The Lamet people are an ethnic group in

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 ...

and Laos.

Name Variations

Lamet are also often referred to as: *Lamed *Khamet *Khamed

Geographic Distribution

There are approximately 22,000 Lamet in the Louang Namtha Province, Oudomxai and Bokeo Provinces of Laos. There are also approximately 100 Lamet in

in the

Chiang Rai Chiang Rai ( th, เชียงราย, ; nod, , เจียงฮาย, ) is the northernmost major city in Thailand, with a population of about 200,000 people. It is located in Mueang Chiang Rai District, Chiang Rai Province. Chiang Rai ...

and

Lampang Lampang, also called Nakhon Lampang ( th, นครลำปาง, ) to differentiate from Lampang province, is the third largest city in northern Thailand and capital of Lampang province and the Mueang Lampang district. Traditional names for L ...

Provinces. There are also 90 Lamet in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

and 30 in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. In Laos, the Lamet are a

hill tribe Hill people, also referred to as mountain people, is a general term for people who live in the hills and mountains. This includes all rugged land above and all land (including plateaus) above elevation. The climate is generally harsh, with s ...

Origin

The Lamet claim to be an indigenous population to northwestern Laos.World Culture Encyclopedia-Lamet
/ref> They are a

Palaungic The nearly thirty Palaungic or Palaung–Wa languages form a branch of the Austroasiatic languages. Phonological developments Most of the Palaungic languages lost the contrastive voicing of the ancestral Austroasiatic consonants, with the disti ...

ethnic group.

Language

The Lamet speak an

Austroasiatic 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 ...

language related to Palaung and Wa. Most adult males also speak

Tai Yuan The Northern Thai people or Tai Yuan ( th, ไทยวน, ), self-designation ''khon mu(e)ang'' ( nod, , คนเมือง meaning "people of the (cultivated) land" or "people of our community") are a Tai ethnic group, native to eight p ...

Economy

The Lamet practice slash-and-burn agriculture, as well as hunting, gathering and fishing. The Lamet trade with the Lao and Thai to obtain their necessaries. Some Lamet also work for wages.

Religions

Animism Animism (from Latin: ' meaning ' breath, spirit, life') is the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence. Potentially, animism perceives all things— animals, plants, rocks, rivers, weather syst ...

Marriage customs

After marriage, the newly married Lamet man moves into his wife's family home and works for her father. He then begins to make marriage payments up to a fixed amount, after which the couple either moves in with the husband's parents, or the couple makes a new household.

Significance of Wealth

Wealth is considered an important characteristic among male Lamet. For the Lamet, wealth is measured by one's inventory of buffalo, chimes, and bronze drums.

References

External links

* http://projekt.ht.lu.se/rwaai RWAAI (Repository and Workspace for Austroasiatic Intangible Heritage) * http://hdl.handle.net/10050/00-0000-0000-0003-66ED-E@view Lamet in RWAAI Digital Archive {{Authority control Ethnic groups in Thailand Palaung people