Tones

chippie · August 20, 2006

I am learning to read and write Thai using learning thai.com, on lesson 8 it's got me confused.

ม, น, ง, พ, ร, ช, ท, ว, ย, ล, ค are all low tone,

Then add ุ underneath.

ดุ ตุ บุ ปุ remain low tone

but ชุ ลุ พุ มุ ยุ turn into high tone

Why? and how do you remember which ones change.

meadish_sweetball · August 20, 2006

ม, น, ง, พ, ร, ช, ท, ว, ย, ล, ค are all low tone

It's not that simple. They are not low tone, but low class consonants.

The class of the initial consonant in a syllable is just one factor influencing the tone. The classes high, mid and low do not correspond to the tones high mid and low.

In your case here:

High class/Mid class consonants + dead syllable + no tone mark = the syllable takes the low tone.

Low class consonants + short vowel sound + dead syllable + no tone mark = high tone.

You need to learn by heart which consonants are high, low and middle class. Then you need to remember the other characteristics that influence tone formation. Then you analyze the syllable according to these criteria, and from there you derive the tone.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_language has an explanation and a table showing tone formation. It may seem daunting at first, but it covers all regular words, so it might be a good idea to print it and look at it now and then during your reading practice.

wasabi · August 20, 2006

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<table x:str border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 width=987 style='border-collapse:

collapse;table-layout:fixed;width:740pt'>

<td height=36 class=xl24 align=left width=380 style='height:27.0pt;

width:285pt'> ค ฅ ฆ ง ช ซ ฌ ญ ฑ ฒ

ณ ท</td>

</tr>

<td height=40 class=xl24 align=left style='height:30.0pt'><span

style='mso-spacerun:yes'> ธ น ม พ ฟ ภ ย ล ร ว ฬ ฮ</td>

</tr>

<td class=xl26 align=left>Middle</td>

</tr>

<td height=123 class=xl27 width=380 style='height:92.25pt;width:285pt'>(1)

Syllables beginning with a low class consonant and having no tone mark take

the Mid Tone unless they end

with K, P or T sounds or in a short vowel.</td>

<td class=xl27 width=295 style='width:221pt'>(1) Syllables beginning with a

middle class consonant and having no tone mark take the Mid

Tone unless they end with K, P or T sounds or in a

short vowel.</td>

<td class=xl27 width=312 style='width:234pt'>(1) Syllables beginning with a

high class consonant and have no tone mark take the Rising

Tone unless they end with K, P or T sounds or a

short open vowel.</td>

</tr>

<td height=68 class=xl27 width=380 style='height:51.0pt;width:285pt'>(2)

Syllables beginning with a low class consonant and having no tone mark but

ending in K, <font

class="font9">P or T<font

class="font8"> sounds, take:<span

style='mso-spacerun:yes'>

The falling tone

if the vowel is <font

class="font9">long.<span

style='mso-spacerun:yes'>

The high tone if

the vowel is short or

open</td>

<td class=xl27 width=295 style='width:221pt'>(2) Syllables beginning with a

middle class consonant and having no tone mark take the Low

Tone if they end in K,<font

class="font8"> P or <font

class="font9">T sounds or with a <font

class="font9">short open vowel</td>

<td class=xl27 width=312 style='width:234pt'>2. Syllables beginning with a

high class consonant and having no tone mark take the Low

Tone if they end in K<font

class="font8">, P or <font

class="font9">T sound or with a <font

class="font9">short open vowel.</td>

</tr>

<td height=92 class=xl27 width=380 style='height:69.0pt;width:285pt'>(4)

Syllables beginning with a low class consonant and having the tone mark MYAYK

<font

class="font11">' over the initial consonant take

the Falling Tone.</td>

<td class=xl27 width=295 style='width:221pt'>(3) Syllables beginning with a

middle class consonant and having the tone mark MYAYK <span

style='mso-spacerun:yes'> '<font

class="font8"> over the initial

consonant take the Low Tone.</td>

<td class=xl27 width=312 style='width:234pt'>3. Syllables beginning with a

high class consonant and having the tone mark MYAYK '<font

class="font8"> over the consonant take the Low

Tone irrespective of ending.</td>

</tr>

<td height=73 class=xl27 width=380 style='height:54.75pt;width:285pt'>(5)

Syllables beginning with a low class consonant and having the tone mark <font

class="font14"> ้ <font

class="font8">over the initial consonant take the High

Tone.</td>

<td class=xl27 width=295 style='width:221pt'>(4) Syllables beginning with a

middle class consonant and having the tone mark <span

style='mso-spacerun:yes'> <span

style='mso-spacerun:yes'> ้ <font

class="font8"> over the initial

consonant take the Falling Tone.</td>

<td class=xl27 width=312 style='width:234pt'>4. Syllables beginning with a

high class consonant and having the tone mark <span

style='mso-spacerun:yes'> ้ over the

consonant take the Falling Tone<font

class="font8"> irrespective of ending.</td>

</tr>

<td class=xl27 width=295 style='width:221pt'>(5) Syllables beginning with a

middle class consonant and having the tone mark MYDTREE (

-๊ ) over the initial consonant take the <font

class="font7">High Tone. There are very few of

these words.</td>

</tr>

<td class=xl27 width=295 style='width:221pt'>(6) Syllables beginning with a

middle class consonant and having the tone mark MYJUDTAWAH (<font

class="font17"> -๋ ) over the initial consonant

take the Rising Tone.

There are very few of these words.</td>

</tr>

</tr>

<td colspan=3 height=126 class=xl31 align=left width=987 style='height:94.5pt;

width:740pt'>The short vowels for tonal purposes are <font

class="font19"> ะ<span

style='mso-spacerun:yes'> ั<span

style='mso-spacerun:yes'> ิ<span

style='mso-spacerun:yes'> ึ<span

style='mso-spacerun:yes'> ุ the

inherent “a”, the inherent “o” and all vowels shortened by the sign <font

class="font15"> <font

class="font14"> <font

class="font15">็<span

style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </td>

</tr>

</tr>

</tr>

</tr>

</tr>

</tr>

</tr>

</tr>

</tr>

</tr>

</tr>

</tr>

</tr>

</tr>

</tr>

</tr>

</tr>

</tr>

</tr>

</tr>

</tr>

</tr>

</tr>

</tr>

</tr>

</tr>

</tr>

</tr>

</tr>

</tr>

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</html>thai.xls

Edited August 20, 2006 by wasabi

wasabi · August 20, 2006

You can't post html? If you save the above as an html file this should explain the tones to you. I also attached an excel file.

Edited August 20, 2006 by wasabi

Richard W · August 21, 2006

You need to learn by heart which consonants are high, low and middle class.

This is not as bad as it sounds, for it relates to their position in the alphabet - see any decent varga-based presentation, e.g. an alternative presentation of Thai consonants.

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