Delight Posted September 26, 2010 Share Posted September 26, 2010 (edited) ]it seems to be that it IS always the small words that do not have an all purpose neat definition that always works A case in point is the word TAO -See Attachments 3 downloads Anybody got a simple one definition fits all word? TOA 1 THRU TO 8.doc Edited September 26, 2010 by Delight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhoydy Posted September 26, 2010 Share Posted September 26, 2010 I'm only offering an answer to what i think, and that is that these words you have shown are different words and should not be taken in literal transalation. Can they be classed as compound words? I'm not sure, but when the additional word is added it changes the meaning of the word. I will take the word 'whatever', for example. Here is a word made of two different words and with the many different possible meanings from both of these words. To try and make a definition of that one word from the many possibilities of the meanings from the two seperate words is folly indeed. I'm hopeful that some one will come and explain what i'm trying to say in a more understandable format. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rakloke Posted September 30, 2010 Share Posted September 30, 2010 I'm only offering an answer to what i think, and that is that these words you have shown are different words and should not be taken in literal transalation. Can they be classed as compound words? I'm not sure, but when the additional word is added it changes the meaning of the word. I will take the word 'whatever', for example. Here is a word made of two different words and with the many different possible meanings from both of these words. To try and make a definition of that one word from the many possibilities of the meanings from the two seperate words is folly indeed. I'm hopeful that some one will come and explain what i'm trying to say in a more understandable format. Totally agree. The concrete vocab like มะม่วง มังคุด ลำไย etc. are easy to learn. But the words presented seem abstract , particularly when each of them are alone. If they are contained in a clause, the readers can help you to decipher their equivalents in English. In short, any word in a sentence that can be understood because there are other words around it , i.e. can you provide their contexts for readers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delight Posted September 30, 2010 Author Share Posted September 30, 2010 (edited) I'm only offering an answer to what i think, and that is that these words you have shown are different words and should not be taken in literal transalation. Can they be classed as compound words? I'm not sure, but when the additional word is added it changes the meaning of the word. I will take the word 'whatever', for example. Here is a word made of two different words and with the many different possible meanings from both of these words. To try and make a definition of that one word from the many possibilities of the meanings from the two seperate words is folly indeed. I'm hopeful that some one will come and explain what i'm trying to say in a more understandable format. Totally agree. The concrete vocab like มะม่วง มังคุด ลำไย etc. are easy to learn. But the words presented seem abstract , particularly when each of them are alone. If they are contained in a clause, the readers can help you to decipher their equivalents in English. In short, any word in a sentence that can be understood because there are other words around it , i.e. can you provide their contexts for readers? Thanks for both of your replies I suspect that my question was badly phrased The point that I was trying to make was a feature of the Thai language that I do not see in English(at least not that much) ie That a word is a collection of smaller words -all fastened together Examples --------------------------------------------------------- chaao-dtàang-châat ชาวต่างชาติ foreigner chaao PERSON -dtàang FOREIGN châat NATION --------------------------------------------------------------- pâa-chét-dtua ผ้าเช็ดตัว towel pâa CLOTH chét- WIPE dtua BODY -------------------------------------------------------------------------- sák-rîit ซักรีด Launder Sák WASH rîit IRON ------------------------------------------------------------------- yɔɔm-ráp ยอมรับ accept yɔɔm surrender ráp get ------------------------------------------------------------- kam-yɔ̂ɔ-jàak-àk-sɔ̌ɔn- dtôn คำย่อจากอักษรต้น acronym kam- WORD yɔ̂ɔ- ABBREVIATE jàak- FROM àk-sɔ̌ɔn ALPHABET dtôn TRUNK --------------------------------------------------------- The benefit for the learner being learn 1 word get several I suspect that I was expecting too much under the 'no idea' requests Edited September 30, 2010 by Delight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delight Posted September 30, 2010 Author Share Posted September 30, 2010 I'm only offering an answer to what i think, and that is that these words you have shown are different words and should not be taken in literal transalation. Can they be classed as compound words? I'm not sure, but when the additional word is added it changes the meaning of the word. I will take the word 'whatever', for example. Here is a word made of two different words and with the many different possible meanings from both of these words. To try and make a definition of that one word from the many possibilities of the meanings from the two seperate words is folly indeed. I'm hopeful that some one will come and explain what i'm trying to say in a more understandable format. Totally agree. The concrete vocab like มะม่วง มังคุด ลำไย etc. are easy to learn. But the words presented seem abstract , particularly when each of them are alone. If they are contained in a clause, the readers can help you to decipher their equivalents in English. In short, any word in a sentence that can be understood because there are other words around it , i.e. can you provide their contexts for