The Nyaw or Tai Nyaw are an ethnic group

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 Thailand and Laos, scattered throughout the provinces of Isan

Isan

Isan is the northeastern region of Thailand. It is located on the Khorat Plateau, bordered by the Mekong River to the north and east, by Cambodia to the southeast and the Prachinburi mountains south of Nakhon Ratchasima...

 such as Nong Khai

Nong Khai

Nong Khai is a city in North-East Thailand and is the capital of the Nong Khai Province...

, Sakon Nakhon

Sakon Nakhon

Sakon Nakhon is a town in Thailand within the Isan region, and capital city of the Sakon Nakhon Province, with a population of approximately 76,000. It has a regional airport in the north, Sakon Nakhon Airport. During World War II, the town became a haven for Free Thais, and a base for Communist...

, Nakhon Phanom

Nakhon Phanom

Nakhon Phanom is a town in northeastern Thailand, capital of the Nakhon Phanom Province. The town covers the whole tambon Nai Mueang and Nong Saeng and parts of tambon At Samat and Nong Yat, all of Mueang Nakhon Phanom district...

, and parts of areas of Bolikhamxai and Khammouan provinces 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...

. They are also referred to as simply Nyaw or Yaw, depending on either the Lao, Isan, and Nyaw pronunciation, which all pronounce the initial consonant as ɲ, or the Thai pronunciation, which pronounces the initial consonant as j.

History

The Tai Nyaw believe that they are descendants of people originally from the northernmost part of Laos and Tonkin or immigrants during Tai migrations from Xishuangbanna region of Yunnan

Yunnan

Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...

 Province. Whatever the case may be, their dialect most closely resembles the Lao dialects from the regions east of Luang Prabang

Luang Prabang

Luang Prabang, or Louangphrabang , is a city located in north central Laos, where the Nam Khan river meets the Mekong River about north of Vientiane. It is the capital of Luang Prabang Province...

.

Language

The Nyaw language is very similar to the Lao language, which is referred to as the Isan language in Thailand. It is most similar to the Phuthai language also spoken within the same regions. Most Nyaw are often also fluent in Thai

Thai language

Thai , also known as Central Thai and Siamese, is the national and official language of Thailand and the native language of the Thai people, Thailand's dominant ethnic group. Thai is a member of the Tai group of the Tai–Kadai language family. Historical linguists have been unable to definitively...

 and Lao

Lao language

Lao or Laotian is a tonal language of the Tai–Kadai language family. It is the official language of Laos, and also spoken in the northeast of Thailand, where it is usually referred to as the Isan language. Being the primary language of the Lao people, Lao is also an important second language for...

, or its Thai variant Isan

Isan language

Isan language is the collective name for the dialects of the Lao language as they are spoken in Thailand. It is spoken by approximately 20 million people, which is nearly one-third of the entire population of Thailand, predominantly in the Isan region of northeastern Thailand. There are also large...

.

Religion

The Tai Nyaw practise Theravada Buddhism, but have also maintained their original animist religion. Important to the Nyaw people is the tutelary spirit of the village, known in the dialect as ผู้เจ้า pʰuː tɕaw.