Khuen people
Encyclopedia
The Khuen people are an aboriginal ethnic group
of Laos
.
. The Khmuic languages are Austro-Asiatic. There is some debate as to whether the Khmuic languages are of the Mon-Khmer branch, but the majority opinion is that they are not.
. Family names are usually the names of sacred animals or plants. It is taboo for a Khuen person to touch the animal or plant that bears his or her family name.
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
of Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
.
Name Variation
The Khuen have appeared in research under several different English spellings including Khuen, Kuan, Kuanhua, Kween, Khween, and Khouen.Language
The Khuen speak a language also called Khuen, which is a Khmuic languageKhmuic languages
Khmuic languages are a subgroup of the Mon–Khmer languages.*Khao: Khao, Bit *Mlabri: Mlabri, Yumbri*Xinh Mul: Khang, Phong-Kniang, Puoc...
. The Khmuic languages are Austro-Asiatic. There is some debate as to whether the Khmuic languages are of the Mon-Khmer branch, but the majority opinion is that they are not.
Geographic Distribution
- Population in Laos: 8000 in Luang Namtha Province
- Population in China: 1500, centered around JinghongJinghongJinghong romanised as chiang rung, chiang hung, chengrung, cheng hung, jinghung, keng hung and muangjinghung) is the capital of Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan province, China, and the historic capital of the former Tai kingdom of Sipsongpanna.-Location:Located between 100°25' -...
in Southern China - Population in United States: Unknown
Customs
As a fellow member of the larger Khmuic ethnic group, many aspects of Khuen culture are similar to the KhmuKhmu people
The Khmu is one of the largest ethnic groups based in northern Laos. They can also be found in Burma, southwest China , Thailand, and Vietnam, where they are an officially recognized ethnic group...
. Family names are usually the names of sacred animals or plants. It is taboo for a Khuen person to touch the animal or plant that bears his or her family name.