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 s ...
(the others being the
Lao Loum 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 th ...
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 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 south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainland ...
, 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 farmers, until displaced by the influx of
Lao Loum 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 of Vietnam. The French term () signifies a mountain dweller, and is a carryover from the French colonial period in Vietnam. In Vietnamese, they a ...
*
Khmer Loeu
*
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, c ...
References
External links
Laos ethnic diversity at country-studies.com
Ethnic groups in Laos
{{Laos-stub