Literature of Laos

The people of Laos have a rich literary tradition dating back at least six hundred years, with the oral and storytelling traditions of its peoples dating back much earlier.[1] Lao literature refers to the written productions of Laotian peoples, its émigrés, and to Lao-language works. In Laos today there are over forty-seven recognized ethnic groups, with the Lao Loum comprising the majority group.[2] Lao (part of the Lao-Tai family) is officially recognized as the national language, but owing to the ethnic diversity of the country the literature of Laos can generally be grouped according to four ethnolinguistic families: Lao-Tai (Tai-Kadai); Mon-Khmer (Austroasiatic); Hmong-Mien (Miao-Yao), and Sino-Tibetan (primarily Tibeto-Burman).[3] As an inland crossroads of Southeast Asia the political history of Laos has been complicated by frequent warfare and colonial conquests by European and regional rivals.

  1. ^ Hundius, Harold (2011). "The Digital Library of Lao Manuscripts" (PDF). The Journal of Lao Studies. 2 (2): 68. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
  2. ^ Goudineau, Yves (2003). Laos and Ethnic Minority Cultures: Promoting Heritage (PDF). Paris: UNESCO Publishing. p. 14. ISBN 92-3-103891-5. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
  3. ^ Chamberlain, James (2005). The Literary Heritage of Laos: Preservation, Dissemination and Research Perspectives (PDF). Vientiane: National Library of Laos. p. 326. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-02-02. Retrieved 2016-02-14.