ທ້າວນ້ອຍ / Thāo nō̧i – in Laotian language spoken in Laos (ລາວ) or Muang Lao (ເມືອງລາວ). It is a Kra–Dai language and the language of the ethnic Lao people. It is spoken in Laos, where it is the official language, as well as northeast Thailand, where it is usually referred to as Isan. Lao serves as a lingua franca among all citizens of Laos, who speak approximately 90 other languages, many of which are unrelated to Lao. Modern Lao is heavily influenced by the Thai language. A vast number of technical terms as well as common usage are adopted directly from Thai.