Ferang, Falang, Ferrang, Ferang

[CrossBones]

Its sounds to me like FALANG not Ferrang.

[udon]

That's coz Thais have a prob with L & R.

It's FaRang, AFAIK.

[meadish_sweetball]

This issue has been discussed at length several times already on Thaivisa - use the search function and you'll see.

Briefly, your perspective and spelling of this word in Latin letters depends on your dialect/language - since the relation between spelling and pronunciation differs between for example American and UK English, and then again to Australian English, or Dutch, Spanish, Italian or Danish.

The Thai spelling is ฝรั่ง and since the Thai alphabet is taught all over Thailand with the same pronunciation, this word is 'fa-rang' (with the 'rang' being pronounced at a lower pitch than the 'fa' - however, as most Thai people do not uphold a sound distinction between ร and ล (near equivalents of 'R' and 'L', although ร is trilled like a Scottish or Spanish R), the word most often comes out as something like 'fa-lang' (still with a low tone pitch on "lang"). The first syllable of the word is often unstressed, which is probably the reason why some people think it sounds like and should be written as 'fer''.

So, in short, you are more or less right.

[HedKeeQuai]

yet still so wrong!

[Boon Mee]

Its sounds to me like FALANG not Ferrang.

Well, it's spelled with a "roo rua" ร which, by default, has a "R" sound so it much be Farang!

[devildog683]

i'm sure it changes wherever you go, but my wife spells and pronounces it "farang"

[snoophound]

My missus and all her girlfriends all say FALANG with a hard L.

Even here in AUS anyone non Thai is a Falang to them!!!

i'm sure it changes wherever you go, but my wife spells and pronounces it "farang"

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[Edward B]

<SIGH>

It really saddens me when a national language gets twisted and mangled around due to an uneducated minority who can't be bothered, or who's parents couldn't be bothered to teach them, how to say their own words properly.

[devildog683]

hence dialects? pretty sure thats in every country...........

[oiboi]

Edward b you are full of &lt;deleted&gt;

[Boon Mee]

i'm sure it changes wherever you go, but my wife spells and pronounces it "farang"

She's right, devil!

[devildog683]

i'm sure it changes wherever you go, but my wife spells and pronounces it "farang"

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She's right, devil!

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she's always right

[Dara]

i'm sure it changes wherever you go, but my wife spells and pronounces it "farang"

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She's right, devil!

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Just a reference from a discussion long ago when a message board was called a "listserv" . The following comes from the Language section of soc.culture.thai. Those were the days when people still used their own name to post.....

Subject: L.5) The word "farang"

From: Gwyn Williams

Date: 29 Mar 1994 04:24:21 +1000

ORIGIN OF THE WORD "FARANG"

A wide-spread belief in Thailand is that the word "farang" (Caucasian)

is derived from the French word "francais". This derivation is implausible

on phonetic and historical grounds. It is in fact a popular misconception.

It is true, however, that these words have the same ultimate source.

The word is attested in various forms in languages in Europe, Africa,

the Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. It is clear that the

word orginated as "Frank" in Europe and spread eastwards along Muslim

trade routes.

Thai most likely borrowed the word from influential Muslim Persian or

Indian traders in the 17th century or even earlier. The Persian word was

"farangg". The term probably was used to refer to early Portuguese

traders and subsequently to all Europeans (ie., non-Muslims).

It is possible that the Thai word "farangset" ("French") is a blend

of the word "farang" and the French word "francais", ie., "farangset" is

actually derived from "farang", not vice versa. Certainly, the word

"farang" existed prior to, and independently of, "farangset".