I Can't Figure It Out

[ferryn]

I posted asking about this in the Tattoos topic but have not, as yet, had a response. I figure this could be because not many people check it because you guys get 100s of people asked for the same name to be translated

The name I would like translated is 'Nils'. I started looking around on some Thai Language websites to see if I could have a crack at it myself but there are so many rules that I can't get my head around. Also, even on very simple searches I couldn't seem to find a character(s) for the sound 'i' as in 'spill' or 'drill' rather a longer 'eye' type sound.

I don't know if this sound even exists in the Thai language but if anyone could help with something similar I'd be incredibly grateful

[danboksida1]

I posted asking about this in the Tattoos topic but have not, as yet, had a response. I figure this could be because not many people check it because you guys get 100s of people asked for the same name to be translated

The name I would like translated is 'Nils'. I started looking around on some Thai Language websites to see if I could have a crack at it myself but there are so many rules that I can't get my head around. Also, even on very simple searches I couldn't seem to find a character(s) for the sound 'i' as in 'spill' or 'drill' rather a longer 'eye' type sound.

I don't know if this sound even exists in the Thai language but if anyone could help with something similar I'd be incredibly grateful

The problem with Nils is the l and the s at the end of the name you can just translitterate these letters to thai letters but following the thai system the l at the end of a word would be read as a "n" and the "s" as a "t" so if a thai would read it it would come out as something completely different.

So I am affraid that this name is almost impossible to write correct in Thai.

The short i sound you are having problems with is quite simple the first part of the name Ni is นิ but as I said the l and the s would be ล and ส but together นิลส can not be read in Thai

Edited January 14, 2009 by danboksida1

[klons]

I posted asking about this in the Tattoos topic but have not, as yet, had a response. I figure this could be because not many people check it because you guys get 100s of people asked for the same name to be translated

The name I would like translated is 'Nils'. I started looking around on some Thai Language websites to see if I could have a crack at it myself but there are so many rules that I can't get my head around. Also, even on very simple searches I couldn't seem to find a character(s) for the sound 'i' as in 'spill' or 'drill' rather a longer 'eye' type sound.

I don't know if this sound even exists in the Thai language but if anyone could help with something similar I'd be incredibly grateful

The problem with Nils is the l and the s at the end of the name you can just translitterate these letters to thai letters but following the thai system the l at the end of a word would be read as a "n" and the "s" as a "t" so if a thai would read it it would come out as something completely different.

So I am affraid that this name is almost impossible to write correct in Thai.

The short i sound you are having problems with is quite simple the first part of the name Ni is นิ but as I said the l and the s would be ล and ส but together นิลส can not be read in Thai

I didn't do any research, but I was under the impression when some foreign words are spelled in Thai they use the silent symbol over the last letter or two for a word or name like Nils. But when you say the word, the letters aren't actually silent, but pronounced. Could you get an ls out of ลส with the silent symbols? or would it still be nt? My name ends in rl, so I think I have the same problem. As an example, I can't spell it, but the Imperial sign for fire extinguishers some may of seen from the motorway is written like that (I think).

[tgeezer]

I posted asking about this in the Tattoos topic but have not, as yet, had a response. I figure this could be because not many people check it because you guys get 100s of people asked for the same name to be translated

The name I would like translated is 'Nils'. I started looking around on some Thai Language websites to see if I could have a crack at it myself but there are so many rules that I can't get my head around. Also, even on very simple searches I couldn't seem to find a character(s) for the sound 'i' as in 'spill' or 'drill' rather a longer 'eye' type sound.

I don't know if this sound even exists in the Thai language but if anyone could help with something similar I'd be incredibly grateful

The problem with Nils is the l and the s at the end of the name you can just translitterate these letters to thai letters but following the thai system the l at the end of a word would be read as a "n" and the "s" as a "t" so if a thai would read it it would come out as something completely different.

So I am affraid that this name is almost impossible to write correct in Thai.

The short i sound you are having problems with is quite simple the first part of the name Ni is นิ but as I said the l and the s would be ล and ส but together นิลส can not be read in Thai

I didn't do any research, but I was under the impression when some foreign words are spelled in Thai they use the silent symbol over the last letter or two for a word or name like Nils. But when you say the word, the letters aren't actually silent, but pronounced. Could you get an ls out of ลส with the silent symbols? or would it still be nt? My name ends in rl, so I think I have the same problem. As an example, I can't spell it, but the Imperial sign for fire extinguishers some may of seen from the motorway is written like that (I think).

