| Laha | |
| Region: | Vietnam |
| Ethnicity: | 8,200 Laha (2009 census) |
| Date: | 1999 census |
| Ref: | e18 |
| Familycolor: | Kradai |
| Fam2: | Kra |
| Iso3: | lha |
| Glotto: | laha1250 |
| Glottorefname: | Laha (Viet Nam) |
Laha is a Kra language spoken by approximately 1,400 people out of a total population of 5,686 Laha. It is spoken in Lào Cai and Sơn La provinces, Vietnam. Laha dialects had been documented in 1986 by Russian linguists and in 1996 by American linguist Jerold A. Edmondson. Many Laha can also converse in the Khmu language, and Laha-speaking areas also have significant Black Thai (Tai Dam), Kháng, Ksongmul (Ksingmul, Xinh-mun), and Hmong populations.
Ostapirat (2000) considers the Laha dialects to form a subgroup of their own (Southern Kra) within the Kra branch.[1]
Gregerson & Edmondson (1997) and Wardlaw (2000) report the following locations of two Laha dialects, namely the Wet Laha and Dry Laha dialects.
Wet Laha (Laha Ung, pronounced as /la33 ha21 ʔuŋ31/) of Lào Cai and Lai Châu
Dry Laha (Laha Phlao) of Sơn La - around the Sông Đà and Nậm Mu Rivers
| Stop/ Affricate | voiceless | pronounced as /p/ | pronounced as /t/ | pronounced as /tʃ/ | pronounced as /k/ | pronounced as /ʔ/ | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| aspirated | pronounced as /pʰ/ | pronounced as /tʰ/ | pronounced as /kʰ/ | |||||
| voiced | pronounced as /b/ | pronounced as /d/ | ||||||
| Fricative | pronounced as /f/ | pronounced as /s/ | pronounced as /ʑ/ | pronounced as /x/ | pronounced as /h/ | |||
| Nasal | pronounced as /m/ | pronounced as /n/ | pronounced as /ɲ/ | pronounced as /ŋ/ | ||||
| Approximant | pronounced as /w/ | pronounced as /l/ | ||||||
| Stop/ Affricate | voiceless | pronounced as /p/ | pronounced as /t/ | pronounced as /tʃ/ | pronounced as /k/ | pronounced as /ʔ/ | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| aspirated | pronounced as /pʰ/ | pronounced as /tʰ/ | pronounced as /kʰ/ | |||||
| voiced | pronounced as /b/ | pronounced as /d/ | pronounced as /dʒ/ | |||||
| Fricative | pronounced as /s/ | pronounced as /ʑ/ | pronounced as /x/ | pronounced as /h/ | ||||
| Nasal | pronounced as /m/ | pronounced as /n/ | pronounced as /ɲ/ | pronounced as /ŋ/ | ||||
| Approximant | pronounced as /w/ | pronounced as /l/ | ||||||
Both have the same final consonants, except pronounced as //l// is only in the Noong Lay dialect.
| Stop | pronounced as /p/ | pronounced as /t/ | pronounced as /k/ | pronounced as /ʔ/ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nasal | pronounced as /m/ | pronounced as /n/ | pronounced as /ŋ/ |
| Stop | pronounced as /p/ | pronounced as /t/ | pronounced as /k/ | pronounced as /ʔ/ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nasal | pronounced as /m/ | pronounced as /n/ | pronounced as /ŋ/ | ||
| Approximant | pronounced as /l/ |
| Front | Central | Back | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Close | pronounced as /i/ | pronounced as /ɯ/ | pronounced as /u/ | ||
| Near-close | pronounced as /ɪ/ | ||||
| Close-mid | pronounced as /e/ | pronounced as /ə/ | pronounced as /o/ | ||
| Open-mid | pronounced as /ɛ/ | pronounced as /ɐ/ | pronounced as /ɔ/ | ||
| Open | pronounced as /a/ | ||||
| Close | pronounced as /i/ | pronounced as /u/ |
|---|