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1. Introduction
Culture is a complex phenomenon, a sum total of behavior and
belief of a society. This paper is an attempt to offer a partial
description of the culture of "khon thai" or Thai people as
reflected in the Thai language.
2. The "mai-pen-rai" people
"Mai-pen-rai" can be approximately translated as "It does not
really matter." or "It is not a problem ." The expression
reflects Thai people's attitude towards themselves, the people they
come into contact with and the world around them. Almost everybody
and everything is acceptable to the Thais. Objections and
conflicts are to be avoided at all cost. Thai people are known for
their tolerance and compromising nature. This cultural trait can
perhaps be traced back to the linguistic experience of the Thai
people.
Thai people is a sub group in the language community in which
the various languages of the Tai-Kadai family are spoken. The
Tai-Kadai speakers live in an area which stretches east-west from
the Southern coast of China to Assam in the North of India and
north-south from Yunnan and Kwangxi in the South of China to the
Indonesian Archipelago. When Tai-kadai speakers from different
groups meet and start to communicate in their own languages, they
can reach a certain degree of mutual intelligibility, especially at
the lexical level. It does not take long after that for these
Tai-Kadai speakers to feel a sense of solidarity or even kinship
for reasons which will become clear later in this paper. The
linguistic difference does not seem to hinder their desire and
willingness to communicate and relate to one another.
The same linguistic diversity also exists at the dialectal
level. In Thailand, people are said to speak the language called
Thai; however, they do not speak the same dialect. The dialect
one hears on radio and television is the Bangkok dialect,
considered the standard dialect. Four main dialects are
recognized, the "khammuang" or Northern dialect, the "lao" or
Northeastern dialect, the "tai" or Southern dialect, and the
"klang" or Central dialect. Speakers of these regional dialects
are usually bi- or multi-dialectal. The regional dialect serves
communication needs in the home domain, which in many cases means
an entire village or group of villages. The standard dialect
serves as a means of keeping in touch and catching up with the
mainstream of society for these regional dialect speakers. A
language attitude survey shows that there is no negative attitude
towards either the Bangkok dialect or regional dialects. It is a
well accepted social fact that one will speak only the Bangkok
dialect if one is born in Bangkok and one will be bi- or multi-
dialectal if one is born and raised outside of Bangkok. No social
stigma is attached to any of these dialects.
Linguistic diversity in Thailand goes beyond dialectal
difference. A few foreign languages are spoken in many Thai
families. Chinese is spoken among descendants of Chinese
immigrants. Malay is spoken in Moslem communities in the Southern
provinces adjoining Malaysia. Apparently the government's
unofficial policy of monolingualism through mass media and
education system has been successful. Both Malay and Chinese are
spoken less and less. This is also a consequence of intermarriage
among the various ethnic groups, which has been practiced in
Thailand since time immemorial.
Thai people are known for their hospitality to visitors, many
of whom never leave. These visitors left a substantial number of
traces in the Thai lexicon though some loanwords are more visible
than others. Pali and Sanskrit loans stand out the most. They are
evidence of the impact of Buddhism and the teaching of Brahmin
experts of the royal court in the old days. Chinese loans are
usually discernible only to trained eyes due to the very short
linguistic distance between Thai and Chinese and interlanguage
borrowing. Among earlier loanwords, there are traces of words
borrowed from Persian, Portuguese, and French, the languages spoken
by merchants and mercenaries who came to the kingdom during the
fourteenth and the eighteenth centuries. It is not surprising then
to find that right now a large number of English words have also
found their way into the language as a consequence of the rapid
expansion of modern science and technology. English loanwords
present an interesting case of how the Thais manage conflicts. It
is quite acceptable for one to lace one's speech with English words
but it is severely frowned upon in the written language, which can
remain as a permanent record. It is a task which is not taken
lightly by Thai academic and professional groups and in particular
the Royal Institute to coin new Thai words for the new imported
concepts. Many words are proposed by different groups for the same
concept. The conflict is resolved by allowing the words to compete
in the linguistic market. The winner is awarded a permanent place
in the lexicon and the winner is not always the Royal Institute
either.
