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The Thai language has many borrowed words from mainly Sanskrit, Tamil, Pali and some Prakrit, Khmer, Portuguese, Dutch, certain Chinese dialects and more recently, Arabic (in particular many Islamic terms) and English (in particular many scientific and technological terms). Some examples as follows:
Word | Romanization | English translation | From Language | Word |
---|---|---|---|---|
อักษร | àk-sǒrn | alphabetic letter, key | Sanskrit | अक्षर/akṣara อกฺษร |
องุ่น | a-ngùn | grape | Persian | انگور/angur |
ภาษา | phaa-să | language | Sanskrit | भाषा/bhāṣā ภาษา |
ชา | chā | tea | Chinese | 茶 |
ภัย | phai | danger | Sanskrit, Pali | भय/bhaya ภย "risk, peril" |
บัส | bát | bus | English | bus |
ไวโอลิน | wai-o-lin | violin | English | violin |
อพาร์ทเมนต์ | a-pháat-mén | Apartment | English | |
เทวี | thee-wii | Goddess | Sanskrit, Pali | देवी/devī เทวี |
ฑีฆายุ | thii-khaa-yú | "long live" | Sanskrit | दीर्घायु/dīrghāyu ทีรฺฆายุ |
ครู | khruu | teacher | Sanskrit, Pali | गुरु/guru คุรุ |
เคาน์เตอร์ | kháu-toê/ kháu-têr | "counter" or "desk" | English | |
กบาล | ka-baan | head | Sanskrit, Pali | कपाल/kapāla กปาล "skull" |
คอมพิวเตอร์ | khom-phiw-tôe/ khom-phiw-têr | computer | English | |
มหา- | ma-hăa- | great | Sanskrit, Pali | महा/mahā มหา |
มนุษย์ | ma-nút | human being | Sanskrit | मनुष्य/manuṣya มนุษฺย |
มัสยิด | mát-sa-yít | mosque | Arabic | مسجد/masjid |
หมี่ | mìi | noodles | Hokkien | 麵 mī |
นรก | na-rók | hell | Sanskrit, Pali | नरक/naraka นรก |
ราสเบอร์รี่ | ráat-ber-rîi | raspberry | English | |
ราชา | raa-chaa | king | Sanskrit, Pali | राजा/rājā ราชา |
รส | rót | taste | Sanskrit/Pali | रस/rasa รส |
รูป | rûp | picture | Sanskrit, Pali | रूप/rūpa รูป |
สบู่ | sa-bùu | soap | Portuguese | Sabão |
เซ็กซ์ | sék | sex | English | |
สมบูรณ์ | sŏm-buun | perfect, complete | Sanskrit | संपूर्ण/sampūrṇa สมฺปูรฺณ ← สํปูรฺณ (from สํ + ปูรฺณ) = complete(d) - cf. "purnama" |
ศัตรู | sàt-truu | adversary, enemy | Sanskrit | शत्रु/śatru ศตฺรุ |
สิงห์ | sĭng | lion | Sanskrit, Pali | सिंह/singha สิํห/สึห → สิงฺห |
โชเฟอร์ (dialectal) | choo-fêr | driver | French | chauffeur |
สวรรค์ | sa-wăn | heaven | Sanskrit | स्वर्ग/svarga สฺวรฺค |
สุข | sùk | happiness | Sanskrit, Pali | सुख/sukha สุข |
สุริยา | sù-rí-yaa/ sù-ri-yaa | sun | Pali | Suriya สูริยา (Sanskrit: सूर्य/sūrya สูรฺยา) |
เต้าหู้ | tâu-hûu | beancurd | Hokkien | 豆腐/tao-hu |
แท็กซี่ | táek-sîi | taxi | English | |
ทีวี | thii-wii | television | English | TV |
อุดร | ù-dorn | north | Sanskrit, Pali | उत्तर/uttara อุตฺตร |
ยีราฟ | yii-ráap | giraffe | English | |
ประถม | pra-thǒm | primary | Sanskrit | प्रथम/prathama ปฺรถม |
คชา | kha-chaa | elephant | Sanskrit, Pali | गज/gaja คช |
ประเทศ | pra-thêet | country | Sanskrit | प्रदेश/pradeśa ปฺรเทศ |
นคร | ná-khorn | city | Sanskrit, Pali | नगर/nagara นคร |
สันติ | sǎn-tì | peace | Pali | sānti สานฺติ (Sanskrit: शान्ति/śānti ศานฺติ) |
