The Lao Nyaw, Thai Nyaw or Tai Yo (Thai/Isan:
ไทญ้อ, ,
Isan pronunciation: ,
Khmer:
ឡាវញ៉) are an
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, ...
of
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
,
Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand ...
and
Laos
Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...
, scattered throughout the provinces of
Isan
Northeast Thailand or Isan (Isan/ th, อีสาน, ; lo, ອີສານ; also written as Isaan, Isarn, Issarn, Issan, Esan, or Esarn; from Pali ''īsānna'' or Sanskrit ईशान्य ''īśānya'' "northeast") consists of 20 provin ...
such as
Nong Khai
Nong Khai ( th, เทศบาลเมืองหนองคาย, ) is a city in northeast Thailand. It is the capital of Nong Khai province. Nong Khai city is located in Mueang Nong Khai district.
Nong Khai lies on the Mekong River, near ...
,
Sakon Nakhon
Sakon Nakhon ( th, สกลนคร, ; sometimes written Sakhon Nakhon) is a city (thesaban nakhon) in Thailand within the Isan region, and capital city of Sakon Nakhon Province as well as Mueang Sakon Nakhon District, with a population of ap ...
,
Nakhon Phanom
Nakhon Phanom ( th, นครพนม, ) is a town (''thesaban mueang'') in northeastern Thailand, capital of Nakhon Phanom Province. The town covers ''tambons'' Nai Mueang and Nong Saeng and parts of ''tambons'' At Samat and Nong Yat, all in ...
, and parts of
Bolikhamxai and
Khammouan provinces of
Laos
Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...
. They are also referred to as simply ''Nyaw'' or ''Yaw'', depending on either the Lao, Isan, and Nyaw pronunciation, which all pronounce the initial consonant as , or the Thai pronunciation, which pronounces the initial consonant as .
History
The Tai Nyaw believe that they are descendants of people originally from the northernmost part of Laos and Tonkin or immigrants during Tai migrations. Whatever the case may be, their dialect most closely resembles the Lao dialects from the regions east of
Luang Prabang
Luang Phabang, ( Lao: ຫລວງພະບາງ/ ຫຼວງພະບາງ) or ''Louangphabang'' (pronounced ), commonly transliterated into Western languages from the pre-1975 Lao spelling ຫຼວງພຣະບາງ (ຣ = silent r) ...
. Legend has it descendants are from the old king of
Laos
Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...
, who migrated after the overthrow and was forced to leave and spread out to neighboring countries for refuge. The Nyaw believed their ancestors are the king's personal guards and extended family.
Language
The Nyaw language is very similar to the
Lao language
Lao, sometimes referred to as Laotian (, 'Lao' or , 'Lao language'), is a Kra–Dai language of the Lao people. It is spoken in Laos, where it is the official language for around 7 million people, as well as in northeast Thailand, where i ...
, which is referred to as the
Isan language
Isan or Northeastern Thai ( th, ภาษาอีสาน, ภาษาไทยถิ่นตะวันออกเฉียงเหนือ, ภาษาไทยถิ่นอีสาน, ภาษาไทยอีสาน, ภ� ...
in Thailand. It is most similar to the
Phuthai
Phu Thai (Phuu Thai; Thai, Phu Thai: ''Phasa Phuthai'', ภาษาผู้ไท or ภูไท) is a Southwestern Tai language spoken in Laos and Thailand. Although it appears different from the Isan and the Lao languages, it is spoken in ...
language also spoken within the same regions. Most Nyaw are often also fluent in
Thai and
Lao.
Religion
The Tai Nyaw practise
Theravada Buddhism
''Theravāda'' () ( si, ථේරවාදය, my, ထေရဝါဒ, th, เถรวาท, km, ថេរវាទ, lo, ເຖຣະວາດ, pi, , ) is the most commonly accepted name of Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school' ...
, but have also maintained their original animist religion. Important to the Nyaw people is the tutelary spirit of the village, known in the dialect as ผู้เจ้า .
Status
In Thailand this language group is increasingly becoming integrated into the mainstream Isan language. This is due in large part to a campaign by the Thai government to modernize all Thai people, as well as due to outside influences of television, internet and local radio broadcasts. Most younger members of this northeastern tribal group in Thailand prefer to be called Thai rather than by their traditional tribal group name.
Headhunters
Believed to be Nyaw indigenous headhunters who sought other tribes for bounty and sport, It was an honor to retrieve the heads of rival tribes as a trophy. Many traditional families still kept the severed skulls as charms and for use in
Black Magic
Black magic, also known as dark magic, has traditionally referred to the use of supernatural powers or magic for evil and selfish purposes, specifically the seven magical arts prohibited by canon law, as expounded by Johannes Hartlieb in 145 ...
known as "Kong Dee". After the integration of
Lao,
Thai and
Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand ...
n mainstream society the head hunts were deemed unacceptable.
References
*https://web.archive.org/web/20070929141423/http://www.seamist.org/peoples/nyaw-thai.shtml
*http://khmerling.blogspot.com/2008/02/nya-dialect-collecting-data.html
{{Ethnic groups in Laos
Ethnic groups in Cambodia
Ethnic groups in Laos
Tai peoples
Ethnic groups in Thailand
See Also
*
Hmong people
*
Khmu people
The Khmu (; Khmu language, Khmu: ; lo, ຂະມຸ ; th, ขมุ ; vi, Khơ Mú; ; my, ခမူ) are an ethnic group of Southeast Asia. The majority (88%) live in northern Laos where they constitute the largest minority ethnic group, c ...