The same "mai-pen-rai" attitude makes the Thais an easy- going
and compromising people. It is reflected not only in language but
also in social interaction, religion and politics. Interpersonal
conflicts do not lead to an open confrontation unless one is ready
to take the risk of losing a relationship. Religious and ethnic
conflicts are very difficult for the Thais to comprehend. It is
very common to find a Buddhist family with Moslem and Christian
in-laws as well as Chinese and American or European in-laws, the
members of which are more than happy to attend all the various
religious festivals celebrated by any of the members of the family.
Back to topic index
3. The countless "yaat"
"Yaat" is a word the Thais use to refer to anybody who
is, closely as well as remotely, related to them by blood, by
marriage or just by association. The closest English equivalent is
perhaps the word "relatives."
Thai people have always lived on the river plains. They have
always been farmers. Land used to be common property of those who
live in the same "baan" , which used to mean "village" but has come
to mean "house" in the present-day vocabulary. All who lived in
the same "baan" shared the same resources for their livelihood and
all felt related whether or not they followed the common practice
of marrying someone in the same village. Children were taught to
regard all who were older as aunts, uncles or grandparents. When
a newcomer joined the village, they became a new "yaat." Even
visitors could be granted a "yaat" status if they wished to
be assimilated into the group.
The time of common land came to an end with the establishment
of kingdoms. The "sakdina" system of the Ayuthya kingdom, which
started in the thirteenth century, granted land ownership to
princes, noblemen and soldiers. Common people were able to remain
to farm the land but the male adults had to spend six to eight
months per year working for or fighting in battles under the
command of the noblemen or the soldiers who were granted the
ownership of the land.
The common land tradition has been lost and the word "baan"
has come to mean only a house instead of a village but the "yaat"
system remains even today. Kinship terms are still used as terms
of address as well as personal pronouns.
When strangers meet, the title "khun" will be adopted until a
satisfactory relationship develops, at which time kinship terms
will be used instead. Age or seniority determines the choice of
kinship term. It is interesting to note; however, that kinship
terms on the maternal side are more preferable, perhaps because
people feel closer to their mother than their father. Once kinship
terms are adopted, both parties know that the relationship has
reached a satisfactory level. To keep a distance is to ignore ,
explicitly or implicitly, the other party's attempt to use kinship
terms and to maintain the use of the title "khun".
This kinship system is extended also to include newcomers and
strangers. It is still common in rural villages, though no longer
in Bangkok and other big cities, to treat even a stranger like a
visiting relative. A stranger who arrives in the village usually
uses kinship terms when he approaches the villagers for help. The
use of the terms automatically makes him a relative of all the
members of the family which takes care of him, which means almost
everybody in that village.
Another interesting extension of the use of kinship terms is
the word for "pupil,student,trainee,apprentice and disciple", which
is "luuk sit" (lit. learning child). A teacher is regarded as
having the same status and obligation as a parent. This may be a
vestige of a tradition in those days when schools were not in
existence and those who sought education or training had to live in
the home of the teachers. No tuition was asked for but the
learners had to help around the house as if they had been one of
the younger "yaat". Figure 1. on shows the system of kinship in
Thai.
Figure 1.: Kinship terms in Thai
thuat/chuat (m,f)
"great grand parent"
puu(m) yaa (f) taa(m) yaai (f)
"grandparent" "grandparent"
lung(m) paa (f)
"uncle" "aunt"
(elder, both paternal and maternal) (elder, both paternal and
maternal)
pho(m) mae(f)
"father" "mother"
aa(m,f) naa(m,f)
"aunt/uncle" "aunt/uncle"
(younger, paternal) (younger,maternal)
laan (m,f)
"niece or nephew"
phii (m,f) luuk (m,f) nong (m,f)
"elderbrother/sister" "child""younger brother/sister"
luukphiiluuknong
"cousin"
laan (m,f)
"grand child"
Back to topic index
4. "Thii tam thii soong"
The Thai expression "thii tam thii soong" literally means
"high place and low place." Almost everything in the Thais'
perception is situated in a hierarchical system. People can be
"high" or "low" according to their age, family background,
occupation or professional rank and whether they are Buddhist monks
or clergymen in other religions. A Buddhist monk is treated
respectfully even by the king. Older people are usually honored
and respected. People of the same age and social status also show
respect for one another with the use of the title "khun", as
mentioned earlier. "Khun" can be literally translated as "Your
goodness". Among good friends the title becomes optional.
