Bru language

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Mon–Khmer dialect continuum of Southeast Asia

title: "Bru language" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["katuic-languages", "languages-of-laos", "languages-of-thailand", "languages-of-vietnam"] description: "Mon–Khmer dialect continuum of Southeast Asia" topic_path: "linguistics" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bru_language" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Mon–Khmer dialect continuum of Southeast Asia ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox language"]

Field	Value
name	Bru
nativename	Bruu
states	Laos, Vietnam, Thailand
ethnicity	Bru, Katang
speakers
date	1991–2006
ref	e18
familycolor	Austro-Asiatic
fam2	Katuic
fam3	West
fam4	Brou–So
script	Latin, Lao, Thai
lc1	bru
ld1	Eastern Bru
lc2	brv
ld2	Western Bru
lc3	sss
ld3	Sô
lc4	xhv
ld4	Khua
lc5	ncq
ld5	Northern Katang
lc6	sct
ld6	Southern Katang
glotto	brou1236
glottorefname	Brou–So
::

Bruu (also spelled Bru, B'ru, Baru, Brou) is a Mon–Khmer dialect continuum spoken by the Bru people of mainland Southeast Asia. Sô and Khua are dialects.

Names

There are various local and dialect designations for Bru (Sidwell 2005:11).

So ~ Sô
Tri (So Tri, Chali)
Van Kieu
Leu ~ Leung (Kaleu)
Galler
Khua
Katang (not the same as Kataang)

Distribution

The distribution of the Bru language spreads north and northeast from Salavan, Laos, through Savannakhet, Khammouane, and Bolikhamsai, and over into neighboring Thailand and Vietnam (Sidwell 2005:11). In Vietnam, Brâu (Braò) is spoken in Đắk Mế, Bờ Y commune, Đắk Tô District, Kon Tum Province.

Dialects

Thailand has the following Western Bru dialects (Choo, et al. 2012).

Bru Khok Sa-at of Phang Khon District and Phanna Nikhom District, Sakon Nakhon Province
Bru Woen Buek of Woen Buek (Wyn Buek), Ubon Ratchathani Province (more similar to Katang)
Bru Dong Luang of Dong Luang District, Mukdahan Province

The following Bru subgroups are found in Quảng Bình Province (Phan 1998).

Vân Kiêu: 5,500 persons in Lệ Thủy District and Vĩnh Linh District (in Quảng Trị Province)
Măng Coong: 600 persons in Bố Trạch District
Tri: 300 persons in Bố Trạch District
Khùa: 1,000 persons in Tuyên Hóa District

Below is a comparative vocabulary of Vân Kiêu, Măng Coong, Tri, and Khùa from Phan (1998:479-480), with words transcribed in Vietnamese orthography.

::data[format=table]

Gloss	Vân Kiêu	Măng Coong	Tri	Khùa
one	mui	muôi	một
two	bar	hai
three	pei	ba
four	pon	bốn
five	shăng	t'shăng	năm
hair	sok	tóc
eye	mat	mắt
nose	lyu	mu	mũi
sky	plang	giang	trời
ground	kute	katek	k'tek	đất
water	dơ	do	nước
fish	sia	cá
bird	cham	chim
water buffalo	trick	trâu
cattle	ntro	tro	bò
::

Phonology

Consonants

The consonant sounds in both East and West dialects consist of the following: ::data[format=table] | Labial | Alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Glottal | Plosive/ Affricate | voiceless | aspirated | voiced | Nasal | Liquid | rhotic | lateral | Fricative | Approximant | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ::

is typically pronounced as labiodental fricative or approximant when occurring in initial position. In final position, it is always heard as .
can be heard as either a trill or a tap .
as a consonant cluster, can be phonetically heard as in the Western dialect.
can also be heard as a voiced glottal when a preceding a breathy vowel sound in the Western Bru dialects. It can also be heard as nasal when preceding a nasal vowel in the Western dialects.

::data[format=table title="Final consonants"]

Labial	Alveolar	Palatal	Velar	Glottal	Plosive	Nasal	Fricative	Rhotic	Approximant	plain	aspirated	glottalized







::

Plosive sounds in final position are heard as unreleased .

Vowels

::data[format=table]

Front	Central	Back	Close	Close-mid	Open-mid	Open




::

::data[format=table title="Vowels in the Western Bru dialect"]

Front	Central	Back	Close	Close-mid	Open-mid	Open




::

Breathy vowels

Vowel sounds may also be distinguished using breathy voice: ::data[format=table title="Breathy vowels"]

Front	Central	Back	Close	Close-mid	Open-mid	Open




::

::data[format=table title="Breathy vowels in the Western Bru dialect"]

Front	Central	Back	Close	Close-mid	Open-mid	Open




::

Nasal vowels

Nasal vowel sounds may occur in the Western Bru dialect: ::data[format=table title="Nasal vowels in the Western Bru dialect"]

Front	Central	Back	Close	Open-mid	Open



::

References

"Mon-Khmer Classification (Draft)".
Lê Bá Thảo, Hoàng Ma, et al.; Viện hàn lâm khoa học xã hội Việt Nam - Viện dân tộc học. 2014. ''Các dân tộc ít người ở Việt Nam: các tỉnh phía nam''. Ha Noi: Nhà xuất bản khoa học xã hội. {{ISBN. 978-604-90-2436-8
Engelkemier, Jennifer M.. (2010). "Aspects of Bru Khok Sa-at grammar based on narrative texts". Payap University.
Phan Hữu Dật. 1998. "Về tên gọi các tộc người nói ngôn ngữ Môn-Miên ở miền tây tỉnh Quảng Bình." In ''Một số vấn đề về dân tộc học Việt Nam'', p.476-482. Hà Nội: Nhà xuất bản Đại Học Quốc Gia Hà Nội.
Miller, Carolyn P.. (2017). "Eastern Bru Grammar Sketch". SIL Language and Culture Archives.
Thongkum, Theraphan L.. (1980). "The distribution of the sounds of Bruu". [[Mon-Khmer Studies]].

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