Two Saek villages are "Ban Asamat" and "Ban Phai Lom," located just off the main river road a few kilometers north ofNakhon Phanom city. Another isBan Ba Wa Saek, located further upriver, but inland a few kilometers. However, except for the older generation, the Saek language is all but disappearing as there is a strong tendency for younger generations to use the localtrade languageLao/Isan, and/or the official Central Thai language as they are assimilated into mainstream Thai society.
baan3 ʔaat6 saa1 maat5อาจสามารถ (known locally asbaan3 khɔɔŋ2). 5 km north of the city of Nakhon Phanom. This is the variant recorded by William Gedney in hisSaek language: glossary, texts, and translations. Variant pronunciations:ʔeek6 ʔaa1 saa1 (old name; archaic),ʔa4 sa6 maat5,ʔa6 saa1,ʔaa1 saa1,ʔaa1 sa6 maat5,ʔaa1 saa1 maat5,ʔaat6 sa6 maat5.
Ban Na Kadok, Nam Veo Subdistrict (originally from Phu Quan village, nearĐức Thọ,Hà Tĩnh Province,Vietnam). They have extensive gold mines along the Nam Houay stream bed. Settlers from Na Kadok had also founded Na Vang in Nakai District, located on the Nam Mone, when they were hiding from Thai soldiers during the Siamese occupation of Laos. TheBru people now live in Na Vang and maintain the terraces that the Saek had originally built.
Ban Som Sanouk, Lak Xao Subdistrict
Ban Nam Phao, Lak Xao Subdistrict
Ban Houay Toun, Lak Xao Subdistrict
Ban Na Tham Kwang (or Ban Nam Hoy), Khammmouane Subdistrict
According to Gedney, Vietnam is said to have the two following Saek villages. However, Chamberlain (1998) notes that all villages listed by Gedney to be in Vietnam are actually in Laos.
baan3 trɤɤŋ3 (actually in Laos according to Chamberlain (1998))
baan3 tɛɛn1
According to Gedney, abandoned Saek villages in Vietnam (Laos according to Chamberlain) include the following. Their equivalents in Chamberlain (1998) are given in parentheses.
baan3 bɯk4 naa4 tɤɤ3 (Ban Beuk)
baan3 sin4 naa4 mɤɤy4 (Ban Na Moey)
baan3 trɤɤŋ1 (Ban Toeng - subdistrict seat on the Nam Noy)
baan3 thruu3 (Ban Thô - next to the Houay Thô and Nam Amang confluence; just north of the mountain "Phu Kun Tho")
Gedney, W. J. (1993).William J. Gedney's the Saek language: glossary, texts, and translations. Michigan papers on South and Southeast Asia, no. 41. [ ]: Center for South and Southeast Asian Studies, University of Michigan.ISBN0-89148-073-0
Hudak, Thomas J., and William J. Gedney. 2010.William J. Gedney's concise Saek-English, English-Saek lexicon. Oceanic Linguistics special publication, no. 37. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press.
