Found a reference to น้ำเพซร in an English-Thai dictionary translating the word "water". I think I have heard this word and I thought it meant the luster or glistening of a diamond. However, I cannot find it in any of my Thai-Thai or Thai-English dictionaries. Any help much appreciated.

Londo online dictionary shows it as "quality". My New-Age T-E dictionary shows เพชรน้ำหนึ่ง as a diamond of first water, top quality.

thanks very, very much! Strange that the Thai-language.com nor the Nectec dictionary had this word nor did several other hard copy dictionaries that I have, including the RID.

thanks very, very much! Strange that the Thai-language.com nor the Nectec dictionary had this word nor did several other hard copy dictionaries that I have, including the RID.

Not really. This English Arabicism is only now in the process of creeping into Thai.

Richard W. Can you please share the basis for referring to "first water" as an Arabicism? I've done some looking on the web and can't find any connection with Arabic for this phrase.

Thanks

I only know this word as a (nick)name or as a name of a hotel or shop . Names usually express something good. A lot of names have the word น้ำ in it. "Water" or "น้ำ" in a name represents the essence, the mind, the soul.

So the name :

น้ำหวาน refers to a person with a sweet/good mind

น้ำเพชร refers to a person/shop/hotel with a mind/essence like a diamond, so quality person/shop/hotel/...

Thank you kriswillems, interesting information. Have you noticed that the probability of inferior product quality appears to increase when the title of the product includes a reference to quality?

Can you please share the basis for referring to "first water" as an Arabicism?

Arabic ماء 'water' is the Arabicism. Its meanings include 'lustre' and 'splendour'.

This is very interesting. The use of water to describe the clarity of diamonds came into English some 400 years ago. The dictionaries I checked knew nothing of the connection to Arabic. I wasn't able to check the Oxford. If it doesn't know this connection, it ought to be pointed out to them.

I fear the dreaded "OFF TOPIC" police may intervene here. Nonetheless, thanks for the reply.

I have to admit I've never heard this English expression before, and if a student had asked me about it I'd have said 'doesn't exist'

of the first water (of a diamond or pearl) of the greatest brilliance and transparency / (typically of someone or something perceived as undesirable or annoying) extreme or unsurpassed of their kind: she was a bore of the first water

The Thai equivalent is

น้ำหนึ่ง

[ADJ] of the highness grade; of the first water; excellent S.ดีเยี่ยม Ex. เพชรเม็ดนี้เป็นเพชรน้ำหนึ่งของไทยที่มีราคาสูงมาก

(NECTEC Lexitron 2 TH-EN)

Edited October 10, 201015 yr by SoftWater

This is very interesting. The use of water to describe the clarity of diamonds came into English some 400 years ago. The dictionaries I checked knew nothing of the connection to Arabic. I wasn't able to check the Oxford. If it doesn't know this connection, it ought to be pointed out to them.

They should know - it's in the Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology.