Romanization of Lao
Romanisation of Lao (Lao: ການໂຣມັນພາສາລາວ) is the transcription form from Lao script to Latin alphabet.
History
There was no romanisation system in the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names for Laotian script and no national romanisation system in Laos until 1996. BGN and PCGN joined Commission Nationale de Toponymie (National Commission of Toponym) and finally established a system for Lao romanisation.[1]
Tables
Source:
- American Library of Congress[2] (LC)
- American United States Board on Geographic Names[1] (BGN)
- British Permanent Committee on Geographical Names for British Official Use[1] (PCGN)
Consonants
| Character | Initial position | Final position | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IPA | BGN/PCGN | LC | IPA | BGN | LC | |
| ກ | /k/ | k | /k̚/ | k | ||
| ຂ | /kʰ/ | kh | — | — | ||
| ຄ | /kʰ/ | kh | — | — | ||
| ງ | /ŋ/ | ng | /ŋ/ | ng | ||
| ຈ | /tɕ/ | ch | — | — | — | |
| ສ | /s/ | s | — | — | — | |
| ຊ | /s/ | x | s | — | — | — |
| ຍ | /ɲ/ | gn | ny | /j/ | y | y |
| ດ | /d/ | d | /t̚/ | t | d | |
| ຕ | /t/ | t | — | — | ||
| ຖ | /tʰ/ | th | — | — | — | |
| ທ | /tʰ/ | th | — | — | — | |
| ນ | /n/ | n | /n/ | ne | n | |
| ບ | /b/ | b | /p̚/ | p | b | |
| ປ | /p/ | p | — | — | ||
| ຜ | /pʰ/ | ph | — | — | — | |
| ຝ | /f/ | f | — | — | — | |
| ພ | /pʰ/ | ph | — | — | — | |
| ຟ | /f/ | f | — | — | — | |
| ມ | /m/ | m | /m/ | m | ||
| ຢ | /j/ | y | — | — | — | |
| ຣ | /r/, /l/ | r | — | — | — | |
| ລ | /l/ | l | — | — | — | |
| ວ | /ʋ/, /w/ | v | v, w | /w/ | w | w |
| ຫ | /h/ | h | — | — | — | |
| ອ | /ʔ/ | — | — | — | — | |
| ຮ | /h/ | h | h | — | — | |
Vowel nuclei
The table below shows the Lao vowel nuclei, combined with the consonant ກ.
| IPA | BGN | LC | Unicode | IPA | BGN | LC | Unicode | IPA | BGN | LC | Unicode | IPA | BGN | LC | Unicode | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ກະ/ກັກ | /a/ | a | a | a | ກາ | /aː/ | a | ā | aa | ||||||||||
| ກິ | /i/ | i | i | i | ກີ | /iː/ | i | ī | ii | ເກັຽະ/ເກັຍ | /iaʔ/ | ia | ia | ເກັຽ/ເກຍ/ກຽກ | /ia/ | ia | īa | ||
| ກຶ | /ɯ/ | u | ư | y | ກື | /ɯː/ | u | ư̄ | yy | ເກຶອ | /ɯaʔ/ | ua | ưa | ເກືອ | /ɯa/ | ua | ư̄a | ||
| ກຸ | /u/ | ou | u | u | ກູ | /uː/ | ou | ū | uu | ກົວະ | /uaʔ/ | oua | ua | ກົວ/ ກວກ | /ua/ | oua | ūa | ||
| ເກະ/ເກັກ | /e/ | é | e | ເກ | /eː/ | é | ē | e | |||||||||||
| ແກະ/ແກັກ | /ɛ/ | è | æ | ແກ | /ɛː/ | è | ǣ | ei | |||||||||||
| ໂກະ/ກົກ | /o/ | ô | o | ໂກ | /oː/ | ô | ō | o | |||||||||||
| ເກາະ/ກັອກ | /ɔ/ | o | o̜ | ກໍ/ກອກ | /ɔː/ | o | ō̜ | ||||||||||||
| ເກິ/ເກິະ | /ɤ/ | eu | œ | ເກີ | /ɤː/ | eu | œ̄ | ||||||||||||
| ໄກ/ໃກ/ກັຍ | /aj/ | ai | ai | ai/ay | ກາຍ/ກາຽ | /aːj/ | ai | āi | |||||||||||
| ເກົາ | /aw/ | ao | ao | ||||||||||||||||
| ກໍາ | /am/ | am | am | am |