The Thai lisp?

[sky brow]

Just a thought that came into my head while reading some posts and thinking about the Thai language.I am sure some of us have noticed a,what we might concieve as a lisp when talking to a Thai,eg- pee thow instead of pee sow.Is this a lisp or a part of prenounciation? I havent noticed a lisp on other words that the Thai speaker has used?

cheers

 

[Guest]

Sometimes it's a genuine lisp. If it's quite strong and noticeable, then they probably do have a longer than average tounge and thusly speak that way. But I've seen some girls slightly use a hint of that "th" sound just to be cute. Also, some will say "y" instead of "r." For example, "fang mai yuu yeuang" as opposed to "fang mai ruu reuang."

[markle]

I agree that it's a physical rather than an effected speech thing. I've come across the 'y' for 'r' thing but it's really only a trend thing.

Th main speech impediment for Thais is the inability to say 'kw' and instead pronounce it 'f' 'Kway' becomes 'fway' 'kwa' becomes 'fwa' etc. Very common amongst poorly educated Thai's

[Guest]

So they will say "Leo Far" instead of 'Leo Kwar" when telling taxi to turn right? Interesting. I'll have to listen for this next trip.

 

I've come up against the 'L' for the 'R' thing very often, but probably because is much more prevalent in usage. G/F say, "I like go long lam". I say, "Maybe later, tilac. I need a shower, so let's go back to Rong Ram instead. We go long lam after".

 

Anyone know WTF??? a 'long lam' is?, or where it is located?

 

Which brings up another term I hear often. Khun Baaaa falang! ::

 

HT

[gobbledonk]

I dont know any Thai, but I'm assuming that this is why I see some members using 'Falang' instead of 'Farang' when they are discussing tall, incredibly good-looking fellows like myself. I was quite oblivious to the word during my one and only trip to the LOS - probably just as well.

 

BTW, I thought the Thais ALL pronounced 'r' differently to the hard 'r' we use in the West .... am I missing something ?

 

[Pescator]

The main speech impediment for Thais is the inability to say 'kw' and instead pronounce it 'f' 'Kway' becomes 'fway' 'kwa' becomes 'fwa' etc.

---

 

I never noticed that, in fact I hear thais pronounce kwaai for buffalo on a regular basis, and I dare say that they pronounce that beautifully. However, I just wish they would use that term to describe somebody else than me ::

 

I`d say that the main speech impediment for thais would be the inability to pronounce the r sound properly.

Some would claim that it is just laziness, but I´ve more often than not found that many cannot make that sound even when pressed.

However, speakers on the telly, radio, actors etc. seem to have no trouble getting it right.

 

Cheers

Hua Nguu

 

 

[Guest]

Hi Artie,

 

I'm not an expert by any means, but here's my take. Educated Thai's not only can produce the 'r' sound, but actualy will roll the 'r', like in French. Just listen to Nuttawad's language web site to see this. The upcountry farming communities have very little education presented to them, plus the fact they have Laos language influences working on them. From what I understand, it produces a complete inability to pronounce the "r" sound. It just does not exist there in their life, so they can't say it. My B/G friends spent hours having me try to pronounce 'friend' last time I was there. "Pluean". I just can't get it. And still can't. I'm fully convinced it will take me a year to get this down. It is a sound that is not used in English (American, anyway). Exactly the same for them. Absolutly no difference whatsoever. It's a little different in Europe, I think. Most speak different languages because of proximity of different countries, to one another. In US, we basicly hear only one language, period. At least the only one we need to know to get by on (English....same-same for you in Australia). I'll let the language specialists explain that reality, but once you are able to learn a different language, picking up on others, is easier. Thai's, and US, are similar, in that niether do not have a need to know another language. Language wise, we are both isolated, as a whole.

 

Uneducated does not mean stupid. In fact, the vast majority of Thai people can speak English much better than you or I will be speaking Thai, many years from now. And this includes the vast majority of B/G's. I think one problem has been the (natural) separation of cultures within Thailand. They do not speak one language. There are several dialects, with nuances unique to each. Unforturnatly, this also promotes class distinction. Two Thai's meet each other, and both size the other up with just a few utterances between them. But I think evolution (progress) may change things in the future, related to this, albeit a slow change.

 

One interesting thing, that I've not seen brought up here, but I wonder about, is the introduction to TV to the villages. From what I understand, a high class of (proper) Thai is almost always spoken there. Something they would have no way of being exposed to, in the past. As more TV medium is available to more and more remote villages, I can see many children sitting in front of the screen all day long, and mastering the language faster than even being schooled. Kids are information sponges. In the end, I see this greatly evening the playing field when they walk into a BKK job opening at the local Dept. store, and being able to communicate with great elegance, and command of the required level of knowlege of proper Thai needed, to land the job.

 

Anyway, just a newbie's take on Thai language to another. I'm sure you will get more educated answers than I am able to give. At least, I hope you do.

 

HT

[markle]

Hua Nguu,

Come to think of it I rarely hear it in Bkk I used to come across it alot in the rural central provinces much more.

 

Oh I just remembered, apparently many Southern Thais have trouble pronouncing 'ng' although I forget what they say instead.

 

As for the 'r' vs 'l' thing.

For a start the Thai 'r' is pronounced very much different from the English 'r' it is a rolling r sound so when you say farang without a rolling 'r', you are just as incorrect as saying falang in fact you don't sound Thai at all. 'Pop' Ariya and many other Thais raised overseas have this problem.

The 'l' sound is produced from saying the rolling 'r' lazily not from a confusion between 'r' and 'l' or some type of speech impediment.

How did this come about? Well the rolling r comes from Khmer and was adopted by the Royal court then the higher classes and therefore the better educated, while the peasentry struggled with it. I'd say the rolling r came under much more pressure with the influx of Chinese into Bkk who also had trouble with it's pronunciation.

[Guest]

Hi Markle

 

I know this going to sound stupid, but so be it. Just a theory that wil be shot down, but that's how we learn. Right?

 

Cambodia's Phenom Phen, it's Capital, has a layout, in design, from the French. In fact, Cambodia was, at one time, owned by the French, hense it's layout. I could be wrong, as I'm an idiot, but. ..Could it be possible that there is French influence in the regional speech, contributing to the rolling "r" influence? Sorry, I'm just talking out loud, but would make sense. Then again, maybe not.

 

HT

 

 

 

 

 

[jp1]

..Could it be possible that there is French influence in the regional speech, contributing to the rolling "r" influence? Sorry, I'm just talking out loud, but would make sense. Then again, maybe not

 

HT,

 

rolling "r" in the French language. :: Never ever. French is not Italian.