This hierarchical concept of "thii tam thii soong" is most
evident in the Thai pronominal system, which is one of the most
complex system among languages. The choice of pronoun reveals the
sex of the speaker, where the speaker places himself and his
addressee in the hierarchical social system, his opinion about the
degree of distance or intimacy in their relationship, and his
evaluation of the speech situation. The choice of pronoun can also
be manipulated to reflect the dynamism in interpersonal
communication exchange. When a fifteen years old young lady meets
a sixty years old man for the first time, she may use "dichan" as
first person pronoun and "than" as second person pronoun. After an
initial conversation in which both will try to establish a
satisfactory relationship. She may switch to "noo" (lit. mouse)
for herself and "khun lung" (lit. uncle) for her conversation
partner. If the relationship should take an unwanted turn, she may
switch to "dichan" or even "chan" for "I" to indicate her desire to
keep a distance. If she is angry, the choice can be "chan" for her
and "kae" for him. If she decides that she needs to be rude to
discontinue the relationship, she may even go further as to use
"koo" and "myng", at which time the rift is almost irreparable.
This "thii tam thii soong" concept also demonstrates itself in
the honorific system of the language. Vocabulary used in relation
to the royalty requires an extra effort and is learned only by
those who have to work with the king and queen and the royal
family. Since not all princes and princesses enjoy the same
status, different sets of pronouns as well as nouns and verbs are
used according to their royal ranks and titles. This is also true,
though to a lesser extent, for those with ecclesiastic, civil and
military ranks and titles. Common people have a pseudo honorific
system also. Speech style is reflected in the lexical choice of a
speaker. Speech situation varies and each requires different
lexical variants of the same word. Speech situations range on a
parameter of formality. A highly formal speech style requires
vocabulary which is " penthaangkaan" (lit. official) and "phairoh"
(lit. pleasant) and the absence of final particles for expressing
politeness and courtesy on the part of the speaker. The following
is a list of lexical variants for the question "Will you eat ?"
"eat" | QUESTION MARKER | PARTICLE |
rapprathaan thaan thaan kin kin kin daek | ryy mai mai mai mai mai paaw mai | - khrap ca - ya wa |
Not only humans are placed in hierarchy. Body parts are also
assigned "thii tam" (lit. low place) and "thii soong" (lit. high
place). Head and face are considered higher than other parts of
the body. A study of metaphor in Thai reveals that there are more
terms and more metaphorical expressions for head and face than for
other body parts. This may perhaps explains why no Thai cares to
have his head touched and they feel offended when a person points
at something to them with his foot.
This concept of hierarchy is also expressed in nonverbal
language. If one has to walk past somebody older or higher in
rank, one needs to lower one's head and bow slightly, especially
when that person is sitting or standing in a lower place. This is
a gestural expression of one's respect for others. Back to topic index
5. Body parts and their meaning
A study of terms for body parts and metaphorical use of these
terms reveals another interesting aspect in the Thai cultural
personality.
Face is the most notable part of the body. Like in many
languages, face or "naa" comes to mean "reputation, honor,
respectability, credibility and integrity." A Thai can lose
"khaai", save "raksaa", earn or gain "dai", and salvage "koo" his
face.
Mouth is another interesting body part. The figurative
meaning of mouth or "paak" is verbal skill and words. A person's
mouth can be good "dii", bad "sia", light "bao", heavy "nak" and
numerous "maak". "Paak dii" means to have a good speech skill.
