Bruu
Eastern Bru
Austroasiatic
Eastern Bru (autonymously Bruu) is a Katuic language of the Mon-Khmer (Austroasiatic) family, spoken by around 135,000 people in the Trường Sơn (Annamite) highlands along the Vietnam-Laos border. The Bru are an upland indigenous people who have inhabited the central Vietnamese-Lao highlands for centuries, with substantial cultural continuity despite political division between the Vietnamese and Lao Bru populations after the 1954 Geneva Accords. Linguistically, Bru is part of the Katuic branch of Mon-Khmer alongside Pacoh, Katu, and other related languages. The Bru community was significantly affected by the Vietnam War (the Trường Sơn highlands hosted the Ho Chi Minh Trail), and many Bru villages were displaced. The post-war era has seen revitalization efforts via SIL biblical translation and Vietnam/Laos government primary education programs.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Eastern Bru
Water
daak
/daːk/
Fire
oih
/ʔoiʔ/
Sun
mat plei
/mat plei/
Moon
kasai
/kasai/
Mother
amey
/amej/
Father
amung
/amuŋ/
Eat
cha
/tʃa/
Drink
ngoot
/ŋoːt/
Love
hong
/hoŋ/
Heart
plong
/ploŋ/
Tree
aleng
/aleŋ/
House
dung
/duŋ/
Dog
acho
/atʃo/
Cat
miew
/mieu/
Hand
ati
/ati/
Eye
mat
/mat/
Hello
te
/te/
Thank you
kuhng
/kuhŋ/
One
muoi
/muoi/
Good
huom
/huom/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Austroasiatic languages
| Meaning | Eastern Bru | Bahnar | Shwe Palaung | Sakizaya | Banjar | Old Cham | Khmu |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | daak /daːk/ | dak /dak/ | ʔoːm /ʔoːm/ | nanum /nanum/ | banyu /baɲu/ | ie /ʔiə/ | ɔm /ʔɔm/ |
| Fire | oih /ʔoiʔ/ | unh /uɲ/ | ŋal /ŋal/ | lamal /lamal/ | api /api/ | apuy /ʔapuj/ | ʔus /ʔus/ |
| Sun | mat plei /mat plei/ | mat trơ /mat trə/ | saŋi /saŋi/ | cidal /tʃidal/ | matahari /matahari/ | aṇdaw /ʔadaw/ | maŋ /maŋ/ |
| Moon | kasai /kasai/ | khe /kʰe/ | kɨr /kɨr/ | ʔulalalalal /ʔulalal/ | bulan /bulan/ | bulan /bulan/ | kee /keː/ |
| Mother | amey /amej/ | mei /mei/ | mɛʔ /mɛʔ/ | ina /ina/ | uma /uma/ | amɛ /amɛ/ | mɔɔʔ /mɔːʔ/ |
| Father | amung /amuŋ/ | bă /bə/ | paʔ /paʔ/ | ama /ama/ | abah /abah/ | amaŋ /amaŋ/ | ʔaaʔ /ʔaːʔ/ |
| Eat | cha /tʃa/ | sa /sa/ | cha /tʃa/ | hekal /hekal/ | makan /makan/ | bɔh /bɔh/ | caa /tʃaː/ |
| Drink | ngoot /ŋoːt/ | ngoah /ŋoah/ | ʔoːk /ʔoːk/ | mihecak /mihetʃak/ | nginum /ŋinum/ | mɛnum /mɛnum/ | ɲɔɔp /ɲɔːp/ |
| Love | hong /hoŋ/ | rơngư /rəŋɨ/ | ʔiŋ /ʔiŋ/ | kapah /kapah/ | sayang /sajaŋ/ | klɛn /klɛn/ | kɔɔh /kɔːh/ |
| Heart | plong /ploŋ/ | blei /blei/ | rɔŋ /rɔŋ/ | gawang /ɡawaŋ/ | ati /ati/ | hatai /hatai/ | kruɛŋ /kruɛŋ/ |
| Tree | aleng /aleŋ/ | lông /loŋ/ | siʔ /siʔ/ | kilang /kilaŋ/ | batang /bataŋ/ | phuəŋ /pʰuəŋ/ | cmuul /tʃmuːl/ |
| House | dung /duŋ/ | hnam /hnam/ | ɲɛh /ɲɛh/ | luma /luma/ | rumah /rumah/ | sɔŋ /sɔŋ/ | kaaŋ /kaːŋ/ |
| Dog | acho /atʃo/ | cho /tʃo/ | so /so/ | waco /watʃo/ | anjing /andʒiŋ/ | asɔ /asɔ/ | cɔ /tʃɔ/ |
| Cat | miew /mieu/ | miao /miao/ | mioʔ /mioʔ/ | posi /posi/ | pusa /pusa/ | mɛw /mɛw/ | meeo /meːo/ |
| Hand | ati /ati/ | ti /ti/ | tiː /tiː/ | kamay /kamai/ | tangan /taŋan/ | taŋin /taŋin/ | tii /tiː/ |
| Eye | mat /mat/ | mat /mat/ | ŋai /ŋai/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | ŋtaa /ŋtaː/ |
| Hello | te /te/ | ô /o/ | vaː piə /vaː piə/ | marayas /maɾajas/ | salam /salam/ | — /—/ | lɔh /lɔh/ |
| Thank you | kuhng /kuhŋ/ | kơbi /kəbi/ | kun cɔm /kun tʃɔm/ | lalumahan /lalumahan/ | tarima kasih /tarima kasih/ | — /—/ | ɔrkun /ʔɔrkun/ |
| One | muoi /muoi/ | minh /miɲ/ | mu /mu/ | cacay /tʃatʃai/ | asa /asa/ | sa /sa/ | muei /muei/ |
| Good | huom /huom/ | ling /liŋ/ | ʔɔm /ʔɔm/ | kapah /kapah/ | bagus /baɡus/ | siam /siam/ | gee /ɡeː/ |
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