Isan language

Isan is the name for a number of closely related dialects which are spoken in the Northeast of Thailand and neighbouring countries. Isan is mostly used for informal communication. Isan consists of a number of dialects, there is no official language. People who speak one dialect usually understand the others. When Isan is written down, the Thai alphabet is used most of the time. Very rarely, the Lao alphabet, which is also used to write the Laotian language is used. About 20 million people speak the Isan language as their first language. About a third of the population of Thailand, and 80% of the speakers of Laotian understand it.

A map showing the Isan Region in red. The region is a stronghold of the language. Thailland is shown in yellow.

Palm-leaf manuscripts, such as these from the Dai people of Yunnan, were used throughout South and South-East Asia to record literature. Many examples in Isan can be found in Buddhist libraries in the region.