Hi Snowy,

I am not sure my interpretation is right - but 'maen bor' normally means 'chai mai' . I am guessing that "khii beuk" could be used to describe someone who "refuses to back down", since there is a Central Thai expression, บึกบึน "beuk beun" that is primarily defined as " ทรหดอดทน " (irrelevant here), and secondly "ไม่ท้อถอย".

However, your interpretation is interesting and also sounds plausible at face value. I suppose we need bannork to come back and explain the phrase to us. I don't live in Isarn so I don't pretend to be an expert, I am just guessing based on what I know.

Another guess is that he meant to write " ปึก " which means "stupid" in Isaaan... but I am not sure....

I am guessing that "khii beuk" could be used to describe someone who "refuses to back down", since there is a Central Thai expression, บึกบึน "beuk beun"..."ไม่ท้อถอย".

Another guess is that he meant to write " ปึก " which means "stupid" in Isaaan... but I am not sure....

Hi Meadish,

I've conjured up a couple of new theories!

Supposing it isn't Lao and the Thai spelling of แม่น "maen" is correct,could it then perhaps mean one of the following...

1.ขี้บึก in the backwater of the pond? ( แม่นบ่อ "maen bor" would in this case mean "backwater" of a pond)

2.ขี้บึก is correct for and belongs in the pond? (แม่น "maen" here meaning "correct";or,"suitable place")

My theory is that,in the above sentences,ขี้บึก "kee-beuk" could be a pun which means both ขี้ปลาบึก and คนขี้บึก (i.e.ไม่ท้อถอย)

Like scum and pond scum!

What's your take on those?

Snowleopard.

My theory is that,in the above sentences,ขี้บึก "kee-beuk" could be a pun which means both ขี้ปลาบึก and คนขี้บึก (i.e.ไม่ท้อถอย)

Like scum and pond scum! dry.gif

What's your take on those?

Beautiful suggestion, and logical. The only thing I am not sure about is whether you can use "maen" the way you suggest.

If so, the phrase certainly takes on a whole new dimension of intricacy.

Could bannork come back and tell us if we are on the right track here, maybe?

I have a copy of a book that is available for sale in various places in Khon Kaen that compares the various forms of language from laos, isaan and thailand. If you would like to know where it can be purchased please message me privately.

Snow leopard,

Please don't accuse me of groping on the internet, that's reserved for bus no12 in Bangkok if you've been following the news.

I must apologise to Barney for I am guilty of bad spelling too,meadish sweetball is quite right, I should have written ปึก rather than บึก, so it's a case of เยาว่าเเต่อีเหนาเป็นกันเอง, a case of the pot calling the kettle black.

There must be thousands of falangs in Issan in urgent need of an English- Issan-English phrasebook, dictionary, grammar book, etc. I would have thought the demand is there.

Still, this website looks like a lot of fun, imaginations run riot, stinky ponds with a spot of scum here and there; J.K. Rowlings move on over, sorry to disappoint you gentlemen, all I meant was ยี้ปึก -stupid and the เเม่นบ่ was surely right,เเม่นบ่?

bannork

I have a copy of a book that is available for sale in various places in Khon Kaen that compares the various forms of language from laos, isaan and thailand. If you would like to know where it can be purchased please message me privately.

is this like a secret book? and the suppliers of this book have to be protected from the massess of farangs after this book??

I have a copy of a book that is available for sale in various places in Khon Kaen that compares the various forms of language from laos, isaan and thailand.  If you would like to know where it can be purchased please message me privately.

is this like a secret book? and the suppliers of this book have to be protected from the massess of farangs after this book??

In plain English:

Somtaamgaiyang, you would be doing a public service by posting the details here.

bannork Posted on Fri 2004-09-03, 21:45:59

all I meant was ยี้ปึก -stupid and the เเม่นบ่ was surely right,เเม่นบ่?

Hi there Bannork,

I've checked your sentence with some folks today and nobody really understood it but confirmed it was from Isaan.

Which one is the correct spelling for that question ?แม่นบ่อ "maen bor" as you first wrote it;or,the way you spell it now?

Cheers.

Snowleopard.

Which one is the correct spelling for that question ?แม่นบ่อ "maen bor" as you first wrote it;or,the way you spell it now? rolleyes.gif

I can answer that one:

แม่นบ่ is the normal spelling (but Isaan is perhaps better represented with the Lao writing system than the Thai one). If you look at karaoke videos, this is how they spell it, and my leaflet "phasaa thin saam phaak" (Local tongues of three regions) uses the same representation in Thai writing.

