"The advantage of this dictionary by Svantesson, Kàm Ràw, Lindell, and Lundström is the purposeful approach to culture as the background and outcome of language.
"The advantage of this dictionary by Svantesson, Kàm Ràw, Lindell, and Lundström is the purposeful approach to culture as the background and outcome of language. Its unique feature is that the main body of knowledge derives nearly entirely from one single individual and the sum of his understanding of various aspects of life gained within a limited time frame of thirty-four years. Kàm Ràw, born in 1938 in northern Laos and emigrated in 1972, is undoubtedly a versatile and reliable representative of his culture, and his qualifications are manifold.
(…) interesting and detailed information is given in the key areas of the dictionary. The rich appendix, which includes maps, geographical names, a comprehensive index of songs, prayers and sayings, measures, plants, animals, village life, and concluding with an English index, is undoubtedly worth studying. The dictionary might be of special interest to those who are involved in various types of fieldwork, onsite data collection, and academic approaches to cultural description. Last but not least, the dictionary is the product of a scholarly team that pursued their long-term goal without compromising the outcome, and thus it will be very welcomed by readers."