilasaeng

sarNie Juvenile
My family like to preserve the tradition... Their Westernize about somethings and tradition about some... Eatitng their sit very tradition.. Elder have the first bit.... then we all could dig in.. And we sitt eat on the floor....
:lol:
 

Keomany

Music.heal.All
saonoy03 said:
don't the guy stay with the girl's family too? doesn't he move in and live with the girl...
[post="16999"][/post]​

depend ...but usually the girl move in with the guy
 

2cute2care

sarNie Juvenile
Reagan said:
does anybody say kanoi? i only say doi,

off topic - whats a yang?
[post="25217"][/post]​

yeah i still say kanoi and doi, and when i speak to my parents i used the word look (child) instead of I or my name.
 
L

lalalek

2cute2care said:
yeah i still say kanoi and doi, and when i speak to my parents i used the word look (child) instead of I or my name.
[post="105643"][/post]​
Yeah, i do that too but that is like whenever i feel like it!!! lol :lmao:
 

MaNang

sarNie Hatchling
I say doi when I'm being polite or when I feel like it too.
Eating:
When I was younger, my family did this but now we're almost never home at the same time so we can't eat this way. Our way of eating is call samakee which translates to harmony or cooperate, something like that. We eat on the floor, around a kathoke, the round bamboo or wood tables and we take rice from a thipkao and eat with our hands. The people in Chiang Mai and Isan call it khanthoke sometimes.
Also, did anybody notice that traditional Korean way of eating is like the Lao way of eating? Cool!

P.S. does anybody here eat sticky rice with a knife and fork or chopsticks? At my mom's restaurant, I think it's so funny when the customers do that, lol.
 

arissa

sarNie Elites
vilasaeng said:
Divorce
In the Laotion/Asian divorce are not very common....The Laotian family will likely talk the situation out before divorce even come up....
[post="17188"][/post]​

Yeah..I know that both sides usually talk it over...to see if there is even a slight chance of the couple working the problems out...There is one incident that happened to my girl cousin..I dont really know what happened..but she wanted a divorce from her husband....so therefore, she had to " Sue Hong" ....she had to buy herself out of the relationship...by returning all the " sin sot" and sometimes even more...for her freedom...This happened like last month...in Laos..But I am not sure if it is the same in America...because when people divorce they just go their separate ways..and split up their assets...
 

champthong

sarNie Hatchling
Name to call elder....
We call our grandfather from our mother side por toid and from our father side pou. We call our grandmother from our mother side ma toid and from our father side yar. As for the older brother and sister of your parent from both side we call them lonng for male and barr for female.....
As for the younger brother and sister from your father side you called them arr for girl and ouu for boy. For your mother side you call your aunt na sao and na boi for uncle.....
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
 

champthong

sarNie Hatchling
[quote=Karen,Oct 4 2005, 05:24 PM]
yep dat's true!! at home i always eat after my mom and dad!
[post="22453"][/post]​


One more Question, Karen are you laos. your a Yang right?
Karen are NOT Lao, but they are from Laos, Burma, and Thailand area (same goes with other ethnic groups.)
 

champthong

sarNie Hatchling
There is one incident that happened to my girl cousin..I dont really know what happened..but she wanted a divorce from her husband....so therefore, she had to " Sue Hong" ....she had to buy herself out of the relationship...by returning all the " sin sot" and sometimes even more...for her freedom...This happened like last month...in Laos..But I am not sure if it is the same in America...because when people divorce they just go their separate ways..and split up their assets...

