> Thai /l/; PSWT *r (initial) > Lao /h/, > Thai /r/; PSWT *n > Lao /n/, > Thai /j/

Similar influences and proximity allowed for both languages to converge in many aspects as well. Thai and Lao, although separated, passively influenced each other through centuries of proximity. For instance, the Proto-Southwestern Tai *mle:n has produced the expected Lao /m/ outcome maeng (??? mèng, ) and the expected Thai /l/ outcome laeng (??? ), although this is used only in Royal Thai or restricted academic usage, with the common form