บ๋อย?

[OldChinaHam]

เบียร์, บ๋อย, โบนัส:

I "Get" the 1st & 3rd.Why the 2nd?

Does anyone know the origin of the term บ๋อย?

Every time I hear it, I cringe.

But unlike me, most of the people around me seem to not be phased by it in the least.

Therefore, as a newcomer to Thailand, I think maybe I do not understand the origin of the term. Obviously it seems to be an accepted term of address among all social levels.

Is anyone able to explain more about where this term comes from?

Why do they chose this term instead of another which, personally, I think I would find easier to accept.

The reason for the 1st & 3rd, here, is just that I am in the process of typing a long list of Thai-English loan words into my ANKI flash card deck. And after going from Beer to Bonus, I suddenly got stuck in the middle.

Any help on this would be interesting, I feel.

Thank you.

(Etymology and Social Significance based answers a real plus here in the comments section. I know there are those of you out there on TVF that study things like this.)

[AyG]

บ๋อย (or, more commonly,บอย) is, pretty obviously, from the English word "boy". In the British colonial era this would be a common word for summoning a waiter or servant amongst the upper classes. I suspect that this is how it entered Thai with a similar meaning.

[Mole]

บ๋อย is the word often used for waiters at more lower classed establishments such as street food stalls or small shophouse restaurants.

I don't know why you wrote (or, more commonly,บอย) because it's not called บอย, but only บ๋อย

But this term is kinda getting old fashioned and most younger generation just say เด็กเสิร์ฟ or พนักงานเสิร์ฟ for higher establishments.

[p_brownstone]

When calling for the attention of a Waiter / Waitress in most establishments one would normally use the word น้อง (Nong) .

เด็กเสิร์ฟ or พนักงานเสิร์ฟ are really more like "job descriptions" and would not be used when directly addressing a person.

Patrick

[Mole]

That's exactly what บ๋อย is, a description.

You don't call the waiter บ๋อย to get his attention. It's something for example my dad would ask me to call the waiter so we can order, in which case, I'd usually just use a hand gesture to get the waiter's attention.

My dad would say something like เรียกบ๋อยมาหน่อยดิ

But as I said, this is an outdated term and เด็กเสิร์ฟ or พนักงานเสิร์ฟ are used nowadays instead.

My guess it that the origins of this term may be the word "busboy", where they've just shortened to "boy".

[p_brownstone]

That's exactly what บ๋อย is, a description.

You don't call the waiter บ๋อย to get his attention. It's something for example my dad would ask me to call the waiter so we can order, in which case, I'd usually just use a hand gesture to get the waiter's attention.

My dad would say something like เรียกบ๋อยมาหน่อยดิ

But as I said, this is an outdated term and เด็กเสิร์ฟ or พนักงานเสิร์ฟ are used nowadays instead.

My guess it that the origins of this term may be the word "busboy", where they've just shortened to "boy".

Until around 20 years ago "boy" was quite commonly used to get the attention of a Waiter but it has fallen out of use probably because of the "colonial" or elitist connotation. However I stil hear it occasionally from older Thais, particularly in places like Yaowarrat.

I don't think it derives from "busboy" however, that's an American word not at all common in Asia, rather I think it comes from the English word "Boy" which was commonly used by British Expats, particularly in Africa of course.

Patrick

[Aforek]

That's exactly what บ๋อย is, a description.

You don't call the waiter บ๋อย to get his attention. It's something for example my dad would ask me to call the waiter so we can order, in which case, I'd usually just use a hand gesture to get the waiter's attention.

My dad would say something like เรียกบ๋อยมาหน่อยดิ

But as I said, this is an outdated term and เด็กเสิร์ฟ or พนักงานเสิร์ฟ are used nowadays instead.

My guess it that the origins of this term may be the word "busboy", where they've just shortened to "boy".

Until around 20 years ago "boy" was quite commonly used to get the attention of a Waiter but it has fallen out of use probably because of the "colonial" or elitist connotation. However I stil hear it occasionally from older Thais, particularly in places like Yaowarrat.

I don't think it derives from "busboy" however, that's an American word not at all common in Asia, rather I think it comes from the English word "Boy" which was commonly used by British Expats, particularly in Africa of course.

Patrick

Even in French colonial Africa, that I know, we used the english word " boy ".