What is Issan or Isaan?

Laos2beLaos · Senior Member

What is Issan or Isaan?

Destined · Senior Member

sorry for my thugside showing but after reading this article......

You can take the lao out of laos but you can never take the laos out of a lao.

if that makes sense haha
u guys know wut i mean.

we stay true to who we are. nice article

WienjhunSyvoraWong · Veteran Member

I don't know any Esan accept Laotian. LOL!! It's kind of wierd calling a person Esan which sound like an alien from space or something and wierd among asian nationals.

Well some Laotian aboard we still call ourselfs Laotian or Lao. And I know alot of American Laotian still have LaoLao in them and do respect our names. But I to say this too half of laotian in USA kind of lost there tradition and culture, But still hold on to our pride and ethnic Lao. Even I am proud to be laotian and and calling myself khon Lao not some jibberish odd name.

-- Edited by WienjhunSyvoraWong on Saturday 22nd of August 2009 06:35:02 PM

tinko · Guru

isaan can mean "to feel sympathy for".
i have heard the term "lao isaan"
being used to refer lao people living outside of da laos.

WienjhunSyvoraWong · Veteran Member

tinko wrote:

isaan can mean "to feel sympathy for".
i have heard the term "lao isaan"
being used to refer lao people living outside of da laos.

I heard my parents said Esan is not khon lao anymore. And they said they feel more thai then lao. In my opinion I have to say Laotian of Laos are different from EsanLao west of the mekong river. I think We are more into EastAsian groups then SouthEast like Thailand and Cambodia and we know siam culture and language are similiar to those cambodian language and customs. What I am trying to say is Laotian of Laos have a different view then those who called them self Isan which I see we are completly different unless a oerson have family or a laotian person or khon lao living and marrying those alienating esan people mixing with us laotian people and out culture etc.....

Ake · Senior Member

You guys are wrongt already. The topic asking what is the meaning of Esan or I-san or whatever I-saan writing.

Thai people call their country part by different directions by Phra Nakorn or Capital City is the center or Central

E-san     mean : North Eastern Direction

Udorn      mean : Northern Direction

Burapa   mean : Eastern Direction

Thaksin  Mean : Southern Direction

Patjim    Mean : Western Direction

It's an ancient Sanskrit Language, how come you guys don't know?

ban nok · Senior Member

I think everyone did know, or they did if they followed the link.

What is Isaan, wasn't meant as a question, it's just the name of a blog post. The blogger is responding to a reader who asked the question.

And I think the blogger did a fare job of answering the question. Isaan is a distinct place unto itself, geographicaly and politicaly a part of Thailand. Culturaly also, as well as Laos, and Cambodia.

I too often feel Isaan people to be more Thai than Lao, the way they act and the way they talk. Some wish to still be Lao but they have lived in another country for generations.

WienjhunSyvoraWong · Veteran Member

Ake wrote:

You guys are wrongt already. The topic asking what is the meaning of Esan or I-san or whatever I-saan writing.

Thai people call their country part by different directions by Phra Nakorn or Capital City is the center or Central

E-san     mean : North Eastern Direction

Udorn      mean : Northern Direction

Burapa   mean : Eastern Direction

Thaksin  Mean : Southern Direction

Patjim    Mean : Western Direction

It's an ancient Sanskrit Language, how come you guys don't know?

LOL! Well I don't know nothing about sanskrit language since it not really apart of Laotian language accept in the term of Buddhism and Khmer or even monk language.

WienjhunSyvoraWong · Veteran Member

ban nok wrote:

I think everyone did know, or they did if they followed the link.

What is Isaan, wasn't meant as a question, it's just the name of a blog post. The blogger is responding to a reader who asked the question.

And I think the blogger did a fare job of answering the question. Isaan is a distinct place unto itself, geographicaly and politicaly a part of Thailand. Culturaly also, as well as Laos, and Cambodia.

I too often feel Isaan people to be more Thai than Lao, the way they act and the way they talk. Some wish to still be Lao but they have lived in another country for generations.

I don't think Isan is even Laotian LOL! Sorry for my ignorent but I see it in a different ways. But then here in the state those middle Isan I know don't even societ with other Isan or thai culture. But the good thing is Laottian accepted those Isan and siamese to our new years and events.

I'm not saying this as a bias statement just my experience and being open minded person to my fellow laotian brothers and sisters in laos. aww

ThugPassion · Veteran Member

Ake wrote:

You guys are wrongt already. The topic asking what is the meaning of Esan or I-san or whatever I-saan writing.

Thai people call their country part by different directions by Phra Nakorn or Capital City is the center or Central

E-san     mean : North Eastern Direction

Udorn      mean : Northern Direction

Burapa   mean : Eastern Direction

Thaksin  Mean : Southern Direction

Patjim    Mean : Western Direction

It's an ancient Sanskrit Language, how come you guys don't know?

Sorry, I don't know much about the coasts like Eastern, Northern or whatever as you mentioned above lol. What cross my mind though when I heard the word Issan, are these tasty, yummy food. Damn, it makes me salivate. I have not had eaten something like this for a very long long time. Issan folks are cool according to my experience especially the ones with Yasothon or Khornkanh accent; they would reply with the word Jaa, Ja, or Caa, ca. I had my love-making nights with them before and as I pounded her faster with my Laotian eggroll, the word Jaa-ja utterly became louder, so I receptively said Jaa-ja with them too.

-- Edited by ThugPassion on Saturday 22nd of August 2009 11:03:25 PM

WienjhunSyvoraWong · Veteran Member

ThugPassion wrote:

Ake wrote:

You guys are wrongt already. The topic asking what is the meaning of Esan or I-san or whatever I-saan writing.

Thai people call their country part by different directions by Phra Nakorn or Capital City is the center or Central

E-san     mean : North Eastern Direction

Udorn      mean : Northern Direction

Burapa   mean : Eastern Direction

Thaksin  Mean : Southern Direction

Patjim    Mean : Western Direction

It's an ancient Sanskrit Language, how come you guys don't know?

Sorry, I don't know much about the coasts like Eastern, Northern or whatever as you mentioned above lol. What cross my mind though when I heard the word Issan, are these tasty, yummy food. Damn, it makes me salivate. I have not had eaten something like this for a very long long time. Issan folks are cool according to my experience especially the ones with Yasothon or Khornkanh accent; they would reply with the word Jaa, Ja, or Caa, ca. I had my love-making nights with them before and as I pounded her faster with my Laotian eggroll, the word Jaa-ja utterly became louder, so I receptively said Jaa-ja with them too.

-- Edited by ThugPassion on Saturday 22nd of August 2009 11:03:25 PM

LOL! Then I reccommend all foreigner and laotian Go to Isan for some GaLee Isan.

ThugPassion · Veteran Member

Besides tasty food and cute ladies, Issan also has Sao Moy Larm sending you love through music all the way to Vientiane.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fMziT_6hnI

Date: Aug 27, 2009

WienjhunSyvoraWong wrote:

Ake wrote:

You guys are wrongt already. The topic asking what is the meaning of Esan or I-san or whatever I-saan writing.

Thai people call their country part by different directions by Phra Nakorn or Capital City is the center or Central

E-san     mean : North Eastern Direction

Udorn      mean : Northern Direction

Burapa   mean : Eastern Direction

Thaksin  Mean : Southern Direction

Patjim    Mean : Western Direction

It's an ancient Sanskrit Language, how come you guys don't know?

LOL! Well I don't know nothing about sanskrit language since it not really apart of Laotian language accept in the term of Buddhism and Khmer or even monk language.

Lao language borrowed many words from Sanskrit. If you're a real Lao, you should know.