Brao language
Brao is a Mon–Khmer language of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.
Varieties
According to Ethnologue, there are four distinct but mutually intelligible varieties, sometimes considered separate languages: Lave, Kru’ng, and Kavet, the latter spoken by only a couple thousand.Sidwell also lists four communities of speakers, three of which are in Cambodia.
- Laveh : spoken in Attapeu Province, Laos south of the capital city of Attapeu. Laveh is the official designation given by the Laotian government.
- Krung : spoken around Ban Lung in Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia
- Kavet : spoken in Voeun Sai District, Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia
- Brao : spoken in and around the town of Taveng in Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia
Demographics
Sidwell suggests the possibility of a total of 50,000 speakers, while Bradley gives an estimate of 35,000. All estimates below are drawn from Sidwell.- Laos: The 1995 Laotian census places the Laveh population at 17,544.
- Cambodia: The Asian Development Bank gave an estimate of 29,500 speakers as of the early 2000s.
- Vietnam: About 300 Brau live in Đắc Mế village, Bờ Y commune, Ngọc Hồi district, Kon Tum province. Parkin also estimates several hundred Brao in Vietnam.
- Thailand: Parkin estimates a Brao population of 2,500 in Thailand.