The Lao Theung or Lao Thoeng (Lao:
ລາວເທິງ ) is one of the traditional divisions of
ethnic group
An ethnic group or an ethnicity is a grouping of people who identify with each other on the basis of shared attributes that distinguish them from other groups. Those attributes can include common sets of traditions, ancestry, language, history, ...
s living in
Laos
Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...
(the others being the
Lao Loum
The Lao Loum ( lo, ລາວລຸ່ມ; th, ลาวลุ่ม, , ) is an official Lao People's Democratic Republic designation for lowland dwelling Tai peoples, including the majority Lao people. The Lao Loum, literally meaning 'lowland L ...
and the
Lao Soung
Lao Sung or more commonly Lao Soung ( Laotian: ລາວສູງ ) is an official Laotian designation for highland dwelling peoples of Hmong, Yao and Tibeto-Burman origins in Laos (the others being the Lao Loum and the Lao Theung). Lao Soung ma ...
). It literally indicates the "midland Lao", and comprises a variety of different ethnic groups of mostly
Austro-Asiatic
The Austroasiatic languages , , are a large language family in Mainland Southeast Asia and South Asia. These languages are scattered throughout parts of Thailand, Laos, India, Myanmar, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Nepal, and southern China and are t ...
origin. In 1993, the Lao Theung formed 24% of the country's population.
History
Lao Theung are largely of
Mon-Khmer
The Austroasiatic languages , , are a large language family in Mainland Southeast Asia and South Asia. These languages are scattered throughout parts of Thailand, Laos, India, Myanmar, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Nepal, and southern China and are th ...
stock, and are believed to be the
autochthonous
Autochthon, autochthons or autochthonous may refer to:
Fiction
* Autochthon (Atlantis), a character in Plato's myth of Atlantis
* Autochthons, characters in the novel ''The Divine Invasion'' by Philip K. Dick
* Autochthon, a Primordial in the ...
population of mainland
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...
, having migrated south in pre-historical time. Their legendary origin is related in the "Pumpkin Story" in
James McCarthy's account of 1894. Although they now live in the higher uplands of Laos, they were originally
paddy rice
A paddy field is a flooded field of arable land used for growing semiaquatic crops, most notably rice and taro. It originates from the Neolithic rice-farming cultures of the Yangtze River basin in southern China, associated with pre-Aust ...
farmers, until displaced by the influx of
Lao Loum
The Lao Loum ( lo, ລາວລຸ່ມ; th, ลาวลุ่ม, , ) is an official Lao People's Democratic Republic designation for lowland dwelling Tai peoples, including the majority Lao people. The Lao Loum, literally meaning 'lowland L ...
migration into southeast Asia from Southern China. See
upland rice farmers' challenges.
Culture
Within Laos, the Lao Theung are sometimes referred to by the pejorative term ''khaa'' (Lao:
ຂ້າ), meaning "slave", reflecting the fact that they were traditionally used for labour by the lowland Lao.
Midland Lao still have a lower standard of living than other ethnic groups.
See also
*
Degar
Montagnard () is an umbrella term for the various indigenous peoples of the Central Highlands (Vietnam), Central Highlands of Vietnam. The French language, French term () signifies a mountain dweller, and is a carryover from the French Indochi ...
*
Khmer Loeu
The Khmer Loeu ( km, ជនជាតិខ្មែរលើ ; "upper Khmers") is the collective name given to the various indigenous ethnic groups residing in the highlands of Cambodia. The Khmer Loeu are found mainly in the northeastern pro ...
*
Ban Phou Pheung Noi
Ban Phou Pheung Noi (Lao: ບ້ານພູເຟືອງນ້ອຍ) is a Laotian village located at the peak of Phou Pheung mountain in the Xieng Khouang province of Laos. Phou Pheung mountain is approximately . During the Vietnam War, ...
References
External links
Laos ethnic diversity at country-studies.com
Ethnic groups in Laos
{{Laos-stub