Xangsamhua Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 A Thailand Trivia competition on another site asks the origin of the word ซอย (n. lane). I've always assumed it was an indigenous Thai word, but does it come from another language? Someone suggested it was derived from the Arabic word "souk", which refers to a narrow street or passageway, but "a Thai language teacher" said this was not correct. Does anyone on this learned forum know the origin of this everyday word? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poanoi Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 (edited) Probably originate from China, but not sure. I don't know of any word originate from arabs, but a sh!tload from India Edited February 2, 2012 by poanoi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewlyMintedThai Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 The word in Mandarin for the same thing is xiàng, or hsiàng (巷). Not sure if there's a link, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zzaa09 Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Probably originate from China, but not sure. I don't know of any word originate from arabs, but a sh!tload from India I believe there are etymology connections from the old Persian and Semitic worlds as well. Yet, there are onging and struggling arguments in this directive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xangsamhua Posted February 4, 2012 Author Share Posted February 4, 2012 After seeing the discussion on this and another forum, my intuition (and Occam's Razor) leads me to suggest that ซอย and its smaller version ตรอก are indigenous Siamese/Thai words, and that the suggestion on the other forum that ซอย has its source in another language doesn't hold water (not sufficient evidence). Thank you to members who've tried to help. Apparently the original questioner on the other forum asked if ซอย had its origins in French(!!), and then the credibility of the "authority" designated to answer was questioned. (She said it was an indigenous Thai word.) Sorry if I've wasted people's time on this (I wasted my own). I would think the overwhelming majority of the most frequently used Thai common nouns have their origins in Lao and Thai. The most frequently borrowed words I think relate to technology, philosophy, religion, governance, the courts (royal and judicial) and proper nouns, and the main source would be the Indic languages, Sanskrit (via Cambodia) and Pali (via the early Theravada Buddhist missions from Sri Lanka). Am I right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrry Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 My understanding was it is the same as the thai word for strips or cut into long slices as in noodles. The soi is a cut. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onionluke Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 The word in Mandarin for the same thing is xiàng, or hsiàng (巷). Not sure if there's a link, though. The Cantonese name for street is gai , if that is any help . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xangsamhua Posted February 4, 2012 Author Share Posted February 4, 2012 My understanding was it is the same as the thai word for strips or cut into long slices as in noodles. The soi is a cut. Interesting. Certainly possible. A path that cuts through the village or bush to the canal? I think many sois in Bangkok did lead to canals, didn't they? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soundman Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 My understanding was it is the same as the thai word for strips or cut into long slices as in noodles. The soi is a cut. Cutting up logs into timber, for example, uses the word soi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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