ชัย | chai | victory | Sanskrit, Pali | जय/jaya ชย |
ภูมิ | phuum | soil | Sanskrit, Pali | भूमि/bhūmi ภูมิ |
วาจา | waa-jaa | words | Sanskrit, Pali | वाचा/vācā วาจา |
ภาวะ | phaa-wá | condition | Sanskrit, Pali | भाव/bhāva ภาว |
กษัตริย์ | ka-sàt | king | Sanskrit | क्षत्रिय/kṣatriya กฺษตฺริย |
ภักดี | phák-dii | loyal | Sanskrit | भक्ति/bhakti ภกฺติ |
วิจารณ์ | wí-jaan | review | Sanskrit | विचार्ण/vicārna วิจารฺณ |
พายุ | phaa-yú | storm | Sanskrit, Pali | वायु/vāyu วายุ |
สัตว์ | sàt | animal | Sanskrit | सत्व/satva สตฺว |
พินาศ | phí-nâat | destruction | Sanskrit | विनाश/vināśa วินาศ |
ภูเขา | phuu-khǎu | mountain | compound | ภู + เขา |
วิหาร | wí-hǎan | temple | Sanskrit, Pali | विहार/vihāra วิหาร |
เวลา | wee-laa | time | Sanskrit, Pali | वेला/velā เวลา |
อาสา | aa-sǎa | hope(desire) | Sanskrit | अभिलाष/asha |
กระดาษ | kra-dàat | paper | Sanskrit | कागद/kagada |
เภตรา | phee-traa | boat | Sanskrit | वहित्र/vahitra |
อากาศ | aa-kàat | air | Sanskrit | आकाश/ākāśa |
เทศ | thêet | outlandish | Sanskrit | देश/deśa |
ทุกข์ | thúk | suffering | Sanskrit | दुःख/duḥkha |
โทษ | thôot | blame | Sanskrit | दोष/doṣa |
จิตร | jìt | design | Sanskrit | चित्र/citra |
ทุน | thun | fund | Sanskrit | धन/dhana |
จันทร์ | jan | moon | Sanskrit | चन्द्र/chandra |
จักรวาล | jàk-kra-waan | universe | Sanskrit | चक्रवाल/chakravala |
คุณ | khun | you, useful | Sanskrit | गुण/ghuna |
สตรี | sa-trii | woman | Sanskrit | स्त्री/strī |
อาคาร | aa-khaan | building | Sanskrit | आगार/āgāra |
ปราสาท | praa-sàat | castle | Sanskrit | प्रासाद/prāsāda |
นาม | naam | name | Sanskrit | नाम/nama |
ชีวา | chii-waa | living | Sanskrit | जीव/jīva |
กระจก | kra-chòk | mirror, glass | Sanskrit | casaka |
กรุณา | ka-ru-naa | please, compassion | Sanskrit | करुण/karuṇa |
พิเศษ | phí-sèet | special | Sanskrit | विशेष/viśeṣa |
พุทธิ | phút-thí | intelligence | Sanskrit | बुद्धि/buddhi |
หิมะ | hì-má | snow | Sanskrit | हिम/hima |
เมฆ | mêek | cloud | Sanskrit | मेघ/megha |
ตรีศูล | trii-sǔun | trident | Sanskrit | त्रिशूल/triśūla |
วิทยา | wít-tha-yaa | science | Sanskrit | विद्या/vidyā = "knowledge" |
สัปดาห์ | sàp-daa | week | Sanskrit | सप्ताह/saptāha |
บริษัท | bor-ri-sàt | company | Sanskrit | परिषद्/pariṣad |
สมาคม | sa-maa-khom | association | Sanskrit | समागम/samāgama |
ชีวิต | chii-wít | life | Sanskrit | जीवित/jīvita |
อาหาร | aa-hǎan | food | Sanskrit | आहार/āhāra |
หนอง | nǒng | pus | Chinese | 膿 |
อ่าว | ǎu | bay | Chinese | 澳 |
อาน | aan | saddle | Chinese | 鞍 |
There are some Thai words which are transcribed into equivalent characters of Thai language e.g. format ฟอร์แมท (f-ฟ o-อ r-ร m-ม a-แ t-ต), lesbian เลสเบียน (l-ล e-เ s-ส b-บ ia-เอีย n-น) etc. These words are transcribed with rules made by the Royal Institute.
Thai also has a heavily influenced form of colloquial English spoken by some in Thailand (Tinglish). However, it's not a language used between locals, it is only used with tourists.
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