What’s in a Thai name? And why they can teach us so much

[rooster59]

What’s in a Thai name? And why they can teach us so much

Gerry Carter

 

A subject that is very dear to my heart is the topic of names in Thailand – not just the names of people but the names of places all over the country.

 

Personal names and those of towns, villages and geographical features can tell us so much about the life of the country, its cultural attitudes and its daily life.

 

And learning the names and what they mean in our mother tongues can be a great way to learn the Thai language as well.

 

Some years back I was given the honor of heading up the Thai department at Harrow International School in Bangkok a position I held until my retirement from school teaching in 2013. 

 

I had the job of promoting and teaching – along with a dozen Thai ladies – Thai culture and language. 

 

One of the first topics I introduced into our self-styled Thai Studies curriculum – which I like to think was one of the best in the country– was the subject of names.

 

Everyone in our classes could relate to such a topic – after all we all have a name. 

 

Non-Thais would be fascinated by thinking about the meanings of their classmates’ nicknames in particular but also their much longer official names and surnames.

 

I told embellished stories of how the Siamese people were bestowed names from His Majesty Rama VI and we looked at the traditions of names from many cultures to provide background and balance.

 

Recently I thought it was tragic that someone in New Zealand had felt obliged to change their name from Porn because of obvious connotations. 

 

Such a name would always have been addressed in my classes and ignorance and prejudice would have been banished when people realized it meant “blessing”. 

 

I used to say that I gave my son the name Charlie – and that could be used to mean fool. But did I mean that? Of course not. 

 

The kids, as children usually do, just needed to see things explained in sensible terms and any bullying would cease as education replaced ignorance.

 

We certainly had some great names at the school. I remember in particular when a boy called Peach sat next to a girl called Pancake.

 

The class cracked up when I joked about being hungry!

 

There were the triplets who were born after their elder sibling who was called Neung. The triplets were called Song, Saam and See…after the order in which they emerged from their mum.

 

Three boys seemed to have random names until you put them together side by side and thought of their parents’ successful company they would one day inherit. 

 

The eldest was called World, the middle boy was named Pack and the youngest was a spirited chap called Jing.

 

The parents’ company? World Packaging Co Ltd. They stopped at Jing otherwise they might have gone on to Ko and Limi-Ted.

 

It all made my daughter’s name – Charlotte after the middle name of my mum – pale into insignificance in comparison!

 

Many siblings had names starting with the same letter. Many were named after colors, or animals that the Thais love. Many meant small, cute or were phenomena like falling rain or rainbow when translated into English.

 

One boy was called Je t’aime – I love you in French, of course. It all made perfect sense when he said that his parents had fallen in love in Paris when studying in university there. 

 

What I had thought of as a strange name suddenly because gorgeous and touching.

 

When I was first in Thailand I was amazed at the number of people – both male and female – called Lek (small). My wife said her name meant small even though she was called Toy.

 

Names of the rich and famous are also interesting. A former head of the armed forces was always referred to as “Big Jiew” – big for his position and “jiew” meaning tiny.

 

Today the prime minister is often referred to in the Thai press as “Big Too” – big as in big and “too” as in the word to mean having gained something by force. He doesn’t seem to mind.

 

Former PM Yingluck is called “Poo” or crab while Aphisit, her onetime rival who admitted still holding British nationality goes by the nickname Mark. 

 

It kind of fits in with his fluent English ability (I met him once and he pronounced the word “home” as only an old Etonian can!).

 

For many years I was involved in teaching non-Thais how to speak Thai.

 

Sometimes I taught the children of Thais who had brought their offspring up abroad – many of these had poor writing ability, were reticent to speak or who had poor vocabulary or cultural knowledge.

 

We tried to look at words in a fun way and this often included names of things they were familiar with. What better way to learn the words for “head” and “stone” than ask them if they had been to Headstone….Hua Hin. 

 

Chiang Mai became the New City even though it was old and Chanthaburi was compared to Canterbury. They did after all come from the same route I believe – one going west and the other east.

 

I once taught a German/Thai teenager to write Thai within a year of starting from scratch and my alumni also includes a ward of Miss Universe, Porntip (blessing of the most heavenly) Nakhirunkanok. 

