where they were closely associated with the Lahu Na. They aretherefore all quite fluent in Oahu, as well as Yunnanese and Lao- Thai. This group if You have remarkable linguistic abilities, so that it is strange that the Yao in Nan and in western China do not show the same affinity for languages. The tao of Yin speak the Lao-Thai poorly, as compared to their northern brothers, and must of them do not understand Yunnanese (this is also true for the meo in Nan). There are individuals in the north who can speak
Akha and Lisu, and a few have learned Thai. There is a missionary English and Thai script being taught to the Yao and a few of them have become literate in it. Very few of them can use Chinese characters.