Brao language
| Brao | |
|---|---|
| Native to | Cambodia, Laos |
Native speakers | 59,000 (2005–2008)[1] |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | Variously:brb – Lavekrr – Kru’ngkrv – Kavet |
| ELP | Lave |
Brao is a Mon–Khmer language of Cambodia and Laos.
Varieties
According to Ethnologue, there are four distinct but mutually intelligible varieties, sometimes considered separate languages: Lave (Brao proper), Kru’ng (Kreung), and Kavet (Kravet), the latter spoken by only a couple thousand.
Sidwell (2003) also lists four communities of speakers, three of which are in Cambodia.
- Laveh (Lave, Rawe): spoken in Attapeu Province, Laos south of the capital city of Attapeu. Laveh is the official designation given by the Laotian government.
- Krung (Krüng): spoken around Ban Lung in Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia
- Kavet (Kravet): spoken in Voeun Sai District, Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia
- Brao (Brou, Palaw, Preou): spoken in and around the town of Taveng in Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia
Demographics
Sidwell (2003) suggests the possibility of a total of 50,000 speakers, while Bradley (1994:161) gives an estimate of 35,000. All estimates below are drawn from Sidwell (2003:30).
- Laos: The 1995 Laotian census places the Laveh population at 17,544.
- Cambodia: The Asian Development Bank gave an estimate of 29,500 speakers as of the early 2000s.
- Vietnam: About 300 Brau live in Đắc Mế village, Bờ Y commune, Ngọc Hồi district, Kon Tum province (Đặng, et. al 2010:112).[2] Parkin (1991:81) also estimates several hundred Brao in Vietnam.
- Thailand: Parkin (1991:81) estimates a Brao population of 2,500 in Thailand.
References
- ^ Lave at Ethnologue (17th ed., 2013)
Kru’ng at Ethnologue (17th ed., 2013)
Kavet at Ethnologue (17th ed., 2013)
- ^ Đặng Nghiêm Vạn, Chu Thái Sơn, Lưu Hùng. 2010. Ethnic Minorities in Vietnam. Hà Nội: Thế Giới Publishers.
- Sidwell, Paul (2003). A Handbook of comparative Bahnaric, Vol. 1: West Bahnaric. Pacific Linguistics, 551. Canberra: Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University.
Further reading
- Keller, C. E. (1976). A grammatical sketch of Brao, a Mon–Khmer language. Grand Forks, N.D.: Summer Institute of Linguistics, University of North Dakota Session. OCLC: 2915938