Isaan

The other day on the porch I learned a little about the Isaan language. Specifically I learned that it is more a collection of Lao-Thai variations, than a distinct language. Villages 5 km apart will say things quite differently. They will use different words, different word order, etc. So much so, that some central Thai who have lived in this area for a long time cannot understand Isaan from certain villages. They can understand Lao from across the border (it is more standardized, thanks to being a written language), but they have difficulty understanding the language spoken in the next village over.