"Pak sia" means to be unrestrained with criticisms and comments.
"Paak bao" means to be able to learn language at a very tender age.
"Paak nak" is to refrain from voicing one's opinion and feeling.
Neck or "khaw" is associated interestingly with preference and
taste. A "kaw kafae" likes coffee while a "khaw chaa" likes tea.
"Kaw footbon" is a person who loves to watch football. "Kaw nang
phleng" prefers musical films.
"Myy" or hand can figuratively means expertise, in addition to
the ability to use one's hand to work and to touch. A "myy
patiwat" is an expert in staging a coup d'etat while a "myy
haasiang" is an expert in political campaigning. A thief can be
called a "myy gaaw", literally meaning to have a hand with glue on
it.
A most interesting observation in the study of body part terms
in Thai is the distinction made in the Thai perception between
one's head "hua" and one's heart "jai". This distinction is
observed in compounds with the words "hua" and "jai".
The compounds can be divided into two structural types. In
one type the word "hua" or "jai" is in the subject position of a
predicate. In the other, it is in the object position.
Semantically, the first structural type describes a person's
intelligence and nature as in these examples.
| a. | hua dii jai dii
| = intelligent (lit. good head) = generous, kind (lit. good heart)
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| b. | hua on jai on | = obedient (lit. soft head) = sensitive, having a tendency to cry easily (lit.
soft heart)
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| c. | hua khaeng jai khaeng | = stubborn (lit. hard head) = firm, unbendable (lit. hard heart)
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This type of compound also describes a person's psychological
and emotional state.
| a. | hua sia jai sia | = upset (lit. damaged head) = discouraged (lit. damaged heart)
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| b. | hua mun
| = confused (lit. spinned head)
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| c. | jai haai jai ron jai yen
| = sad, distressed (lit. lost heart) = impatient (lit. hot heart) = patient (lit. cool heart)
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The second type of compound describes what one can do or what
can happen to a person's head or heart.
| a. | pan hua
sum hua faad hua | = to confuse a person into taking an unwanted
action (lit. to spin a person's head) = to gang up with (lit. to pile up heads) = to bribe (lit. to hit a person's head)
|
| b. | sia jai tok jai cham jai | = sad (to lose one's heart) = shocked, scared (to drop one's heart) = distressed (to have one's heart bruised) |
If frequency of occurrence can be taken as an indicator of the
degree of attention and interest, Thai people seem to put more
emphasis on their heart than their head. There are more compound
words with "jai" than with "hua".
Three of these "jai" compounds tell a great deal about
interpersonal relationships of the Thais. These are
| ow jai khat jai krengjai | = to please (lit. to take a person's heart into
consideration) = to displease (lit. to block a person's heart) = to give high priority to how another person
feels or thinks about something(lit.to be
respectful to a person's heart)
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The Thais are taught from an early age to "kreng jai" other
people, which means they have to be careful with what they say and
what they do so that they will not in anyway offend, upset or
displease others. As a consequence,Thai people usually try their
best not to "khat jai" others. The eventual outcome is that most
Thais seem to be very good at "ow jai" or pleasing others. What
this means is that conflicts are to be avoided at all cost so that
harmony can be maintained and the way to do it is to be attentive
to those one comes into contact with. This confirms the "mai pen
rai" nature of the Thai as demonstrated in their linguistic
experience as discussed earlier. An interpersonal conflict is
resolved usually with an intervention of an arbitrator, usually
more senior in age, social status or rank and respected by both
parties.
The Thais seem to have an extra body part. This is an
abstract or spiritual part of their body. It is called "kwan".
"Kwan" is where one's morale and psychological health resides. An
age old practice which is still found in rural village is the "suu
kwan" or "riak kwan" ritual. This is performed to welcome visitors
as well as returnees. A piece of cotton string will be tied around
a person's wrist by the elders, regarded as parents or grandparents
by all in the community, who will be calling his "kwan", which
wondered away during the trip, to come back to his body. The
importance of "kwan" is observed also in the event when a baby or
a small child falls. When his mother picks him up she will give
him a hug and call his "kwan". The belief is that a person's
"kwan" has to reside peacefully within one's body for the person to
be healthy in body and in spirit. Any unusual experience, such as
a fall, a shock or a long trip, can disturb "kwan", which has a
tendency to always leave the body in fright.
