Word Association (2024)

[toptuan]

Terdsak (Thai man's name: means "successful." pronounced "Turd Sack")

Rat (Woman's name: usually spelled "Rath" in English letters but pronounced like the rodent).

Keep - kep

Big C - Big C (don't try "C Yai")

Edited March 8, 2010 by toptuan

[Murf]

โอน - own

As in ทะเบียนโอน - Tabien Own.

It really means you can change the name, but it kind of means you can own it if you can change the name, right?

[deadbloke]

Is this a joke? Many of these 'Thai' words are not even legitimate loan-words, just 'farang talk.' 'Screwdriver, airport, sensitive, idiot, plan, joke, idea, cholesterol', etc. all have common and frequently used 'real Thai' counterparts. This may be somebody's idea of fun, but not for anybody who wants to really learn Thai. More interesting to me are Sanskrit-derived words which- via Greek or Latin- may retain a related meaning in English, such as 'pawn' or my favorite, 'eke.'

absolutely right.

- does anyone really believe that "joke" is the same in both English and Thai? We've all experienced the merry farang in a bar, gathering admiration from Thais joining in his "joke"!

[dmax]

a popular one is kao / kow / kaow

[tombkk]

Is this a joke? Many of these 'Thai' words are not even legitimate loan-words, just 'farang talk.' 'Screwdriver, airport, sensitive, idiot, plan, joke, idea, cholesterol', etc. all have common and frequently used 'real Thai' counterparts. This may be somebody's idea of fun, but not for anybody who wants to really learn Thai. More interesting to me are Sanskrit-derived words which- via Greek or Latin- may retain a related meaning in English, such as 'pawn' or my favorite, 'eke.'

Hmmm.. show Thais a screwdriver and ask them what it called in Thai. You will be surprised.

What is Thai for "cholesterol"?

screwdriver = ไฃควง

(I have to get used to typing Thai. Maybe it's a good idea to take a typing course.)

Cholesterol will just be transcribed, as in many European languages as well.

[tombkk]

what I love about these loanwords is that lots of thai's don't relise they are english words to start with.

leo-leo

why didn't you say U-Turn?

I didn't think you'd understand that word.

Yes, most of the word mentioned in this thread are loan words from English.

Interesting are such words a บุรี which is the same a bourgh in English, i.e. the last syllible of many cities. Same root, but not a loan word.

Edited March 8, 2010 by tombkk

[tombkk]

Ok

This is the most spoken word in the world - no surprise that Thailand is not an exception.

We got an expat here who most of Thai agreed that he has the most difficult accent. (Mind you, he's a standard British accent but people here might be more familiar with American accent.) When he started, many people walked off scratching their head after talking to him and asked "What the h_ll อะไข่ means?". He was saying "OK".

And the same pronunciation as "OK" in Spanish: "O que?" means "Or what?" Had a misunderstanding in Spain one day about that.

[tombkk]

โอน - own

As in ทะเบียนโอน - Tabien Own.

It really means you can change the name, but it kind of means you can own it if you can change the name, right?

โอน means "to transfer". It doesn't mean "to own", even though it sounds the same. This is what we what we call "false friends" in the translation business.

[kriswillems]

อัตโนมัติ (at - ta -noo -mat)

automatic

(these words don't have the same root)

[tombkk]

อัตโนมัติ (at - ta -noo -mat)

automatic

(these words don't have the same root)

I am not entirely sure whether you mean this or are trying to pull our legs.

Saobao for Walkman (Sound-About) was

[tombkk]

อัตโนมัติ (at - ta -noo -mat)

automatic

(these words don't have the same root)

I am not entirely sure whether you mean this or are trying to pull our legs.

Saobao for Walkman (Sound-About) was a word I had to learn - Thai people thought it was English.

Atonomat falls into the same category.

Edited March 8, 2010 by tombkk

[kriswillems]

No it's no joke. It's what I've been told. But guess it's probably wrong. Thanks for the correction.

Edited March 8, 2010 by kriswillems

[Murf]

โอน - own

As in ทะเบียนโอน - Tabien Own.

It really means you can change the name, but it kind of means you can own it if you can change the name, right?

โอน means "to transfer". It doesn't mean "to own", even though it sounds the same. This is what we what we call "false friends" in the translation business.

thanks for that tit bit of info...

[SimonN]

อัตโนมัติ (at - ta -noo -mat)

automatic

(these words don't have the same root)

I am not entirely sure whether you mean this or are trying to pull our legs.

Saobao for Walkman (Sound-About) was a word I had to learn - Thai people thought it was English.

Atonomat falls into the same category.

The RID gives a Pali etymology for the noun "อัตโนมัติ"; {Pali: อตฺตโน ว่า ของตน + มติ ว่า ความเห็น}

[kriswillems]

อัตโนมัติ (at - ta -noo -mat)

automatic

(these words don't have the same root)

I am not entirely sure whether you mean this or are trying to pull our legs.

Saobao for Walkman (Sound-About) was a word I had to learn - Thai people thought it was English.

Atonomat falls into the same category.

The RID gives a Pali etymology for the noun "อัตโนมัติ"; {Pali: อตฺตโน ว่า ของตน + มติ ว่า ความเห็น}

Mmmmm, looks like my teacher was right after all. It first thought the same as tombkk.

Edited March 8, 2010 by kriswillems

[Richard W]

The RID gives a Pali etymology for the noun "อัตโนมัติ"; {Pali: อตฺตโน ว่า ของตน + มติ ว่า ความเห็น}

It's a contrived substitute to 'automatic', and close enough to readily substitute for it in sound.

[Richard W]

'Screwdriver, airport, sensitive, idiot, plan, joke, idea, cholesterol', etc. all have common and frequently used 'real Thai' counterparts.

แผน is the real word for 'plan' in Thai.

[tombkk]

อัตโนมัติ (at - ta -noo -mat)

automatic

(these words don't have the same root)

I am not entirely sure whether you mean this or are trying to pull our legs.

Saobao for Walkman (Sound-About) was a word I had to learn - Thai people thought it was English.

Atonomat falls into the same category.

The RID gives a Pali etymology for the noun "อัตโนมัติ"; {Pali: อตฺตโน ว่า ของตน + มติ ว่า ความเห็น}

Interesting, I didn't know that.

[anchan42]

The RID gives a Pali etymology for the noun "อัตโนมัติ"; {Pali: อตฺตโน ว่า ของตน + มติ ว่า ความเห็น}

Interesting indeed. I thought it was Thais' best attempt to copy the sound.

I wonder if it could be traced back further to Indo-European language...

[tombkk]

The RID gives a Pali etymology for the noun "อัตโนมัติ"; {Pali: อตฺตโน ว่า ของตน + มติ ว่า ความเห็น}

Interesting indeed. I thought it was Thais' best attempt to copy the sound.

I wonder if it could be traced back further to Indo-European language...

I'm not a linguist (hence my rusty Pali), but I find this interesting. I was once told (by a linguist) that the words "dentist" and "tantaphaet" (excuse my not writing Thai, but my spelling s*cks) have the same root. At least the first syllable does. This falls under the OP's category.

[anchan42]

Friend become เฟน and then แฟน

Telegraph become ตะแล็บแก็บ

Government become คอเวอเม็น and then กัดฟันมัน

The last two are very old usage.