# 老撾
## Chinese

* 老撾 (Written Standard Chinese)
* 老撾 (Cantonese)
* 老撾 (Classical)
* 老撾 (Gan)
* Laos (Hakka)
* Laos (Eastern Min)
* Laos (Southern Min)
* 老挝 (Wu)

### Etymology

Attested since the Ming dynasty, with the second character pronounced like zhuā. Its usage was gradually surpassed by 寮國, until it was reintroduced as the official name for Laos in the 1950s by PRC marshal Chen Yi. The wō pronunciation for the second character is relatively recent (from the 1960s), most likely since 老撾 as a whole was re-interpreted as a transcription of Lao ລາວ (lāo, “Lao”).
The first character 老 (lǎo) is from Lao ລາວ (lāo), the autonym of the Lao people.
The origin of the second character is less clear:
* According to Dianlüe (滇略), written by the Ming dynasty writer Xie Zhaozhe (謝肇淛), 撾 is a corruption of 爪 (zhuǎ, “animal claws (which the Lao people used as ornaments)”).
* Alternatively, modern writer Cai Wencong (蔡文欉) postulates that 撾 comes from Lao ຊວາ (suā, “Sua, the ancient name of Luang Prabang”).

### Pronunciation

* Mandarin
    (Pinyin): Lǎowō, Lǎozhuā
    (Zhuyin): ㄌㄠˇ ㄨㄛ, ㄌㄠˇ ㄓㄨㄚ
* Cantonese (Jyutping): lou$^5$ wo$^1$ / lou$^5$ gwo$^1$
* Southern Min
    (Hokkien, POJ): Láu-o / Lāu-o / Láu-choa
    (Teochew, Peng'im): lao$^6$ go$^1$
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese, Mainland)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: Lǎowō
*** Zhuyin: ㄌㄠˇ ㄨㄛ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: Lǎowo
*** Wade–Giles: Lao$^3$-wo$^1$
*** Yale: Lǎu-wō
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: Laouo
*** Palladius: Лаово (Laovo)
*** Sinological IPA : /lɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ wɔ⁵⁵/
** (Standard Chinese, Taiwan)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: Lǎozhuā
*** Zhuyin: ㄌㄠˇ ㄓㄨㄚ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: Lǎojhua
*** Wade–Giles: Lao$^3$-chua$^1$
*** Yale: Lǎu-jwā
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: Laojua
*** Palladius: Лаочжуа (Laočžua)
*** Sinological IPA : /lɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂu̯ä⁵⁵/
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: lou$^5$ wo$^1$ / lou$^5$ gwo$^1$
*** Yale: lóuh wō / lóuh gwō
*** Cantonese Pinyin: lou$^5$ wo$^1$ / lou$^5$ gwo$^1$
*** Guangdong Romanization: lou$^5$ wo$^1$ / lou$^5$ guo$^1$
*** Sinological IPA : /lou̯¹³ wɔː⁵⁵/, /lou̯¹³ kʷɔː⁵⁵/
* Southern Min
** (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Láu-o
*** Tâi-lô: Láu-o
*** Phofsit Daibuun: lawoy
*** IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /lau⁵³⁻⁴⁴ o⁴⁴/
*** IPA (Quanzhou): /lau⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ o³³/
** (Hokkien: Xiamen)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Lāu-o
*** Tâi-lô: Lāu-o
*** Phofsit Daibuun: lauxoy
*** IPA (Xiamen): /lau²²⁻²¹ o⁴⁴/
** (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Láu-choa
*** Tâi-lô: Láu-tsua
*** Phofsit Daibuun: lawzoaf
*** IPA (Zhangzhou): /lau⁵³⁻⁴⁴ t͡sua⁴⁴/
** (Teochew)
*** Peng'im: lao$^6$ go$^1$
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: lău ko
*** Sinological IPA : /lau³⁵⁻¹¹ ko³³/

### Proper noun

老撾
* (chiefly Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, Singapore) Laos (a country in Southeast Asia)
    From: 1574, 嚴從簡, 殊域周咨錄
    Jiǔyuè, Bīn yán Lì bēn Lǎowō. Wǒ jìnbīng tǎo bǔ, Lǎowō zhé qiǎn tóumù Lǎnqíláng zǔ wǒ bīng wù rùjìng, yún jí fā bīng xiàng dà suǒ Lì sòng jūnmén. [Pinyin]
    (please add an English translation of this quotation)

#### Synonyms

| Variety | Location | Words |
| Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | 老撾 Mainland China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, 寮國 Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Taiwan | 寮國 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Malaysia | 老撾, 寮國 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Singapore | 老撾, 寮國 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Dagudi (Maliba) | 老撾, 寮國 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Reshuitang (Longling) | 老撾, 寮國 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Mae Salong (Lancang) | 老撾, 寮國 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Mae Sai (Tengchong) | 老撾 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong | 老撾, 寮國 now uncommon |
| Cantonese | Ho Chi Minh City (Guangfu) | 寮國 |
| Cantonese | Móng Cái | 老撾 |
| Cantonese | Mandalay (Taishan) | 老撾 |
| Southern Min | Xiamen | 老撾 |
| Southern Min | Quanzhou | 老撾 |
| Southern Min | Zhangzhou | 老撾 |
| Southern Min | Penang (Hokkien) | 寮國 |

#### Derived terms

* 老撾人／老挝人 (lǎowōrén)
* 老撾人民民主共和國／老挝人民民主共和国 (Lǎowō Rénmín Mínzhǔ Gònghéguó)
* 老撾語／老挝语 (lǎowōyǔ)

#### Descendants

* → Zhuang: Laujvoh
* → Green Hmong: Los Tsuas
* → White Hmong: Los Tsuas