Buk-sii-da?

[manni]

I was wondering if anyone one could help. I have noticed occasionally when my wife's sister emails her, said sister sometimes refers to me as Buk-Sii-Da. I have no clue what it means, any assistance you could provide would be really appreciated and hopefully settle some curiousity. Thank You

[Rikker]

It's the Isan/Lao word for guava. It's a common play on words, since the word for guava in Thai is ฝรั่ง farang.

In Thai it would be written บักสีดา /bak siidaa/. The บัก /bak/ derives from หมาก /maak/ "fruit" (just like the มะ /ma/ found at the beginning of many Thai fruit names). So the full spelling of the fruit name would be หมากสีดา /maak siidaa/, or ໝາກສີດາ in Lao.

[rak sa_ngop]

Do you have an explanation why the guava fruit and farangs are the same word in Thai?

And why do the Laos use their own word for guava to refer to farangs? Are they just copying the Thais, or is there connection between quavas and white skinned people?

Always wondered.

[Dontdisturb]

It would be much more polite to refer to you by your name. After all you are a member of the family.

[oevna]

Do you have an explanation why the guava fruit and farangs are the same word in Thai?

And why do the Laos use their own word for guava to refer to farangs? Are they just copying the Thais, or is there connection between quavas and white skinned people?

Always wondered.

I have a feeling the Laotian people (of the country of Laos) don't use the word "baksiidaa" to refer to foreigners. I have always assumed it was a pun, or a play on words, made by the Isaan people. Because "baksiidaa" means "farang" (i.e. the guava fruit) in Lao/Isaan language, and "farang" coincidentally also means "foreigner" in the central Thai dialect, the Isaan people humorously made the logical extension that "baksiidaa" is the Lao/Isaan word for foreigner.

Just my assumption though. I could be wrong.

Edited November 10, 2009 by oevna

[rak sa_ngop]

Do you have an explanation why the guava fruit and farangs are the same word in Thai?

And why do the Laos use their own word for guava to refer to farangs? Are they just copying the Thais, or is there connection between quavas and white skinned people?

Always wondered.

I have a feeling the Laotian people (of the country of Laos) don't use the word "baksiidaa" to refer to foreigners. I have always assumed it was a pun, or a play on words, made by the Isaan people. Because "baksiidaa" means "farang" (i.e. the guava fruit) in Lao/Isaan language, and "farang" coincidentally also means "foreigner" in the central Thai dialect, the Isaan people humorously made the logical extension that "baksiidaa" is the Lao/Isaan word for foreigner.

Just my assumption though. I could be wrong.

Yes, I only ever heard maksiidaa/baksiidaa once I had crossed the Mekong into Thailand. At first I was a bit offended thinking it was referring to SIDA, which is commonly used for AIDS in Vietnam (from the French).

[Rikker]

The Thai word for guava is "farang" because it was introduced to Thailand by white men. The term "farang" to refer to white foreigners is much older than the presence of the guava in Thailand. The word "farang" was spread by Persian traders across Asia, and ultimately derives from the word "Frank", referring to the Germanic tribe/empire that ruled much of Europe in the 1st millennium A.D. Due to its spread via Persian traders, variations on the word are found in many countries between the Middle East and East Asia, and usually refers to white foreigners.

The guava is native to the Americas; it was most likely introduced by the Portuguese, probably in the 16th century. As recently as the 19th century, a traveler to Siam recorded that the guava was called กล้วยฝรั่ง "plantain of the farangs" (similar to how the potato is still called มันฝรั่ง "tuber of the farangs", and chewing gum is called หมากฝรั่ง "betel of the farangs"). In Thailand, กล้วยฝรั่ง eventually became simply ฝรั่ง.

Using หมากสีดา or บักสีดา to mean "white man" is just a play on words, based on the Thai dual meaning. It's a pun that would have been invented by people bilingual in Thai and Lao, i.e. Isan Thais. The reason it's not widely used in Laos is that they're not typically bilingual in Thai, though the influence of Thai television and other media is changing that.

