Tonally Confused

[Delight]

Consider 2 Thai words

1)เทพ 2)เทป

The 1st follows the tonal rules to produce a predictable FALLING tone. It has that tone.

The 2^nd has all the same tonal elements as the 1^st and yet produces a HIGH tone.

Any explanations out there?

[krading]

Technically both have a falling tone but as เทป is a loan word (tape) maybe some pronounce it as a short tone therefore high.

Just a guess.

[garrya]

In my opinion, tape เทป is an english word that they pronounce it on a different way. Sometimes the tone rules don`t apply to words of foreign origin. It is as simple as that.

[Delight]

Sounds about right-Thanks

[katana]

I just listened to some sound files in my dictionary from native Thai speakers saying words like เทปกาว ตลับเทป สก๊อตเทป ฯลฯ and เทป appears to be high tone, long vowel length.

[DavidHouston]

As Khun Katna tells us, Thai people often do not pronounce foreign sourced words the way they tend to be written in the dictionary. See Lexitron's entry for เทป: "เทป /tʰéːp/ [N] tape" where the high tone is indicated.

However, this disparity may be disappearing. In the Royal Institute's "Dictionary of New Words, Volume I" (พจนานุกรมคำใหม่ เล่ม๑) the introductory section states:

"๓.๑ คำที่ยืมมาจากภาษาต่างประเทศเขียนตามเสียงที่คนไทยส่วนใหญ่ออก เช่น . . . เหรตติ้ง . . . (อ. rating)." [Note the low tone in the first syllable and the falling tone in the second syllable of the word เหรตติ้ง.]