Underbart citat. Är det din egen konstruktion?

Which one is the correct spelling for that question ?แม่นบ่อ "maen bor" as you first wrote it;or,the way you spell it now? rolleyes.gif

I can answer that one:

แม่นบ่ is the normal spelling (but Isaan is perhaps better represented with the Lao writing system than the Thai one). If you look at karaoke videos, this is how they spell it, and my leaflet "phasaa thin saam phaak" (Local tongues of three regions) uses the same representation in Thai writing.

Underbart citat. Är det din egen konstruktion?

Thanks. I can now find every word of 'Jao wao Lao Pben Bor' i.e. เจ้าเว้าลาวเป็นบ่, in the Royal Institute Dictionary! Only เว้า is marked as being a peculiarly Isan word. (It's also the word used in Lao proper.)

HELLOOOOO???

yes, richard, i would like a dictionary... although vocab. lists would be useful also....

YES, I WANT A DICTIONARY OR THREE LANGUAGE PHRASE BOOK OR WHATEVER, BUT I'M IN ISRAEL, AND CANNOT TRAVEL TO KON KAEN TO BUY A BOOK SO, ANY INTELLIGENT SUGGESTIONS? as soon as possible, maybe?? because i really need one.....

snowleopard , kit hot! kit tung!

Yes, the correct spelling is บ่ not บ่อ, I was clearly under the influence of Leo beer that night, I apologise for creating any misunderstanding.

A quick query, it doesn't seem worth starting a new thread on, a Thai friend is translating the sentence-" we have progressed technologically but life has lost a lot of its simplicity" for the word "simplicity" I suggested -ความเรียบง่าย but she said this can suggest plainness rather than the positive English sense of being straightforward with clearcut goals, ethics or vision . Can anyone offer any advice

or improvements on ความเรียบง่าย?

yours,bannork.

Yes, the correct spelling is บ่ not บ่อ, I was clearly under the influence of Leo beer that night, I apologise for creating any misunderstanding.

A quick query, it doesn't seem worth starting a new thread on, a Thai friend is translating the sentence-" we have progressed technologically but life has lost a lot of its simplicity" for the word "simplicity" I suggested -ความเรียบง่าย but she said this can suggest plainness rather than the positive English sense of being straightforward with clearcut goals, ethics or vision . Can anyone offer any advice

or improvements on ความเรียบง่าย?

  yours,bannork.

I suggested -ความเรียบง่าย but she said this can suggest plainness rather than the positive English sense of being straightforward with clearcut goals, ethics or vision . Can anyone offer any advice

or improvements on ความเรียบง่าย?

Hi Bannork,

Maybe you could use ความตรงไปตรงมา "kwaam dtrong pai dtrong maa"?

Cheers.

Snowleopard.

the positive English sense of being straightforward with clearcut goals, ethics or vision . Can anyone offer any advice

or improvements on ความเรียบง่าย?

Another word with Buddhist overtones that might fit those critera is เที่ยงธรรม "tee-ang tham"!

Snowleopard.

A third alternative just popped up from the unconscious and entered the awareness of my slightly tipsy mind!

ความจริงใจ "kwaam jing-jai"

Snowleopard.

Another word with Buddhist overtones that might fit those critera is เที่ยงธรรม "tee-ang tham"! rolleyes.gif

My Haas dictionary uses the following translations for "thîang tham":

to be upright, to be just, fair, impartial

....

I have never heard this word in context in everyday life, but from Haas it sounds to me like this term focuses more on the aspect of morals, equality and justice than the "straightforwardness" of a simple life.

---

For this translation, I would consider using an antonym of 'simplicity' - 'complexity' and say something like

theung mae waa rao dai prasob khwaam jaroen yaang ying thaang daan tekhnoloyii tae tham hai chiiwit khawng rao sab sawn maak kheun iik duay

ถึงแม้ว่า เราได้ประสบความเจริณอย่างยิ่งทางด้านเทคโนโลยี แต่ชีวิตความเป็นออ่ยูของเรากลับซับซ้อนมากขึ้นอีกด้วย

Cheers,

Meadish

Sorry, no Thai keyboard at the moment.

Depending on the nature of the problem, there are several webpages that can do Thai input for you. If the worst comes to the worst, you could always try mine. I've only tested it on Internet Explorer 6 and Windows XP & 2000. I knocked it up for my private use where a Thai keyboard/locale was not available and I didn't have the privilege to install one. It can be used on-line or off-line.

