Word Study Unit 4

The preposition thi3i generally means 'at' and nay generally means 'in,' but the two words are not always used in exactly the same way as their english equivalents. Note the examples below:

Listen	English Equivalents	Aids to Listening
	(4) Would you like to go into this restaurant?	khun ya1ak ca1? kha3w pay nay ra2an?aaha4an ni2i rf4f khra2p.
	(5) He's studying in America.	kha3aw kamlaN rian na4Nsf4f yu1u nay ?a1meeri2kaa.
	(6) He's in the house.	kha3aw yu1u nay ba2an.

(1) When speaking of location in a general sense, either thi3i or nay may be used; example 2 and 5 above.

(2) When speaking of going into something or of location inside of something, nay is used; examples 4 and 6 above. Notice also the difference in meaning between thi3i in example 3 and nay in example 6.

Note also that thi3i is sometimes omitted altogether, as in the following examples:

Listen	English Equivalents	Aids to Listening
	He's [at] home	kha4w yu1u ba2an.
	He has been [in] Thailand a long time.	kha4w yu1u mfaNthay naan lE2Ew.

Examples in which thi3i is omitted are, however, rather special. They should therefore be memorized as special cases but not used as models for making up new sentences.

1. as a relationship term when speaking of one's own or another's offspring, and

For the first meaning the Thai use the term lu3uk , which is always a relationship term. For the second meaning, on the other hand, the Thai use the term de1k, which is never a relationship term. Since we do not have seperate words for the seperate meanings in English, you will need to take pains to use the words lu3uk and de1k correctly, or else you will be misunderstood. Note the following examples:

Listen	English Equivalents	Aids to Listening
	He is a good child.	kha4w pen de1k dii.
	He is Mr.PhoN's child.	kha4w pen lu3uk khO4ON naay phoN.

The word phi2i (which may be translated 'older brother or sister') and the word nO2ON (which may be translated 'younger brother or sister') have no exact equivalents in English. Our terms 'brother' and 'sister' are the nearest equivalents, but there is an important distinction between these terms and the Thai terms phi2i and nO2ON. The English terms tell us what the sex of the individuals referred to is, but they do not tell us wheter the individuals are younger or older than those to whom they bear the relationship of 'brother' or 'sister.' In Thai the reverse is true. The term phi2i tells us that the individual referred to is older than another person having the same parents but it does not tell us the sex of the individual referred to. Similarly, nO2ON tells us that the individual referred to is younger than another person having the same parents but it again does not tell us the sex of the individual referred to.

The words phi2i and nO2ON are also combined to form the compound word phi2inO2ON. This term is generally translated 'brothers and sisters,' but if a given family had only boys, the term would then mean 'brothers'; similarly, if the given family had only girls, the term would mean 'sisters.'

Thai, also possesses the words phi2ichaay 'older brother,' phi2isa4aw 'older sister,' nO2ONchaay 'younger brother,' and nO2ONsa4aw 'younger sister.' These words contain reference both to relative age and to the sex of the individual referred to. However, reference to relative age remains primary while reference to the sex of the individual is entirely secondary

Below are some examples of the use of the word kamlaN. That part of the English equivalent which is most nearly like the idea expressed by kamlaN is shown in boldface type.

Listen	English Equivalents	Aids to Listening
	What are they buying?	kha4w kamlaN sf2f ?a1ray.
	They are buying chicken.	kha4w kamlaN sf2f ka1y.
	He is studying in America.	kha4w kamlaN rian na4Nsf4f yu1u nay ?a1meeri2kaa.

Thus kamlaN shows that the activity expressed by the verb which follows it is in progress at the time the statement is made. Because of this fact kamlaN is referred to as a progressive word. In English the same idea is generally expressed by is or are followed by a verb ending in -ing (as in the translations of the examples above).

Although both of these words are generally translated by the English terms 'also' or 'too,' the two Thai words cannot be used interchangeably. Note the following examples taken from sentences you have already learned.

Listen	English Equivalents	Aids to Listening
	1) I'm going shopping. Would you like to go, too?	pho4m kamlaN ca1? pay sf2f khO4ON. khun ya1ak ca1? pay du3ay ma2y khra2p.
	2) I have an older sister who's already married, and [I]'ve also got two little brothers.	pho4m mii phi3isa4aw nf1N khon thi3i tE1ENNaan lE2Ew, lE2? mii nO2ONchaay le2kle2k sO4ON khon du3ay.

