O Du ethnic people in Nghe An province trying to preserve their mother tongue

The O Du people used to live in scattered hamlets in Kim Da and Kim Tien communes. Then in 2006, most of them moved to Vang Mon hamlet, Nga My commune. The O Du speak Mon-Khmer, part of the Austroasiatic language family.

But close contact with Thai, Kho Mu, and Kinh people is threatening the survival of their language. They now mostly use Vietnamese or the language of the Thai or the Kho Mu for daily communication.

Lo Van Cuong, a resident of Vang Mon hamlet, says: “None of the descendants of the O Du know the O Du language except for a few old people. When we were small, our parents didn’t speak the O Du language, so now we can’t speak it. If a O Du man gets married to a Thai woman, their children will use the language of the Thai. We’re very worried because if the trend continues, our children will never know their ancestors’ language. We’re trying to restore the O Du language even though there are many difficulties.”

At the moment, only five people in Nghe An know the O Du language. All of them are between 70 and 80 years old and their vocabulary is limited to about 100 words. Many of the words are borrowed from other languages. The younger generations only know a few simple words of O Du.

Deputy Director of Tuong Duong district’s Culture and Sports Center Tran Quynh Hoa says:“The O Du people, even the elders, can’t converse fluently in the O Du language. In a geography book about Tuong Duong district, many of the words are borrowed from the language of the Thái or the Kinh people. Even elders like Lo Van Nghe and Lo Van Phuc, the eldest members of the group, can’t talk in pure O Du language.”

To prevent the O Du language from being lost, since 2010 Tuong Duong authorities have been working with provincial agencies to organize classes in spoken O Du. 

Twenty-two-year-old Lo Thi Thuy Giang of Vang Mon hamlet says: “I know the O Du language but just a few words popularly used in family activities like eating a meal. In daily conversation, we sometimes speak in the O Du language. We use whatever words we know and ask others about words we don’t know. I hope more classes will be held to teach O Du so we don’t lose our mother tongue.”

Mac Thi Tim of Vang Mon hamlet says researchers, government agencies, and the hamlet’s elderly are collaborating to compile a reference book to help teach the O Du language.

Tím explains further: “Everybody now knows the words used in greetings, and inviting someone to eat or drink. In the past they knew almost nothing. I tell young people to use something like a blackboard to write O Du words for their family. That way everybody can see and practice the words themselves. Whatever words they learn, they should begin using with their family.”

According to Ms. Hoa, more efforts are needed to preserve the O Du language. “Young people are eager to learn their mother tongue. Everyone is doing their best, but the key is to use O Du regularly to communicate with each other. Preserving the language will depend on many factors,” Hoa noted.

Recently a delegation of O Du people from Tuong Duong district had an exchange with O Du people from Khap hamlet, Muong Khoun district in Laos’ Xiengkhuang province. The O Du people in Laos, who are believed to have originated from Vietnam’s Tuong Duong district, have preserved much of their culture, including the language. It is hoped they can help restore the language and culture of the O Du group in Vietnam.