Maya

[arunsakda]

Maya or Māyā (Sanskrit माया māyāa[›]), a term found in Pali and Sanskrit literature, has multiple meanings and can be translated to mean something of an "illusion" (or more accurately a "delusion") -WIKIPEDIA.

Pondering for months how a refreshingly honest it is to name a palace of materialism such. Now I see the Thai spelling indicates it should probably be more accurately spelled Mei ya and certainly means something else altogether. Oh well..

[zeichen]

???

[Thakkar]

As a Hindi and Gujarati speaker, I was baffled by this name. Māyā does have other meanings besides 'delusion', such as 'compassion'. This only increased my bafflement.

The Thai pronunciation, based on the Thai spelling is, as the OP says, Mei Yaa, which is just a name and seems to have no meaning, according to Thais I've asked.

Lest any Indian feel smug at seeing the irony of a temple of consumerism named Māyā, it should be noted that there are shopping plazas in India with that name.

T

[northernjohn]

This is all thrilling. Is there a particular tone to speak in when we refer to it?

[iainiain101]

I thought it was something to do with ancient peoples of Mexico. The design of the building looks a bit like shapes you might see in Tulum.

[sustento]

This is all thrilling. Is there a particular tone to speak in when we refer to it?

Awe and reverence as you get your wallet out?

[DavidMavec]

It is spelled มายา, more like maa-yaa than what the other poster said, and both syllables have a mid-tone.

[arunsakda]

Au contraire mon frère. This is from the MAYA FB page.

Edited December 22, 2013 by arunsakda

[MrBrad]

This promotional video in English gives a pronunciation of "MAY-ah" at 1:26.

[jackr]

Stroll on! Bit slow at the office today is it?

[eyecatcher]

I thought it was something to do with ancient peoples of Mexico. The design of the building looks a bit like shapes you might see in Tulum.

Well in that case, I am hoping to see a few heads on sticks somewhere.

Sent via tin can and string after pigeon shot

[ARISTIDE]

Have you ever think that it doesn't really matter what it means in Pali and Sanskrit? This is Thailand and Maya is just a name that doesn't need any Indian translation.

[arunsakda]

Have you ever think that it doesn't really matter what it means in Pali and Sanskrit? This is Thailand and Maya is just a name that doesn't need any Indian translation.

Well it probably doesn't matter in Surrey but probably should matter in Chiang Mai where we are surrounded by a legacy of Pali and Sanskrit. Makes one wonder about the intellectual depth

of persons who would name a shopping center in a way that would appear to be in complete self ridicule. The original post only illustrates my failure to comprehend a pronunciation due to my own linguistic biases. To understand Thai one must read Thai. Period, there are no shortcuts. There is no accepted standard of transliteration/ romanization as with Mandarin or Japanese.

Native English speakers whether from the States or Jamaica or wherever have no ownership rights over the use of the Roman alphabet.

These common phonemes are just symbols and words only have meaning in a strictly humanistic sense based on values and reactions that may be vastly different across cultures. Take the morpheme "AJO", which in Mexico means garlic. The J is pronounced with a sound that resembles an H in English.

In Japan the same utterance means something completely different.

Edited December 23, 2013 by arunsakda

[zeichen]

I still don't understand how this is related to CM or anything. Is this about Thai language?

Or are you talking about the new mall?

[arunsakda]

Yes, it would appear some idiot named a multi billion baht shopping mall "delusion". But it is not actually the the case. This is because "ma" only means what you think it means.

[jagi00]

Pronounce it how you like! When is it going to open? I need to know to avoid the traffic. BTW, did anyone notice the speed of the traffic flow in the video? If only it could move that fast.....

[Tywais]

Here you go - Maya pronunciation audio

Not sure how long it will be there as the Maya calendar indicates the end was in 2012.

[Tywais]

As for the Buddhism side of it where it makes some sense.

In Theravada Buddhism, the current expression of Buddhism most closely associated with early Buddhist practice, māyā is the name of the mother of the Buddha. This name may have some symbolic significance given the place of māyā in Indian thought, but it does not seem to have led this tradition to give to the concept of māyā much of a philosophical role. The Pali language of Theravada speaks of distortions (vipallasa) rather than illusion (māyā).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_%28illusion%29#Theravada

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

It was supposed to be opened around Dec 20th or 22nd.

It's getting close though.

Check out the photos on facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/maya.chiangmai

[arunsakda]

I'm totally down with Maya as a new shopping center. Only wish the developers would have sprung for the construction of a pedestrian overpass bridge.

[HaleySabai]

The name seems appropriate for a 'temple of consumerism'.... 'Mei ya' means wife in Thai and if taken a step further you have 'Mei-ya-noi'.....who's a serious shopper,non-other than the wife or girlfriend/mistress and who else usually picks-up the tab....YOU!

[akampa]

_{so with all you clever dickies out there who knows when this wallet draining place will open}

[kaptainrob]

23rd January has been promoted as the new opening date.

[roger1999]

I didn't the 23 January announcement. The last I saw on their FB page was that they would miss the Jan. 14 opening and would open in early first quarter. I'm anxiously awaiting to see how it changes the neighborhood. The massive building across the street in Think Park is suppose to be a hotel (workers on site told me that) and it is going up pretty fast. Should be good news for the shops in that small, open air mall built in Think Park about two years ago but not much used.

Next the hotel on the southeast corner is suppose to be torn down and we'll have to see what is then done with that lot. Tons of building going on around here, with new condos on Soi 6 and Soi Suk Kasem.

[realthaideal]

I poked around in some Thai forums and saw that even Thai people were quite puzzled by the name and its meaning n pronunciation. Then someone tracked down the holding co's info on the mall and posted the info that - get this - it is coming from a Greek word meaning "abundance" or something like that. However, all my attempts using any recollections of greek science letters to spell mei-ya in Greek fell flat. Finally I found it - the most common definition is that of "midwife." 5555 Hilarious ! Thai people choosing emblematic words to represent their mall makes as much sense as a Westerner getting some unknown Chinese character tattooed on their body expecting it to mean what they think it will mean. I'll come back and post the links later so ya'll will believe me.

The mall is named Midwife !

[northernjohn]

It would seem some people have way to much time on their hands.

How many languages have the word in them but with a different meaning.

Like lawn is that hot in Thai and the same in English or how about the word now. point is who cares it is a nice name and if you look hard enough you will find some crystal's carved in the shape of a head.

I threw that in because it as related to the name as all the other definitions. By the way the Thai experts are you speaking of Northern Thai Southern Thai or Bangkok Thai .

[WinnieTheKhwai]

I'm totally down with Maya as a new shopping center. Only wish the developers would have sprung for the construction of a pedestrian overpass bridge.

Haha, pedestrians! ;D

(Or were you serious? )

[Rinrada]

Maya have another beer...

[Sparkles]

I'm totally down with Maya as a new shopping center. Only wish the developers would have sprung for the construction of a pedestrian overpass bridge.

Haha, pedestrians! ;D

(Or were you serious? )

Maybe they have budgeted for a few zebra crossing aka as "kiling zones"