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-----Original Message-----
From: Maps, Air Photo & Geospatial Systems Forum
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Maps-L Moderator
Sent: 08 September 2009 16:43
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Lao language placename gazetteer

-------- Original Message --------
Subject:        Lao language placename gazetteer
Date:   Mon, 7 Sep 2009 04:15:59 +0000
From:   Brendan Whyte <[log in to unmask]>
To:      mapsL <[log in to unmask]>

Does anyone know of a placename gazetteer for Laos that lists names in
English *and* Lao script?

I have a string of placenames (villages and small rivers/streams) taken
from old French maps for which I need to find the Lao script.
Due to the plethora of homonymic letters in Lao, my Lao contacts are
guessing when they back-transcribe the names for me, and we need to be
sure of spellings, or the meaning is completely different.

Available topo maps of Laos have French or Russian versions of
placenames, not Lao. The US placenames gazetteer series only has English
names. Lao language Wikipedia has hardly anything on geography,
certainly very little that is linked to pages in other languages.

Perhaps someone knows of a romanisation of Lao placenames file/web page
like that which I pointed out for Cambodia a few months back?

Dr Brendan Whyte
Assistant Map Curator
Map Section
National Library of Australia
Parkes ACT 2600
AUSTRALIA