[Xangsamhua]

I think it's rather a clever pun, though I'd prefer not to be referred to that way. Maybe sister-in-law's sense of humour is a bit out of line. Now, what's a good pun for สะใภ้?

[oevna]

I think it's rather a clever pun, though I'd prefer not to be referred to that way. Maybe sister-in-law's sense of humour is a bit out of line. Now, what's a good pun for สะใภ้?

What's the Thai word for "pizza pie"?

[tgeezer]

I think it's rather a clever pun, though I'd prefer not to be referred to that way. Maybe sister-in-law's sense of humour is a bit out of line. Now, what's a good pun for สะใภ้?

If she is not saying this to your face then unless you send emails referring to her in an impolite way which she can intercept, you can not reciprocate.

If you do have the opportunity then I would suggest that you use English which would make it as difficult for her to define the insult as it is for you.

Give her the name and use it with wife and close family, when they object you can explain, she will get to hear of it and she should desist.

The trick is to find the word as you say.

What is the cockney ryming slang for S in L that should be mildly offensive enough. Make one up pig's paw. Doesn't exist so no actual meaning, sounds bad especially if she is a little corpulant, and could take them ages to work out if you only say Pee Pee, they will think it Thai. Actually it is the same initials as Pizza Pie so you could use that, I don't know the signifacance of Pizza Pie though.

[rak sa_ngop]

How about a play on สะใภ้ (sister in law) which sounds like the English word 'spy' which can be translated back as nak soep

E.g Has the nak soep been asking after me again?

This is fun!

[manni]

Thank you very much for the replies. Well, I think ( I hope) Sis in Law says it more as a joke and for the record she does not say it to me directly. I think it is her attempt at being funny and clever. We spend a few weeks a year in the village with the in-laws and when we first started visiting there was always a chorus of "farangs" being uttered when I was around. It has never really bothered me, because it did not seem mean spirted or intended to insult me (well not always). But, I think it did bother the Lady Boss because she thought it may be bothering me and she explained to family that it can feeling insulting and that I may not like being called farang. So I think it is Sis in Laws round about way of still calling me a farang. Further, as Sis in Law has not spent any time in Vietnam (that i know of, at least) I will give her the benefit of the doubt and assume that she is not suggesting that I may have AIDs. Although, if she does call me this to my face I could always pretend to be offended based on the AIDs reference....

[Rikker]

Whoa, people. It's a standard joke. The sister-in-law didn't make it up. There is no AIDS reference. Chillax...

The Lao word หมากสีดา /maak siidaa/ means "Sida's fruit." Sida = Sita, one of the main characters from the Ramayana epic.

Why in Lao the guava is named for Sita, I don't know.

[bulbous]

I have been in Udon for about 6 years and have always been called Bak-Sii-Daa, I even all myself that if I think I can get a chuckle out of somebody. There's never been any offence as far as I can tell.

Rikker, your contributions to this thread are extremely competent. Where did you learn to speak and write like that?

Where can I?

[zzaa09]

Are they just copying the Thais...

Hmmm....copying the Thai? Most everything considered Thai - isn't. Siam/Thailand owes most every aspect of their civisation to others.

[tgeezer]

I think it's rather a clever pun, though I'd prefer not to be referred to that way. Maybe sister-in-law's sense of humour is a bit out of line. Now, what's a good pun for สะใภ้?

What's the Thai word for "pizza pie"?

Good Lord, I can't believe that 'the penny has dropped' finally.

[tmark]

Sometimes when I'm walking along the street and hear the "Farang" word (ooh look .. there's a farang! ...duh) .. I stop and say "Pohm mai bpen farang .. pohm bpen baksidar" .. shocks the hel_l out of the rude little buggers at first .. then they laugh .. usually. Doesn't work with the HiSo Bangkokites.

[Briggsy]

ข้อย ไม่ใช่ผม

[bannork]

ข้อย ไม่ใช่ผม

ข้อยบ่เป็นฝร่ง