Lao Shorter Old Testament & New testament / Ancien Testament en Laotien (Sélections) et Nouveau Testament / United Bible Societies 1999 / Black Hardcover / ພຣະຄຳພີ 

Hardcover 1999

ISBN-10: 9748183173

ISBN: 9789748183176  /  978-9748183176

PAGES: 2398

PUBLISHER: United Bible Societies

LANGUAGE: Lao (Laotian (ລາວ, [láːw] 'Lao' or ພາສາລາວ, [pʰáːsǎːláːw])

English Description:

Lao, sometimes referred to as Laotian (ລາວ, [láːw] 'Lao' or ພາສາລາວ, [pʰáːsǎːláːw] 'Lao language'), is a Kra–Dai language of the Lao people. It is spoken in Laos, where it is the official language, as well as northeast Thailand, where it is usually referred to as Isan. Lao serves as a lingua franca among all citizens of Laos, who speak approximately 90 other languages, many of which are unrelated to Lao.

Like other Tai languages, Lao is a tonal language and has a complex system of relational markers.^{[clarification needed]} Spoken Lao is mutually intelligible with Thai and Isan, fellow Southwestern Tai languages, to such a degree that their speakers are able to effectively communicate with one another speaking their respective languages. These languages are written with slightly different scripts but are linguistically similar and effectively form a dialect continuum.

Work on translation of the Bible (Lao: ພຣະຄັມພີ) into the Lao language was begun by Swiss Brethren missionaries in 1902, producing three Gospels in 1908, then a translation of the full Bible in 1932.The US Bible Society has recently published a modern translation of the Bible into Lao.