 

I asked the boy, who’s mum was the beautiful and charming winner of the title in South Korea in 1988, if she had ever told him what happened on Thai TV when she came to Bangkok (town of the wild hog plum) after winning the international crown.

 

Porntip had the nickname Bui (though it utilizes the hard P sound in Thai and the rising tone). A cheeky reporter on TV came in for a lot of flak from the public after he asked Bui if she knew the meaning of her name. 

 

He was being somewhat unfair to her as she had been brought up in the United States and some people were concerned that she could not speak Thai all that well.

 

The reporter was cheeky because while the word “pui” has a charming meaning rather akin to sleeping “like a log” but it also means fertilizer. 

 

Same word two very different meanings; the Thais love their word play as much as any people.

 

I always taught my foreign students who were keen to learn the Thai language that they should pronounce their names in a way that Thais would be able to “hear” remember it. 

 

To explain this I told the story of how no one could say my name, Gerald, when I arrived in Thailand.

 

So I changed it to Gerry (or often Gelly) and then everyone got it.

 

Tom and Jerry (sic) they all would say as they finally remembered. And of course with the stress on the second syllable. 

 

My students, once they realized the need for this, didn’t mind David becoming Daewit and Steve  ecoming Sateep.

 

And Jim, an adult student I taught, used to have fun playing with his English name after I gave him the heads up as to why people were laughing at his expense. 

 

On occasion, and with a straight face, he would give it a rising or falling intonation (rising being slang for a female body part and falling being to dip in a sauce). 

 

Just to see people’s reactions! And to give the Thais a taste of their own medicine when it comes to cajolery, never a bad thing.

 

So why not build up your own lists of names and meanings – this can really help in understanding more of the vocabulary of the Thai language and give visitors and residents alike another window into the mind and thinking of the people.

 

For many of us the fun that is inherent in Thai names mirrors the playful nature of the people.

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2016-10-30

[everett kendall]

My first name being BRUCE I try to relate to Bruce Lee.

Even if they can't pronounce it very well they remember it.

[mwbrown]

I've found that Thais have a hard time understanding "Mike", but they're fine with "Michael", which is both longer and has "Mike" as the sound of the first syllable!

[Tracyb]

What about all those "Richard"s out there with the unfortunate nickname of    DICK?

[Harveyg]

Thanks for the op

. 

[dotpoom]

A most interesting subject....unfortunately I found it a bit long winded....I would have much preferred  it having got to the crux of the piece sooner.

[Grubster]

While I like your post I think if I were to relocate my wife back home her first, nic name would be changed to " Pawn " as it sounds to avoid any strange looks or comments. Johnny Cash had an embarrassing name changed.

[lungnorm]

I spent some time on the beach teaching a Thai lady who was with some Brits how to say Merry Christmas. All I got for quite some time was Melly Clistmas. Then I showed her how to make the purring sound like a cat with my tongue Purrrr . It was not long before she mastered Merrrrrry Chrrrrrristmas.  I then went on to teach my driver how to say his name he said it was Klishna, so it became Krrrrrishna.

[monkey4u]

1 hour ago, Tracyb said:

What about all those "Richard"s out there with the unfortunate nickname of    DICK?

Even worse if your surname is Head 

[lungnorm]

1 minute ago, monkey4u said:

Even worse if your surname is Head 

It then becomes Richard Cranium

[monkey4u]

15 minutes ago, lungnorm said:

It then becomes Richard Cranium

If you are lucky 

[mankondang]

Was in school with a girl named Susan Ridge. Her first name shortened to Sue, ended up and joined with her family name, made her a target for bullies. True.

[Naam]

2 hours ago, everett kendall said:

My first name being BRUCE I try to relate to Bruce Lee.

Even if they can't pronounce it very well they remember it.

Thai rike Bluce Ree velly mutt!

[vogie]

7 minutes ago, mankondang said:

Was in school with a girl named Susan Ridge. Her first name shortened to Sue, ended up and joined with her family name, made her a target for bullies. True.

Why?

