The Chinese name "Lahu" literally means "to drag favour from heaven" (拉, lā, "to drag"; 祜, hù, "blessing, favour"). It replaced the older and more-offensive[clarification needed] "Luohei" (猓黑) as the official Chinese name for the Lahu people.
Left to right, Governor, Prime Minister, Lahu President, Lahu Leader from Lachang, China.International Lahu Development Foundation team facilitating the first ever International Lahu New Years at Payap University in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Event took place on January 11-13, 2024.
A few Lahu, along with many Hmong and Mien and some Lao, were recruited by the United States Central Intelligence Agency to help fight against the communist Pathet Lao, known as the secret war, during the Laotian Civil War.[citation needed] In fear of retribution when the Pathet Lao took over the Laotian government in 1975, those who had helped the United States fled to neighboring Thailand seeking political asylum.
The Lahu divide themselves into a number of subgroups, such as the Lahu Na (Black Lahu), Lahu Nyi (Red Lahu), Lahu Hpu (White Lahu), Lahu Shi (Yellow Lahu) and the Lahu Shehleh. Where a subgroup name refers to a color, it refers to the traditional color of their dress. These groups do not function as tribes or clans - there are no kin groups above that of the family. Lahu trace descentbilaterally, and typically practice matrilocal residence.
Bradley (1979) lists the following Lahu ethnic subgroups.
Black Lahu
Lahu Na
Meuneu (Shan, 'north country')
Meun Pulon
Shehvi (Hsenwi)
Bawfa (Shanised)
Hkahka: (known only to Bradley's Akha informants)
Panai (known only to Bradley's Akha informants)
Divergent Lahu Na dialects
Kaishin: (Chinese 'exchange hearts')
Hpu: ('white')Flag of the Lahu people
Hu:paw
Kulao
Namhpehn (hpeh)
Lalaw (na)
Laba
Huli
Lahu Nyi ('red')
Nyi
A Burmese depiction of the Lahu Na (Black Lahu)Venya ('go to town')
The Lahu language is part of the Loloish branch of the Lolo–Burmese subgroup of the Tibeto-Burman family (itself a member of the Sino-Tibetan language family). Like most of its relatives, it is a strongly isolating language with subject–object–verb word order, and a set of numeral classifiers. There are seven tones, and consonants cannot close syllables. The language spoken by the Lahu Shi is notably divergent from that spoken by the other groups. In Thailand, Lahu Na often serves as a lingua franca among the various hill tribes. Written Lahu uses the Latin alphabet. Among Christian villages, the language has been enriched by loanwords from English, Latin and Greek via Bible translation, plus neologisms in the areas of hygiene, music and education.[1]
An elderly Lahu woman at a refugee camp in Thailand
The traditional Lahu religion is polytheistic. Buddhism was introduced in the late 17th century and became widespread. Many Lahu people in China are Buddhists.[5] Christianity became established in Burma in the 19th century and has been spreading since.[citation needed][clarification needed]
Lahu people used to have just a given name, until the Chinese Government gave them surnames. About 90% of the Lahu people are either named Lee or Zhang, two of the most common Chinese surnames. Lahu given names are made of two syllables: one that shows the gender and one that gives information on the day of birth, based on the zodiac. For example, a person born on the Ox day will be named “Zanu” if he is a boy and “Nanu” if she is a girl.[8]
Bradley, David (1979). Lahu dialects. Oriental monograph series #23. Canberra, ACT: Faculty of Asian Studies, Australian National University. OCLC6303582.
China
Myanmar
Thailand
Laos
United States
Vietnam