Listen	English Equivalents	Aids to Listening
	3) First speaker : 'I'm going to town.' Second speaker : 'We're going to town, too'	pho4m kamlaN ca1? pay nay mfaN khra2p. raw kamlaN ca1? pay nay mfaN mf4ankan.
	4) First speaker : 'I'm pleased to meet you.' Second speaker : 'I'm pleased to meet you, too.'	pho4m yindii thi3i da3y ru2uca1k khun. dicha4n yindii thi3i da3y ru2uca1k khun mf4ankan.
	5) My family is not large either.	khrO3Opkhrua pho4m kO3? ma3y ya1y mf4ankan.

If you observe these examples carefully, you will notice that du3ay means 'also, too' in the sense of 'in addition (to someone else, or to something else),' while mf4ankan means 'also, too' in the sense of 'the same as (someone else, or something else).' Thus in example 1 above the speaker is asking his friend to go along with him; hence du3ay is used. In example 3 above, on the other hand, the second speaker is conveying the information that he and his friends are on their way to town 'the same as' the first speaker; hence mf4ankan is used.

In example 5 above note that mf4ankan is translated 'either.' The reason for this is that in English we cannot use the word 'too' after the word 'not'; instead we use the word 'either.'

Listen	English Equivalents	Aids to Listening
	I've been here only about six months.	pho4m yu1u thi3ini3i pra1maan ho1k dfan tha3wna2n.
	He'll stay here only about six days.	kha4w ca1? yu1u thi3ini3i pra1maan ho1k wan tha3wna2n.

You will notice that these words are used like the other units of time you have learned and that, like them, they are classifiers, since their position is after the number-word.

khon. Most of the new nouns in this unit refer to people and therefore take khon as their classifier. As you have already learned, the classifier is always used when stating or asking the number of people referred to. It is also used with the words 'this,' 'that,' and 'which?' when you want to be precise about the fact that only one person is being referred to.

Listen	English Equivalents	Aids to Listening
	eleven brothers and sisters	phi3inO2ON si1p?e1d khon
	three younger sisters.	nO2ONsa4aw sa4am khon
	how many children (offspring)?	lu3uk ki1i khon
	which younger brother?	nO2ONchaay khon na4y
	this child (person not yet grown).	de1k khon ni2i

la4N. This is a new classifier for you and it is used with ba3an 'house, home.' You will have no trouble remembering this if you memorize the following examples:

le3m. Here is another new classifier. It is used with na4Nsf4f 'book' and with some other nouns you have not yet had. Be sure to memorize the examples below:

ca1agni3i 'from here,' lit. 'from this.' In a few cases ni3i 'this' is used in phrases where in English the word 'here' is employed. Memorize such phrases when they are given to you, but do not use ni3i 'this' in place of thi3ini3i 'here' in any other circumstances.

rian na4Nsf4f 'to study' (in a general sense) or 'to be carrying on studies,' lit. 'to study books.'

nO2ONchaay 'younger brother,' from nO2ON 'younger brother or sister' + chaay 'man, male(of people).'

nO2ONsa4aw 'younger sister,' from nO2ON + sa4aw 'to be of adolescent age (of women).' Note, however, that relationship terms containing sa4aw are used in referring to female relatives regardless of the age of the relative.

phi3inO2ON 'brothers and sisters,' lit., 'older and younger brothers and sisters,' from phi3i + nO2ON.

phO3OmE3E 'parents,' lit. 'father and mother,' from phO3O 'father'+ mE3E 'mother.'

Listen	English Equivalents	Aids to Listening
	(1) We'll go eat together at the restaurant.	raw ca1? pay kin kha3aw du3aykan thi3i ra2an?aaha4an.
	(2) He's studying in America.	kha3aw kamlaN rian na4Nsf4f yu1u thi3i ?a1meeri2kaa.
	(3) He's at home.	kha3aw yu1u thi3i ba2an.

Listen	English Equivalents	Aids to Listening
	'five houses'	ba3an ha3a la4N
	'that house'	ba3an la4N na2n

Listen	English Equivalents	Aids to Listening
	'four books'	na4Nsf4f si1i le3m
	'which book?'	na4Nsf4f le3m na4y