Sound System of Isan Dialect (LAO) Spoken in Mueang District, Nakhonphanom Province

Abstract

This article aimed to study the phonology and vocabulary of the Isan (Lao) dialect spoken at Tambon Nai Mueang, Tambon Nong Yati, and Tambon Kham Tao in Mueang District of Nakhon Phanom Province. Data were collected from interviews with three informants aged 50 years and over, who resided in Mueang District of Nakhon Phanom Province. The vocabulary for collecting the tone data is based on William J.Gedney’s list of 60 words for collecting the tone data of the Tai dialect. The study  found that the sound system of the Isan (Lao) dialect spoken in Mueang District, Nakhon Phanom Province, consists of 21 vowel phonemes, divided into 18 monothongs /i/, /ɨ/, /u/, /e/, /ǝ/, /o/, /ε/, /ɔ/, /a/, /ii/, /ɨɨ/, /uu/, /ee/, /ǝǝ/, /oo/, /εε/, /ɔɔ/, /aa/and 3 diphthongs  /ia/, /ɨa/, /ua/, 20 consonant phonemes; /p-, t-, k-, ʔ-, ph-, th-, kh-,  b-, d-, f-, c-, s-,  h-, m-, n-, ñ-, ŋ-, l-, w-, y-/.  Nine can be final consonant phonemes; /-p, -t, -k, -ʔ, -m, -n, -ŋ, -w, -y/ and 2 consonant cluster phonemes.  A tone has six units. A total of 2,214 words had been collected and divided into 20 categories.