Tibeto-Burman languages of PDR Lao

Abstract

According to the official classification of ethnic groups in PDR Lao, there are 47 distinct groups; seven of these are Tibeto-Burman (TB). In some cases, linguistically distinct groups are classified together; in other cases, groups lumped together elsewhere are distinguished in PDR Lao. The official romanisation of the ethnic names, autonyms where different, officially listed subgroups as enumerated in the 1995 census, and the 1985 and 1995 estimated populations of these seven TB groups are given in Table 1 below. Most are spoken in the northernmost area of PDR Lao; for maps, see Wurm and Hattori (1983) or Moseley (1994).