[vogie]

I'm just happy I'm not called Alf Hookem or Mike Hunt.

[TPI]

13 minutes ago, vogie said:

Why?

Sue Ridge.......sewerage! Dig?

[vogie]

Just now, TPI said:

Sue Ridge.......sewerage! Dig?

Yes can now, how did I miss it? Thanks

[laislica]

What's going on?

Who is rooster59 and is Inspire the same person: different name?

Started by rooster59:

 

What’s in a Thai name? And why they can teach us so much

<Snip>Some years back I was given the honor of heading up the Thai department at Harrow International School in Bangkok a position I held until my retirement from school teaching in 2013.<Snip>

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/951143-what’s-in-a-thai-name-and-why-they-can-teach-us-so-much/

 

Started by Inspire:

Excesses at Thai festivals – time to rein in Songkran, in honor of the Royal Father

<Snip> In 1998 when I took on the job of Head of Thai at Harrow International School I decided that my department’s big day of the year would celebrate Thai culture on Loy Krathong day.<Snip>

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/951144-excesses-at-thai-festivals-–-time-to-rein-in-songkran-in-honor-of-the-royal-father/

[The manic]

Jeez! Self congratulatory Crass kumbaya nonsense.

[Thechook]

6 hours ago, everett kendall said:

My first name being BRUCE I try to relate to Bruce Lee.

Even if they can't pronounce it very well they remember it.

Oh, hi buce

[performance]

Who cares what is in there names. I certainly do not.

[maximillian]

4 hours ago, Grubster said:

While I like your post I think if I were to relocate my wife back home her first, nic name would be changed to " Pawn " as it sounds to avoid any strange looks or comments. Johnny Cash had an embarrassing name changed.

 

Johnny Cash ?  Please tell us more about it. Thank you.

[Grubster]

1 hour ago, maximillian said:

 

Johnny Cash ?  Please tell us more about it. Thank you.

Man named Sue.  

[212Roger]

4 hours ago, performance said:

Who cares what is in there names. I certainly do not.

They all go by nicknames; my favorites are "Boom" and "Porn."

[DogNo1]

Well, yes, people's names in many languages have meanings but, in my experience, people just think of them of names.  I once engaged a group of Japanese students with translating their names into English but they were totally uninterested.  Telling Hanako Ishibashi that her name was Flower Child Stonebridge in English didn't impress her at all. It's nice that your Thai students were amused and interested but the approach just didn't fly in Japan.  By the way, the founder of Bridgestone Tires' name is Ishibashi so it's a mistranslation into Bridgestone made purposely just because Bridgestone sounds better than Stonebridge.  There!  Wasn't that a fascinating bit of information?  BTW, adjectives come before nouns in Japanese, so, for example, the common last name Shiroishi means Whitestone, not Stonewhite.

[baneko]

Even worse if your surname is Head 

Worked with a guy called Dickie Bowes....true....

[Naam]

22 hours ago, dotpoom said:

A most interesting subject....unfortunately I found it a bit long winded....I would have much preferred  it having got to the crux of the piece sooner.

i am still searching for an explanation

Quote

why [Thai names] can teach us so much.

 

[performance]

12 hours ago, 212Roger said:

They all go by nicknames; my favorites are "Boom" and "Porn."

 

12 hours ago, 212Roger said:

They all go by nicknames; my favorites are "Boom" and "Porn."

 

12 hours ago, 212Roger said:

They all go by nicknames; my favorites are "Boom" and "Porn."

 

12 hours ago, 212Roger said:

They all go by nicknames; my favorites are "Boom" and "Porn."

Yes there are many and prenouncing some are near impossible 

[Kwasaki]

@rooster59 l thought in BKK they sound  'r ' so you were first in mid to north Thailand. ?

My name Derek in England was always Del or Delboy.

So in Thailand where l am it's Dell- lick. 

I like the Thai nickname because l can remember them. 

It took me a while to notice they shorten their nicknames too as well as they do places.

 

[maximillian]

On 30.10.2559 at 7:57 PM, Grubster said:

Man named Sue.  

 

Thanks Grubster. Now I do remember that song. Thanks again.