Thank you Richard, that's an interesting link. I really like the phonetic input function.

Cheers,

Meadish

Another word with Buddhist overtones that might fit those critera is เที่ยงธรรม "tee-ang tham"! rolleyes.gif

My Haas dictionary uses the following translations for "thîang tham":

to be upright, to be just, fair, impartial

....

I have never heard this word in context in everyday life, but from Haas it sounds to me like this term focuses more on the aspect of morals, equality and justice than the "straightforwardness" of a simple life.

---

For this translation, I would consider using an antonym of 'simplicity' - 'complexity' and say something like

theung mae waa rao dai prasob khwaam jaroen yaang ying thaang daan tekhnoloyii tae tham hai chiiwit khawng rao sab sawn maak kheun iik duay

ถึงแม้ว่า เราได้ประสบความเจริณอย่างยิ่งทางด้านเทคโนโลยี แต่ชีวิตความเป็นออ่ยูของเรากลับซับซ้อนมากขึ้นอีกด้วย

Cheers,

Meadish

Another word with Buddhist overtones that might fit those critera is เที่ยงธรรม "tee-ang tham"! rolleyes.gif

My Haas dictionary uses the following translations for "thîang tham":

to be upright, to be just, fair, impartial

....

I have never heard this word in context in everyday life, but from Haas it sounds to me like this term focuses more on the aspect of morals, equality and justice than the "straightforwardness" of a simple life.

Hi Meadish,

เที่ยงธรรม "tee-ang tham" is used in everyday life and it means straight,frank,just etc...

It's the very same เที่ยง tee-ang which is used to indicate dead centre,like in เที่ยงวัน "tee-ang wahn"=noon!

Underbart citat. Är det din egen konstruktion?

Ja!Sir Thomas Lipton hade nog blivit stolt om han visste!

Cheers.

Snowleopard.

Yes, the correct spelling is บ่ not บ่อ, I was clearly under the influence of Leo beer that night, I apologise for creating any misunderstanding.

A quick query, it doesn't seem worth starting a new thread on, a Thai friend is translating the sentence-" we have progressed technologically but life has lost a lot of its simplicity" for the word "simplicity" I suggested -ความเรียบง่าย but she said this can suggest plainness rather than the positive English sense of being straightforward with clearcut goals, ethics or vision . Can anyone offer any advice

or improvements on ความเรียบง่าย?

  yours,bannork.

-" we have progressed technologically but life has lost a lot of its simplicity"

Here's my suggestion on how to easily translate that sentence without using ความเรียบง่าย "kwaam ree-ap ngai"...

เรามีเทคโนโลยีที่พัฒนาขึ้น แต่ในขณะเดี่ยวกันก็สูญเสียสิ่งที่เป็นธรรมชาติไปเรื่อยๆ "raow mee teck-no-lo-yee tee pat-ana keun... dtae nai ka-na dee-oo gun goh soon-see-a sing tee phen thamma-chaat pai reu-ay reu-ay"=We have progressed technologically but life has lost a lot of its simplicity.

I chose this interpretation because of its simplicity but I've got several other complex alternatives I could submit!

Cheers.

Snowleopard.

เรามีเทคโนโลยีที่พัฒนาขึ้น แต่ในขณะเดี่ยวกันก็สูญเสียสิ่งที่เป็นธรรมชาติไปเรื่อยๆ "raow mee teck-no-lo-yee tee pat-ana keun... dtae nai ka-na dee-oo gun goh soon-see-a sing tee phen thamma-chaat pai reu-ay reu-ay"=We have progressed technologically but life has lost a lot of its simplicity.

I like that translation, nice flow.

Try this on-line dictionary:

http://www.isangate.com/dict/default.asp

Try this on-line dictionary:

http://www.isangate....ict/default.asp

The link is dead.

Anyone can suggest where to buy named dictionary?

E21384 - Preecha Phinthong

ISAN-THAI-ENGLISH DICTIONARY

(Bangkok, 1989)

1075 pp., 190 x 266 mm

Or borrow for couple of days in Bkk or Ptt so that I can scan it and make PDF.

Please

This is the book, published by White Lotus Press.

That site has an email link for purchase by mail. Or I imagine you could go to the White Lotus headquarters in Pattaya. White Lotus has such an expansive (and esoteric) catalog, I doubt there's anywhere in Bangkok you can reliably expect to find this title.

Try this on-line dictionary:

http://www.isangate....ict/default.asp

The link is dead.

This thread is more than 6 years old.

but the dictionary is still there http://www.isangate.com/word/isandict.html