readers? Thanks for both of your replies I suspect that my question was badly phrased The point that I was trying to make was a feature of the Thai language that I do not see in English(at least not that much) ie That a word is a collection of smaller words -all fastened together Examples --------------------------------------------------------- chaao-dtàang-châat ชาวต่างชาติ foreigner chaao PERSON -dtàang FOREIGN châat NATION --------------------------------------------------------------- pâa-chét-dtua ผ้าเช็ดตัว towel pâa CLOTH chét- WIPE dtua BODY -------------------------------------------------------------------------- sák-rîit ซักรีด Launder Sák WASH rîit IRON ------------------------------------------------------------------- yɔɔm-ráp ยอมรับ accept yɔɔm surrender ráp get ------------------------------------------------------------- kam-yɔ̂ɔ-jàak-àk-sɔ̌ɔn- dtôn คำย่อจากอักษรต้น acronym kam- WORD yɔ̂ɔ- ABBREVIATE jàak- FROM àk-sɔ̌ɔn ALPHABET dtôn TRUNK --------------------------------------------------------- The benefit for the learner being learn 1 word get several I suspect that I was expecting too much under the 'no idea' requests Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tgeezer Posted October 1, 2010 Share Posted October 1, 2010 (edited) kam- WORD yɔ̂ɔ- ABBREVIATE jàak- FROM àk-sɔ̌ɔn ALPHABET dtôn TRUNK --------------------------------------------------------- The benefit for the learner being learn 1 word get several I suspect that I was expecting too much under the 'no idea' requests Maybe you are doing the right thing, I always try to see the basic word; 'Letter trunk' doesn't seem to say 'initial letter' but if you think of the trunk of a tree as the first part of the tree then it works. I wouldn't have thought of ต่าง as anything to do with 'foreign', 'seperate part' is how I see it, but if it makes sense for you that's fine. It becomes much more fun if you go to a Thai/Thai dictionary where 'words are defined, ต่างชาติ probably wont be found ต่างด้าว being the preferred word for 'foreigner' but no reason why you shouldn't use it. One of the first words I learned was 'ashtray' ที่เขี่ยบุหรี่ 'place ? cigarette'. The verb เขี่ย means to use a ไม้ to loosen something, but here the cigarette is being thought of as the ไม้ and what is being loosened or seperated is the ash I suppose, but as you say new words and uses are found. ที่ as a pronoun for place used here as the subject for instance. Edited October 1, 2010 by tgeezer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonN Posted October 1, 2010 Share Posted October 1, 2010 'Letter trunk' doesn't seem to say 'initial letter' but if you think of the trunk of a tree as the first part of the tree then it works. "คำย่อจากอกษรต้น" In this phrase "ต้น" doesn't mean "trunk" or "tree", it means "beginning" or "start". For example "ต้นปี" - "beginning of the year" "ปลาย" is it's antonym. "ปลายปี" - "end of the year". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delight Posted October 1, 2010 Author Share Posted October 1, 2010 (edited) --------------------------------------------------------- Maybe you are doing the right thing, I always try to see the basic word; 'Letter trunk' doesn't seem to say 'initial letter' but if you think of the trunk of a tree as the first part of the tree then it works. I wouldn't have thought of ต่าง as anything to do with 'foreign', 'seperate part' is how I see it, but if it makes sense for you that's fine. It becomes much more fun if you go to a Thai/Thai dictionary where 'words are defined, ต่างชาติ probably wont be found ต่างด้าว being the preferred word for 'foreigner' but no reason why you shouldn't use it. One of the first words I learned was 'ashtray' ที่เขี่ยบุหรี่ 'place ? cigarette'. The verb เขี่ย means to use a ไม้ to loosen something, but here the cigarette is being thought of as the ไม้ and what is being loosened or seperated is the ash I suppose, but as you say new words and uses are found. ที่ as a pronoun for place used here as the subject for instance. All the words were copied and pasted from my PC dictionary (published by Paiboon ) . I have to assume that they are accurate. Your ashtray example describes my point perfectly. My dictionary details each word as : tîi ที่ place kìa เขี่ย flick off bù~rìi บุหรี่ cigarette I find it interesting that many Thai words are in fact short phrases. Learn one word get several. Edited October 1, 2010 by Delight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhoydy Posted October 1, 2010 Share Posted October 1, 2010 I find it interesting that many Thai words are in fact short phrases. Learn one word get several. Totally agree, รับผิดชอบ is a good example. รับ receive or accept, ผิด wrong, ชอบ like, but put them all together and it's responsible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tgeezer Posted October 1, 2010 Share Posted October 1, 2010 And I find it interesting that many Thai words are in fact short phrases. Learn one word get several. Totally agree, รับผิดชอบ is a good example. รับ receive or accept, ผิด wrong, ชอบ like, but put them all together and it's responsible. and if you look up the words; ผิด ว. ใม่ตรงกับความจริงหรือตามที่กำหนดนิยมไว้ ไม่ถูก and ชอบ ก. พอใจ ถูกต้องเหมอะ ถูกกัน ถูกใจ it is even more fun. Try ข้อเท็จจริง. if you know what ข้อ means and then find that that the word means 'fact' it is easy to assume that เท็จ = จริง Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tgeezer Posted October 1, 2010 Share Posted October 1, 2010 'Letter trunk' doesn't seem to say 'initial letter' but if you think of the trunk of a tree as the first part of the tree then it works. "คำย่อจากอกษรต้น" In this phrase "ต้น" doesn't mean "trunk" or "tree", it means "beginning" or "start". For example "ต้นปี" - "beginning of the year" "ปลาย" is it's antonym. "ปลายปี" - "end of the year". And some seed fell on stoney ground. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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