Please forgive my ignorance and if this is repeated elsewhere.  I am attempting to understand two things:

 

One, my GF refers to what I would call 'Buddhist Monks' as 'Daboos' (or dabus).  Can anyone help me understand what this word really is (how it is spelled and its meaning and origin?)

 

Also, she once indicated that the language they are speaking when they are praying isn't Thai (or isn't Thai Thai) but a slightly different language.  Could someone explain to me what might this actually be?  I'm thinking it might be an archaic form of Thai?

 

Thank you.

The language that chanting is done is is Pali, itr's an Indian language similar to Sanskrit that was used to record the scriptures.

 

As for Daboo is she speaking a local dialect? The only thing I can come close to is if these monks live on a mountain it could be PraPoo, ie mountain monks but I'd think PraPa would be more likely in that case ie forest monks.

Could there be a Pali, or Laos (or Khmer?) word for Budhist Monk that might sound similar to 'Daboos' ?

 

How popular is the study of Pali among non-monks?

Luang Poo possibly (The 'P' is unaspirated and will sound like an English 'b' to someone not familiar with Thai).

 

If she is using a final 's' sound, it is definitely not Thai.

The most common Laotian term I've heard is Ko Pra, I understand Pra Song is a formal term and in Khmer it's Preahsang.  If it's a very senior monk Luang Por is an appropriate address.  In Pali it's Bhikkhu or Bhante.

 

I guess Sadhus could be possibility, it's a hindu term for a spiritual seeker I think it's understood in Thai but I haven't heard anyone use it.

 

I think in asia study of Pali would be rare outside of monastics, in the west though academics and keen meditators/buddhists study it.

I questioned her some more, and she's indicated that 'Daboos' (definitely a 'ss' sound at the end) is a Pali (or Sanskirt) word for Buddhist Monk.  Her English is good for day-to-day things, not so much for explaining the finer details of linguistics

 

Any idea what the Pali (or sanskirt) for Buddhist Monk would be? 

 

I also find it interesting she understands this language  (she understands what the monks are chanting and prays in this language).

 

The Pali word for monk is Bhikkhu, see https://suttacentral.net/define/bhikkhu

 

I think it's unlikely a word ending in an s sound is Thai, as in Thai when the last letter of a word is an s sound it gets changed to a t, I'm sometimes called Brut for example.  Words borrowed from Pali get similar treatment when they don't conform to Thai grammar, so Kamma becomes Gum, and Dukkha becomes Took for example.  Unless fluent I find most Thais struggle to pronounce plurals in english or any words ending in s.

 

Even in Pali I don't think words ever end in an s sound, its not used for plural and I can't think of any off the top of my head, here is a glossary of common terms http://www.accesstoinsight.org/glossary.html.

 

So i think That rules out Thai, Pali, and probably Lao, maybe Khmer is a possibility,.