"Su Kon" or as Southern Lao would say it as "Poo Khen" aka "Baci" is only neccessary if the marriage is less than 1 year or so. However, regarding "sin sot" (dowry), if it is the female who causes all the problems in the relationship, which led to their separation then "Su Kon" is neccessary and the "sin sot" (dowry) have to be return to the groom's family. However, if it is the male who causes all the problems in the marriage which led to a divorce, then the bride's family keep all the "sin sot" (dowry).
All of this is stated loudly during the engagment ceremony and during the wedding ceremony.
 

champthong

sarNie Hatchling
I might not be exactly correct but to give our Lao children and others an understanding of Laotion people... Some of these tradition might co-side with others ethnicity group

Engagement/Marriage
The boy family come to see the girl familly and ask for her hand... The girl family then ask for something in return or as a bargin... They may ask for money, gold, livestock etc.. Depending.... Then on the wedding day that's when the everything is presented... Some parent choose to give the things that's ask for to the newly wed or keep it themself....

To be continue.....
Engagment/Marriage: Northern Lao version (mainly Tai Lue (Tai Sipsongpanna) or plainly Tai or Dai)

1. The girl's parent(s) usually would say something to her like: You and your boyfriend (usually a name of her boyfriend) have been seeing each other for a long time now, don't you think it is time for you two to start a family or a future together? If you are ready we are very happy, if not we are happy too. The choice is your to make, because you are old now to make your own decision. Furthermore, they will say something like tell him to go tell his parents and older people (tao gae) to come and engage (ma munt or ma call).

2. The two lovely couples will talk to each other. And if he agrees and feel that it is the right thing to do, he will propose to her, then he will tell her that I will tell my parents and my parents will ask old people (tao gae) to come to your house to ask your parents for permission on ________ (some date and time agreed by the two love birds). NOTE: Her parents already give permission (or approved who she is dating) for her to get marry; remember the chit chat with her parents, so this relief some stress for the guy.

3. The guy goes back home to share the good news with his parents (keeping in mind that he already brought her home to meet his parents vice versa already). However, if the guy did not bring the girl home yet, they will tell him to ask her to meet his parents vice versa before anything can move forward. After everything is all set and done. The guy family are ready to go and do the engagment ceremony at the girl's house.

4. The parents sit high off the ground like on chair or sofa while the two love birds have to sit on the floor cross-legged wearing the traditional clothing. The parents would chit-chat and chit-chat as a respectful thing because you don't usually go straight down to business. The parents gets to know each other, while the poor kids sitting on the floor with their legs crossed etc. Then the guy family would offer money, jewerly, etc to the girl family (usually girl family do not make offer first, they will say something like owl nam jai, money don't have value or money is not that important (translating Lao to English makes it sounds harsh or any languages is so harsh. It doesn't come out right.). This "sin sot" (dowry) is for "ga kao (cow) kup nam noon (milk) mae (for all those times that her parents raised her). I see this a highly respectful thing and not selling their daughter.

5. After everything is all set and both sides agreed. The guy and girl will "gralup ka loop par mae sam tery" or wai (nop or pranop) three times on both of their parents' feet or on their lap with flower; follows by their parents giving blessing to both of them. Then there will be some gift giving.

6. Then you have to wai to pra chao (buddha) and hall hearn dearn dao (house and angels).

7. The parents discussrd the wedding date, usually the wedding ceremony will not during OX (ok) Phansa, these months are September, October, November. These months are consider to be bad luck months to have wedding, people who married on one of these months usually ended in divorce. The good months to get marry is April or May, but May is preferred by majority of people (this is only if your family is a strong Buddhist).

8a. The bride sit in the house or the hall, while the groom is led by his friends and other people singing the "mae tao er" song. People dance and sing all the way to the house or to the hall where the bride is waiting. Groom will carry family sword along with dok mai and candle dress in traditional clothing. He is basically a prince. He had people holding umbrella over his head for him, etc.