When a person sleeps, his "kwan", a wonderer by nature, will leave
for a tour of the world outside. It will return when the person
wakes up. The Thais are then taught to wake a sleeping person up
as gently as possible.
The following compounds illustrate the Thais' perception of
this spiritual body part.
| kwan sia thamlaai kwan bamrung kwan | = to be demoralized (lit. to lose "kwan") = to demoralize (lit. to destroy "kwan") = to give moral support (lit. to maintain
"kwan")
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The sweet sounding of all is the line said by a mother when
she picks her child up when he is frightened after a fall.
| kwan euy | kwan maa |
| Oh, Kwan, oh Kwan. | Come back. |
The Thai term for gifts and souvenirs is "khong kwan", which
means objects for one's kwan.
This concept of spiritual and psychological well-being is
later coupled as well as confused with another concept, "winyaan".
The latter can be equated with soul in Western thinking. For the
Thais, "winyaan" remains with a person as long as he is alive. It
leaves him when he dies to take up residence in the body of a new
born baby.
Back to topic index
6. "Bun" and "baap"
The Thai language is a record of the history of the Thais'
religious belief. Originally, the Thais were animists who believed
that all the elements in nature are governed by supernatural beings
called "phii" and "jao". The two terms were used interchangeably,
which might suggest the different aspects of the supernatural
beings in nature. "Jao" implies a control over natural phenomena
while "phii" implies the human quality of these supernatural
beings. "Jao" needs to be paid respect or homage to. "Phii";
however, seems to have a closer relationship with humans. "Phii"
can be offended or pleased by what people do. In the old days, a
wrong doing was described as an offense against the supernatural
beings, "phit phii". Success in one's attempt to do something or
an unanticipated good fortune were considered a consequence of "wai
dii plee thook", the correct pacification of the "phii". Animism
is not an active component in the Thais' religious belief nowadays
and the term "phii" comes to mean ghosts or bad spirits. When the
terms such as "phii baan" (lit. house "phii") or "phii paa" (lit.
forest "phii") are used, people know that reference is being made
to the time gone by or a certain practice in a remote village.
The place of "phii" was taken over by "thep" and "phra".
These two terms record the import of new religious concepts
through Hindu or Brahman mythology and literature. The
supernatural beings in Hinduism are organized in a well structured
hierarchy of cosmology. The Thais are good at adopting and
adapting, as claimed by Prince Damrong, a prominent Thai historian.
Hinduistic and animistic beliefs are combined and adapted. The
supernatural beings residing in nature are promoted and become
"thep" with the title "phra" for their names. Both "thep" and
"phra" are derivatives of loanwords from Sanskrit. "Phii baan" is
replaced by "phra phoom", the shrine for which is still found in
the compound of many houses and business establishments. Other
"phii" are replaced by various "thewada" or gods and goddesses.
The belief in gods and goddesses provides a different
explanation for the ups and downs in life. The word "chata" and
"phromlikhit" are used, which imply fatalism and predestination.
A person's life is pre-programmed by "phrom" or Lord Brahman in
Hinduism. The ups are considered "choke" or good fortune. The
downs are "khroe" or bad fortune. Both imply man's inability to
manage his own life independently. As a consequence, a profession
develops and becomes an important institution in Thai society.
This is fortune telling. Consulting a psychiatrist is a stigma but
visiting a fortune teller is considered normal if not wise by many
Thais. The Thai word for a fortune teller is "maw doo" or a doctor
who can see one's fate and fortune.
Imported also from India shortly after Hinduism was Buddhism.
