Thai Female Name: Arinee, Means "Dawn" Or Little Friend?

[KhaoTan]

Hi all, and thanks in advance for any help. Cute story, my American aunt lived in BKK in the 60's. She wrote letters back home to the States talking about her cute little housemaid named "Arinee". Her sister, my aunt, then read the name and assumed for some reason, that it would be read with a French pronunciation as "Air Rin Nay" and voila, she named her newborn baby, Arinee.

Now 40 years later, Arinee, my cousin is asking me what her name means in Thai. Having lived in Thailand, I have met many girls named Arunee, and I have assumed my Aunt's maid's name was probably, Arunee, transliterated from Thai to English as "Arinee", close enough. But my aunt insists that the other aunt said this name meant "Little friend". Any one who can enlighten us? My own mae baan thinks it is the name "Arunee" which is a beautiful name in itself meaning "Dawn", but I want to settle this.

I appreciate your help.

[kriswillems]

There's a temple in bkk called "wat arun". It means temple of dawn.

And "arun sawat" means good morning.

It know the Thai name อริญชย์ (arin), it means "a person who defeats his enemy"

Edited January 21, 2012 by kriswillems

[Mole]

Without a proper spelling in Thai of the name it's really difficult to tell the meaning.