8b. There will be a boy or a girl holding a perfume water to sprinkle on the groom's feet. Then his "long jao bow" (best man) would give the money to the boy or girl whom sprinkled the perfume water on the groom's feet. Then the groom is led into the house or the hall, but he is not allow to go inside of the house or hall yet. He is blocked by several groups of ladies. They will sing and/or ask question like how much do you want to see your bride? The groom will be flatter haha (poor groom). Then his best man will tell them get out of the way (sound so harsh in translation again) haha the the group will say we will only move if you take this shot (the groom will not take it, instead "long jao bow" will be kind enough to take it for the groom, then they will offer like 4 or 5 more shots haha). For all those great shots, the "long jao bow" (best man) will offer them money. Finally, the groom gets to see his bride waiting for him patiently.

8c. The wedding day is the most important and the most beautiful day for both families. The bride and groom have to sit there crossing their legs and listening to the monks or "a jaan" aka "mor phon" for about 2 or 3 hours; but the ceremony have to be done by 12pm. Usually, the chanting/blessing starts at 9am and end around 11:30ish. But in America, strong Buddhist believers still follow the tradition.

9. The groom and bride are led by the elder woman usually a great grandmother or grandmother to the room to wai or pray to hall hearn dearn dao, etc.

10. Then the fun starts begin after all these...more family pictures, food, blessing dance, groom and bride first dance, lum vong, etc.

NOTE: If your a guy and your the oldest one, then the girl will come to live with you (bin sapai or bin pai). However, this can be arrange, but usually if your the oldest one and your a guy then the girl come live with you.

This is a brief summary of the engagment and marriage....just to give a broad idea...
 

dfemc

sarNie Adult
wooooow! dude, champ did u like major in Southeast Asian Studies with a minor in Laotian culture? or obtaining a Ph.D. in anthropology? just curious. i just think it's awesome that ur a bucket load of information. thanx for letting us pick at ur brain for this stuff. i'll be sure to keep picking and prying. well, if u've actually involved urself in these studies, do u have any great papers or references that we can check out with regards to Courtship ceremonies and Laotian music by chance. i'd definitely be interested, as i find traditional laotian music very enchanting and witty especially in how it's used for courtship matters. so please do share if u do have the info down :)
 

noungning

Heartless
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.
 

champthong

sarNie Hatchling
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.
Yes, these regions speak similar to Tai Chiang Mai.

Like I have stated at the beginning: Northern Laos (mostly Tai Lue, or Tai Sipsongbanna, or Tai Muang Sing or plainly Tai dominant):

Regional wise would be Bokeo Province, Luang Namtha Province, Oudomxai Province, just to name a few; where there are Tai-Tai (or Tai Lue [sipsongpanna]) dominant and not Tai-Lao dominant. However, these areas also speak central Lao (Lao Vieng and Lao Muang Luang) as well. As we all know Central Lao dialect has the influence in the national language in Laos P.D.R. Furthermore, in Thailand Ccentral Thai dialect is the most commom dialect spoken in Thailand. If you go to these areas (Northern Laos provinces) and they know that you are Lao Thai Dai (Southern Lao), then they will speak Lao Vieng to you. Generally, the Northern Lao speak like what I listed above.

When speak to Lao Thai Dai (Southern Lao), listen to how they speak, because some of the words are borrow from Northern Laos. Good example is listen to lakorn "Pleng Ruk Rim Fung Kong" there are several words that they use that are not Southern Laos words, but instead Northern Laos words. For example, the correct way to say "speak" is "Wowl" (my phonetic is not that great and I apologize) and the Northern Lao (Tai-Tai) is "Waa". Another example, "spoon" is "Bone" and Northern Laos (Tai-Tai) is "Jon". When you have time, and money and interest in learning about languages between Northern Laos and Southern Laos; I advise you to travel to Luang Namtha province especially in Muang Sing. While you are there, get a Visa and cross to Yunnan Province and visit Sipsongpanna the motherland of today Laos, Thailand and Shan Burmese people. You will be surprise!
Bokeo Province such as Houayxay, Muang Mom, Namkeung Kout, Ban Namkeung Mai, Ban Done Deng, Ban Phibounthong, etc. { Other provinces are Luang Prabang, Phonsaly, Xayabouri, etc].

Regarding the Pee, you have to say it in the hard "P" sound like Chiang Mai.


#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.


Yes, "nong sai" is the same as "nong chai", but Tai-Tai say it with hard sound aka dialect.


and your marriage description is very good, i can see the ceremony in the making.
Thanks for the compliment!

Here's a clip http://laomusic.nu/lao-music-video/alexand...badin-show.html
About 26 minutes into the clip (or toward the end), they asked her about Laos (Northern & Southern) speaking.

khon howl gert ma gar huk sat kup ba pay nee hung howl wai hai look kup laan...etc etc...Tee krawm huk none fak wai you nai whole jai... not really sure the exact wording of it...
 

champthong

sarNie Hatchling
wooooow! dude, champ did u like major in Southeast Asian Studies with a minor in Laotian culture? or obtaining a Ph.D. in anthropology? just curious. i just think it's awesome that ur a bucket load of information. thanx for letting us pick at ur brain for this stuff. i'll be sure to keep picking and prying. well, if u've actually involved urself in these studies, do u have any great papers or references that we can check out with regards to Courtship ceremonies and Laotian music by chance. i'd definitely be interested, as i find traditional laotian music very enchanting and witty especially in how it's used for courtship matters. so please do share if u do have the info down :)
Yea...something like that haha...

When I have time I will share more of my knowledge to those of you who are interested in learning about Lao and/or Thai (Asian) culture. The best way is to create a topic in this forum and I will provide my knowledge...

When you said, "traditional Laotian music", are you referring to the classical (singing) of Lao music during the monarchy period? (i.e. Khab Thum, Fon Nang Keo (Kaew), Dok Mai, etc) or more like different style of lum?
 

noungning

Heartless
I advise you to travel to Luang Namtha province especially in Muang Sing. While you are there, get a Visa and cross to Yunnan Province and visit Sipsongpanna the motherland of today Laos, Thailand and Shan Burmese people. You will be surprise!
Bokeo Province such as Houayxay, Muang Mom, Namkeung Kout, Ban Namkeung Mai, Ban Done Deng, Ban Phibounthong, etc. { Other provinces are Luang Prabang, Phonsaly, Xayabouri, etc].
from reading, then my lao is really mixed because we use "waa" and "wao". it's not one or another.

i may be visiting laos again this summer, and if i do i'll try to seek the differences of their use of words. but i'll see how far from the border i can get lol. but i really want to visit luang prabarng.
 

donna

sarNie Adult
Karen is Laos, right blackie? haha showing her some sister love here!

as for the eating after your parents, that all depends cuz for me, i eat before my parents. its cuz i eat and run, gotta go home to rest!

paternal grandparents - ya and poo
maternal grandparents - mae tao paw tao

i call anyone who looks older than my mom pah and loong
any old looking person mae thu or paw thu

older sis/bro - uey ai

i feel weird call my sister/bro uey/ai. i usually call them by their nicknames. when i talk about them to someone else, then i call them that

i don't say doi after i talk, only when i speak to someone older that i don't know

when i speak to my mom/grannie i say hao not koi when i refer to myself

i don't know if this happens in other ppls families but i don't call my auntie sao. we call her by her first name but when we introduce her to someone that we know, then we give her her props. it feels weird to call her sao when she not that much older than me and my older sisters.

when there are guests at the house, we take our food then go sit on the saat to eat. we let them eat at the table or sit on a chair
 

champthong

sarNie Hatchling
but i really want to visit luang prabarng.
If you go to Laos P.D.R and did not go to "Moor Ladork Lork", then you did not visit Laos P.D.R haha...and if you go to Viengchan (Vientaine) and did not see the "Veritcal Run Way" and "Wat Pha That Luang" then you did not go to Viengchan haha...



Old slogan in SE Asia..."Vietnamese grow rice, Cambodians watch rice, and the Lao(tians) listen to rice"...
 
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