| Population |
250,000 in China (1990 J-O Svantesson) to possibly 770,000 or 75% of the Dai (1990 A. Diller). Population total all countries 551,700. |
| Region |
South Yunnan, Jinghong (Chiang Hung, Chien Rung), Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, west of the Lixianjiang (Black) River. Also spoken in Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Viet Nam. |
| Alternate names |
TAI LU, LUE, LY, LU, DAI LE, XISHUANGBANNA DAI, SIPSONGPANNA DAI, PAI-I, PAI'I', SHUI-PAI-I |
| Classification |
Tai-Kadai, Kam-Tai, Be-Tai, Tai-Sek, Tai, Southwestern, East Central, Northwest. |
| Comments |
Mu'ang Yong and dialects in the Lanna area may converge phonologically with Lanna (Diller 1990). Different from Tai Nüa, each having their own traditions. Officially included under Dai nationality in China. An official nationality in Viet Nam. Dictionary. SVO; modifiers follow heads. Old Lü script is used. Has a different script than Tai Nüa. Traditional religion, Buddhist. NT 1933. |
| Laos |
| Language name |
LÜ |
| Population |
20,000 in Laos (1993 Johnstone). |
| Alternate names |
LUE, LU, PAI-I, SHUI-PAI-I |
| Comments |
Traditional religion, Buddhist. NT 1933. See main entry under China. |
| |
|
| Myanmar |
| Language name |
LÜ |
| Population |
200,000 in Myanmar (1981). |
| Alternate names |
PAI-I, SHU-AI-I, LUE, TAI LU |
| Comments |
Traditional religion, Buddhist. NT 1933. See main entry under China. |
| |
|
| Thailand |
| Language name |
LÜ |
| Population |
78,000 in Thailand (1993 Johnstone). |
| Alternate names |
LUE, TAI LUE, THAI LU, TAI LU, LU, PAI-I, PAI-YI, SHUI-PAI-I |
| Comments |
Most closely related to Khun. 88% lexical similarity with Northern Thai; 74% with Central Thai. Central Thai is used in schools and on the radio. Northern Thai is the language used in town for trade, employment, and with Northern Thai speakers. Many thousands of Lü people including men and women, younger and older people understand very little Central Thai. Lü is used exclusively in talking to other Lü people; in the home, with friends, children, in the market, fields, in arguments, for telling stories, for counting. All ages. The Lü are proud of their language and eager to be identified as Lü. Literacy rate in first language: 1% to 5%. Literacy rate in second language: 50% to 75%. High in Central Thai in Thai script. Extensive literature in old Lü script, which no one reads now. Tropical forest. Valleys. Agriculturalists: wet rice, fishermen. Traditional religion, Buddhist. NT 1933. See main entry under China. |
| |
|
| Viet Nam |
| Language name |
LÜ |
| Population |
3,700 in Viet Nam (1993 Dang Nghiem Van). |
| Alternate names |
PAI-I, SHUI-PAI-I, LUE, TAI LU, NHUON, DUON |
| Comments |
An official nationality in Viet Nam. Traditional religion, Buddhist. NT 1933. See main entry under China. |
| |
|