With an explanation that Lord Buddha is a reincarnation of one of
the Three Holy Lords in Hinduism, an usual and peaceful
co-existence between the two faiths resulted in India and
transported to Thailand also. According to Buddhism, there is also
predestination. A person's life is predestined not by the Lord
Brahman but by his own "karma" or deed in the previous life.
However, life is not all predestination because it is also subject
to the "karma" that a person performs in his life. There are two
types of "karma": the good karma or "bun" and the bad "karma" or
"baap". "Bun" can guarantee a happy and satisfactory life now and
also in the next reincarnation. In many Thai people's thinking,
"bun" is equated with a wealth or an asset. It can be earned and
accumulated like money in a bank account. "Bun" is credit and
"baap" is debit. This perhaps explains a practice among Buddhists
called "tham bun", which means the making of good merit or "bun".
A person can "thambun" by offering food to monks, making a donation
of money for the use of a temple, setting free caged birds, giving
to the poor or by meditating and reciting Buddhists chants. For
many, "bun" and "baap" can cancel one other.
The three faiths still function in Thai society as evidenced
in an opening of a new business company. With all his capital
ready, an investor first consults a fortune teller about the
prospect of his new venture. If the response is positive, he will
ask for advice on the site which would be guarded by a benevolent
protector "thep". The opening ceremony will be scheduled on the
most auspicious day by his fortune teller, who may not share the
same specialization as the one he consulted earlier. Part of the
opening ceremony will be the officiating of the spirit house by
Brahmins, who still live in a small community in Thailand. Another
part will be a chant by nine Buddhist monks. Nine is an auspicious
number, since in Thai the word for number nine is homophonous with
the word for progress. Part of the food alm may later be given to
children in an orphanage. The investor can now feel confident that
he will have a successful business with all the auspicious
calculation provided to him by his fortune tellers and the merit or
"bun" he makes.
Back to topic index
7. "Sanuk"
The word "sanuk" means to have a good time, to enjoy oneself
and to derive pleasure and joy from something. A slang variant for
the word is "man", which describes the feeling one can get when
munching one's favorite food.
It is almost a rule of living for Thai people that whatever
they do have to be "sanuk". The concept of "sanuk" goes beyond the
having of a good laugh or a good time at a dance or a performance.
Here are examples of "sanuk" activities.
| thamngan sanuk khui sanuk daa sanuk thuuk daa sanuk | = to enjoy one's work = to enjoy talking; to be a good speaker = to enjoy scolding other = to enjoy being scolded
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The same concept of deriving pleasure from whatever one does
is reflected also in the use of the word "len", which literally
means to play as in these examples.
| len tuktaa len keela len klong | = to play with dolls = to play sports = to play a drum |
However, the meaning of "len" goes beyond to play. The word
indicates the extent of attention and concentration for an
activity. It also implies enjoyment and satisfaction.
| len sataem len kaan myang len kompewter len kaanson | = to collect stamps = to be in politics = to work with computer = to specialize in teaching methodology
|
Another interesting aspect of the meaning of the word "len" is
noticed in negative expressions such as "mai len duay", which
means not wanting to have anything to do with.
With linguistic expression as discussed in this section, it
would appear that the Thais are more inclined to play than to work
or that they mix work with play. However, a closer examination of
the meaning of the word "sanuk" and "len" should show that whether
it is work or play, the important requisite is that one should be
able to derive satisfaction and pleasure in what one does.
Back to topic index
8. Conclusion
An appropriate conclusion for this discussion on linguistic
perspectives of Thai culture is perhaps the answer the author is
pressed to come up with to the question asked by a friend coming
from a different cultural background. What is the priority of the
Thais ? I believe that the answer is people. A harmonious
relationship and a well-being, especially the psychological well-
being, of all people who are parts of the group or the community,
whether this means a home, a work place, a neighborhood, a town, a
country or the world. Thai words for concepts such as success,
ambition, achievement, development or planning are new compounds,
which might indicate that work and achievement are lower in the
Thais' priority list. Perhaps it is because of their underlying
belief that their life is not totally under their control so it is
only wise to do good and be good to others.
Back to topic index
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