Overview
By retaining their orally based culture through to the present day, the Kammu of northern Laos and adjacent parts of Vietnam, Thailand, and China have long been recognized as a repository for much that has been lost or ignored in the literate cultures of their lowland neighbors. Ostensibly, this is a dictionary of the Yùan dialect of Kammu but the reality is far more: a vast, encyclopaedic reference work that details not only some 13,000 words but also describes all aspects of Kammu life, including rites and ceremonies, implements, plants, and animals. The richness of this detail is largely based on author Kàm Ràw's personal knowledge and experience as a Kammu hunter, swidden farmer, and shaman.