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Ba boar, ba boar?


spirit_of_town_hall

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Hi,

 

I've just finished reading a Thai childrens book in which the term "baa baa bor bor" is in fact used. The cover states for ages 7-10, so it can't really be that rude, can it?

 

It is used as an adjective to describe the postures/gestures (thaa) of a certain dance and in the particular context seems to have the meaning of "silly", "ridiculous" or "stupid".

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jasmine said:

[color:"red"] "fee baa"; [/color]

 

I think you meant "pea Ba", the pea is means a ghost. The Northern dialect "pea Ba" is used to call someone who is not considered to having everything upstairs,...

 

Don't know Isaan word for it, I am sure is "Bak ....Something.

 

Don't know about that...I thought "bak" is only for fruits & vegetables but I may well be totally wrong about that. I've noticed though that "ee" and "ai" is quite common within family and close friends. Such as "ee noo" for children or "ee mae" for mother.

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Straycat said:
jasmine said:

[color:"red"] "fee baa"; [/color]

 

I think you meant "pea Ba", the pea is means a ghost. The Northern dialect "pea Ba" is used to call someone who is not considered to having everything upstairs,...

 

Don't know Isaan word for it, I am sure is "Bak ....Something.

 

Don't know about that...I thought "bak" is only for fruits & vegetables but I may well be totally wrong about that. I've noticed though that "ee" and "ai" is quite common within family and close friends. Such as "ee noo" for children or "ee mae" for mother.

 

Are you thinking of maak -fruit? Bak is a chap/fellow/bloke, as in bakseeda (falang chap). Just to confuse things, maakseeda (falang fruit, i.e. guava) can also be used to refer to a falang person.

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asdf said:

 

Are you thinking of maak -fruit? Bak is a chap/fellow/bloke, as in bakseeda (falang chap). Just to confuse things, maakseeda (falang fruit, i.e. guava) can also be used to refer to a falang person.

 

Actually, no. I do mean bak as in bak sida (guava), bak muang (mango), bak hung (papaya), bak som-o (melon) and so on. However, I recognize that there may be some significant regional differences in the Isaan dialect/language. Perhaps, they say "mak" in the changwat that you know about?

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golyadka said:

I've just finished reading a Thai childrens book in which the term "baa baa bor bor" is in fact used. The cover states for ages 7-10, so it can't really be that rude, can it?

Mentors/Jasmine/I were referring to "E..." and "I..." used as personal pronouns being very rude. Ba ba bo bo (simply ba for short) is not rude, but some people may take offesnse if it is not used in a joking kind of way.

 

Cheers,

SD

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Straycat said:
asdf said:

 

Are you thinking of maak -fruit? Bak is a chap/fellow/bloke, as in bakseeda (falang chap). Just to confuse things, maakseeda (falang fruit, i.e. guava) can also be used to refer to a falang person.

 

Actually, no. I do mean bak as in bak sida (guava), bak muang (mango), bak hung (papaya), bak som-o (melon) and so on. However, I recognize that there may be some significant regional differences in the Isaan dialect/language. Perhaps, they say "mak" in the changwat that you know about?

 

"Bak" seems to be a common mistake: http://www.isangate.com/word/l-05.htm . (I'm not sure who gets to decide what's a mistake, but there you go). :)

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maakseeda (falang fruit, i.e. guava) can also be used to refer to a falang person.

 

Maakseeda? (low tone?) That is chewing gum. :)

 

In the missus` village I hear the word Bak used when referring to someone or calling someone, particularly someone younger than yourself and preceding their name: Bak Mee, Bak Dee and usually Bak Harnee when the missus refers to me :o

 

Cheers

Hua Nguu

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Hua Nguu said:

 

Maakseeda? (low tone?) That is chewing gum. :)

 

Yes, same word. Maak=thing that you chew (in this case, something like a betel nut), seeda=foreign (Isan version of falang).

 

Hua Nguu said:In the missus` village I hear the word Bak used when referring to someone or calling someone, particularly someone younger than yourself and preceding their name: Bak Mee, Bak Dee and usually Bak Harnee when the missus refers to me :o

 

Cheers

Hua Nguu

 

The fruit (mis)use of bak does seem to derive from the primary meaning of "guy/boy"; as far as I can tell, the link I gave above says something like "used for things which are not male, but which have male characteristics.. therefore used for fruits, but incorrectly- for fruit always use maak". I may of course be mistranslating, and I can't imagine why fruit would have male characteristics, but I think that's what it says. See also http://www.isangate.com/dict/default.asp?w=%BA%D1%A1

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