The silent symbol is used to indicate that it isn't sounded, not that it can't be. All Thai words end in a vowel or K,P,T,M,N,nG,

If you wrote นิลส์ it would be fine and your name would be Nils because most educated will know it is Nils.

Edited January 14, 2009 by tgeezer

[taxexile]

นิลส์

as lor ling is not the final consonant here , i believe it should be pronounced "nil" , about the nearest you'll get.

[ferryn]

ahh, replies came in so fast then I couldn't keep up!

so is นิลส์ 'Nil' or 'Nils'? or is it not quite either but close enough?

[tgeezer]

ahh, replies came in so fast then I couldn't keep up!

so is นิลส์ 'Nil' or 'Nils'? or is it not quite either but close enough?

It will be Nin or Nils there is no 'L' ending in Thai so if a Thai is smart enough to see an 'L' he will also realize that the S should be sounded. Go for it.

[ferryn]

ahh, replies came in so fast then I couldn't keep up!

so is นิลส์ 'Nil' or 'Nils'? or is it not quite either but close enough?

It will be Nin or Nils there is no 'L' ending in Thai so if a Thai is smart enough to see an 'L' he will also realize that the S should be sounded. Go for it.

Ahh, ok. I understand now. Thankyou so much for all your help

[meadish_sweetball]

ahh, replies came in so fast then I couldn't keep up!

so is นิลส์ 'Nil' or 'Nils'? or is it not quite either but close enough?

It will be Nin or Nils there is no 'L' ending in Thai so if a Thai is smart enough to see an 'L' he will also realize that the S should be sounded. Go for it.

It will come out as either of the following:

/niw/ (Thais who speak a little more English than on average tend to use a 'w' sound when they see ล occurring in syllable-final position, in what they perceive to be an English word or name. This /w/ pronunciation of final L is similar to how final /l/ is pronounced in Estuarine English, but unlike for example RP English, American English or Australian English.)

/nin/ (This is the way an ล occurring at the end of a Thai word is pronounced. Thais who do not identify the word as being English/foreign might pronounce it this way.)

/niws/ (Thais who have learned to pronounce more than one consonant at the end of a syllable but find /l/ + /s/ to be too difficult.)

/nils/ (Thais who are very skilled at a Nordic language or German where the name is common.)

I think in most cases, what you will hear is /niw/.

[tgeezer]

ahh, replies came in so fast then I couldn't keep up!

so is นิลส์ 'Nil' or 'Nils'? or is it not quite either but close enough?

It will be Nin or Nils there is no 'L' ending in Thai so if a Thai is smart enough to see an 'L' he will also realize that the S should be sounded. Go for it.

It will come out as either of the following:

/niw/ (Thais who speak a little more English than on average tend to use a 'w' sound when they see ล occurring in syllable-final position, in what they perceive to be an English word or name. This /w/ pronunciation of final L is similar to how final /l/ is pronounced in Estuarine English, but unlike for example RP English, American English or Australian English.)

/nin/ (This is the way an ล occurring at the end of a Thai word is pronounced. Thais who do not identify the word as being English/foreign might pronounce it this way.)

/niws/ (Thais who have learned to pronounce more than one consonant at the end of a syllable but find /l/ + /s/ to be too difficult.)

/nils/ (Thais who are very skilled at a Nordic language or German where the name is common.)

I think in most cases, what you will hear is /niw/.

This tatoo is going to be permanent so we shouldn't frighten the man. You might be right, people will certainly know that it is not Thai, and the few who may think it is มาตรา เกอว the owner will be armed with the knowledge to disabuse them. If it comes out นิน it will be fine it is the name of some sort of gemstone: colour black, more of a girls name so he will want to tell them off too. I wonder how much the tatoo artists know, they surely wouldn't want a cock-up, so could be the final arbiter.

If by estaury you mean the Thames, then for an essex girl she becomes exactly เกอว I don't have that accent but my sister in law is an essex เกอว