Alternate Names: Chao Dong, “Chaobon” (pej.), “Chaobun” (pej.), Chaodon, “Chaubun” (pej.), Lawa, Niakuol, Niakuoll, Nyakur
Dialects: Chaiyaphum users say they understand Petchabun only with difficulty, if at all. At least 91% lexical similarity among all dialects (Diffloth 1984).
Genealogy:
Demographics: 1,500 (2006 C. Shimmin), decreasing. 0 monolinguals. Ethnic population: 3,000 (Thongkum 1984).
Language Use: Few children can speak Nyah Kur. Nearly extinct in Petchabun and Nakhon Ratchasima provinces (2007 SIL). Home. Mainly older adults. Mixed attitudes. Some have strong identity links to their language, others prefer to identify themselves as Thai (2002 P. Suwilai, 2007 SIL). 1,500 also use Thai [tha].
Language Development: Literacy rate in L1: 1%. Literacy rate in L2: 75%. Most men and the younger generation are literate in Thai. Literacy in Thai transfers easily to Nyah Kur. Dictionary.
Typology: SVO.
Writing System: Thai
Nation of Origin: Thailand
Other Comments: Buddhist, Christian, traditional religion.