I wonder if someone could confirm whether the following 2 scripts are correct:

MALAENG KINUN - แมลงกินูน

MAENG KINUN - แมงกีนูน

I understand that bugs are referred to both as MALAENG and MAENG, however the first KINUN has a short 'i', whereas the second one has a long one (sorry for the poor explanation).

According to my research, this insect is called the scarab beetle, May beetlle, June beetle or cockchafer.

The scientific terms seem to be confusing, with both Melolontha melolontha and Holotrichia sp. used.

Thank you for your help.

Believe it or not, but the Thai Wiki offers 5 (!) different scripts for that bug.

http://th.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B9%81%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%87%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%B5%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%B9%E0%B8%99

They all use the short form "แมง" as the first syllable.

None of them has a short "i"!

I entered the 5 variants to Google search (in " ").

Result (word, no of hits):

แมงอีนูน 23100
แมงกีนูน 3080
แมงนูน 2390

แมงนูนหลวง 97

กุดกีนูน 72

The last one is marked as Isan dialect in the Wiki.

Your first script variant gives:

แมลงกินูน 7360 (not bad )

I would opt for the Wiki title and most found script:

แมงอีนูน (meang inun)

Edited November 11, 201411 yr by KhunBENQ

Maleng = insect with 6 legs

Meng = insect with 8 or more legs

Dear KhunBENQ,

Thank you very much for looking that up for me and for all the details. I think I will use แมงอีนูน MAENG INUN and แมลงกินูน MAENG KINUN.

Much appreciated.

Dear AnotherOneAmerican,

Thank you for that information. I remember you telling me that before. I am just wondering however, if MAENG (MENG) refers to insects with 8 legs or more, why is it used for this beetle, which has 6 legs.

Dear KhunBENQ,

Thank you very much for looking that up for me and for all the details. I think I will use แมงอีนูน MAENG INUN and แมลงกินูน MAENG KINUN.

Much appreciated.

Dear AnotherOneAmerican,

Thank you for that information. I remember you telling me that before. I am just wondering however, if MAENG (MENG) refers to insects with 8 legs or more, why is it used for this beetle, which has 6 legs.

1. not everyone knows the rules, even if they are Thai.

2. some people who name insects are too important for anyone to ever correct.

3. people constructing web sites often make errors, especially if not their first language.

Take your pick.

(Just count the number of people on this forum who don't know "loose from lose", "your from you're", etc.)

Edited November 11, 201411 yr by AnotherOneAmerican

Dear KhunBENQ,

Thank you very much for looking that up for me and for all the details. I think I will use แมงอีนูน MAENG INUN and แมลงกินูน MAENG KINUN.

Much appreciated.

Dear AnotherOneAmerican,

Thank you for that information. I remember you telling me that before. I am just wondering however, if MAENG (MENG) refers to insects with 8 legs or more, why is it used for this beetle, which has 6 legs.

My wife advises me that:

แมงอีนูน MAENG INUN Is Thai

แมงกินูน MAENG KINUN Is Isaan

Hope that's helpful

Dear AnotherOneAmerican,

Thank you for your reply.

I guess you mean that although those terms (for 6-legged and 8-legged insects) are correct, not all words strictly follow these rules.

Dear KhunBENQ,

Thank your wife for me. That information is helpful.

Maleng = insect with 6 legs

Meng = insect with 8 or more legs

If it has eight legs it's not an insect.

And the Royal Institute Dictionary is a little more precise: for แมง it's 8 or 10 legs (thus excluding centipedes and millipedes). แมง also mustn't have wings.

Edited November 12, 201411 yr by AyG

Maleng = insect with 6 legs

Meng = insect with 8 or more legs

If it has eight legs it's not an insect.

And the Royal Institute Dictionary is a little more precise: for แมง it's 8 or 10 legs (thus excluding centipedes and millipedes). แมง also mustn't have wings.

Caterpillars are also Meng, Meng Bong, Meng Heng, etc.

Centipedes are Te carp

Edited November 12, 201411 yr by AnotherOneAmerican

Dear AyG and AnotherOneAmerican

AyG,

Exactly. Strictly speaking, if it has 8 legs, it is not classified as an insect. Thank you for those extra details.

AnotherOneAmerican,

Thank you for advising that caterpillars are also referred to with the prefix MENG (MAENG). They are classed as insects and actually have only 6 legs (the others are 'false' prolegs). I assume that it is included in the MAENG class as an exception, due to the prolegs. It doesn't have wings at the caterpillar stage, only after further development. when it transforms into a butterfly.