Karen, Pwo Northern

Print

A language of Thailand

ISO 639-3
pww
Alternate Names
Phlong
Population

60,000 (1983 SIL).

Location

Northwest, Mae Sarieng town; Mae Ngaw along Salween river, 15–25 villages; Hot to Mae Sarieng.

Language Maps
Language Status

5 (Developing).

Classification
Sino-Tibetan, Tibeto-Burman, Karenic, Peripheral
Dialects

Mae Ping, Mae Sarieng, Omkoi (Hod). Dialects mutually intelligible. Pwo Karen of Phrae [kjt], Kanchanaburi, and Hua Hin are not intelligible with these. Lexical similarity: 87% with Phrae Province Pwo Karen [kjt] of Thailand, 68%–73% with other Pwo Karen.

Typology

SVO

Language Use

Little knowledge of Thai [tha] in Hot to Mae Sarieng area.

Language Development
Literacy rate in L1: Below 1%. Literacy rate in L2: 25%–50%. NT: 2002.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Karen, Pwo Northern
Writing
Thai script.
Other Comments

Traditional religion, Christian.