Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 20, 2026

Lamet language

Lamet is a Mon–Khmer language of Laos. There are also one hundred speakers in Lampang Province, Thailand, where it is known as Khamet. Lamet speakers call their language [χəmɛːt], or less commonly [kʰəmɛːt].

Last revised
Jul 20, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
Length
245 w
Citations
6
Source
Lamet
Rmeet
Khamet (Xmet)
Native toLaos
EthnicityLamet
Native speakers
(20,000 cited 1995 census)1
Language codes
ISO 639-3lbn
Glottologlame1256

Lamet is a Mon–Khmer language of Laos. There are also one hundred speakers in Lampang Province, Thailand, where it is known as Khamet. Lamet speakers call their language [χəmɛːt], or less commonly [kʰəmɛːt].2

Locations

Lamet of Lampang was originally spoken in Takluh village north of Namtha in Laos.

A closely related variety called Lua' is spoken in Ban Pang Chok (Ban Lua), Wiang Pa Pao District, southern Chiang Rai Province, Thailand.3

Phonology

Consonants3
Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal
Plosive p t c k ʔ
Fricative f s ɣ h
Nasal m n ŋ
Approximant w r, l j
Vowels3
Front Central Back
High i ɯ ɯː u
Near-high ɪ ɪː ə əː ʊ ʊː
Mid e ʌ ʌː o
Low ɛ ɛː a ɑ ɑː

Lamet also has two tones;3 high and low.

References

References

  1. Lamet at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. Conver, Lynn C. 1999. "A Sketch of the Phonology of a Lamet Dialect." In Mon-Khmer Studies, 29: 35-56.
  3. Narumol, Charoenma. 1982. The phonologies of a Lampang Lamet and Wiang Papao Lua. Mon-Khmer Studies 11. 35-45.
  • Narumol, Charoenma. 1980. The sound systems of Lampang Lamet and Wiang Papao Lua. MA thesis, Mahidol University.
  • Narumol, Charoenma. 1982. The phonologies of a Lampang Lamet and Wiang Papao Lua. Mon-Khmer Studies 11. 35-45.
External links