Meme Lao: Modern Language Strategies and Their Reflections on Online Media

Abstract

This qualitative descriptive study investigates the characteristics of foreign loanwords and contemporary language use in Lao memes published on the Facebook page “PLAYMEME_LAOS” between 2022 and 2024. The objectives are: (1) to examine characteristics of English loanwords transformed into Lao through transliteration, (2) to analyze how Thai youth slang is borrowed and integrated into modern Lao usage, and (3) to explore linguistic strategies and visual elements used to reflect and transmit current social issues through Lao memes. Data were collected from selected memes and analyzed using sociolinguistic and linguistic-descriptive approaches, focusing on language forms, contexts, domains of use, emotional expressions, abbreviations, transliterations, and creative linguistic constructions.

The findings reveal that: (1) Lao memes increasingly incorporate English vocabulary through direct transliteration influenced by digital communication,
(2) Thai youth slang has significantly shaped contemporary Lao online language, demonstrating cross-cultural linguistic transfer, and (3) memes serve as multimodal texts reflecting themes such as love, sexuality, viral social trends, government-related concerns, satire, and humor. These themes are communicated through the integration of concise linguistic forms and culturally resonant imagery, enabling audiences to interpret content quickly and accurately. The study contributes new insights into the development of modern Lao language practices and the sociocultural role of memes as linguistic and communicative artifacts.