Learn about diminutives in Thai
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Intro |
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| Michael: What are diminutives and how are they formed in Thai? |
| Nantanee: And are they commonly used? |
| Michael: At ThaiPod101.com, we hear these questions often. Imagine the following situation: Arisa Ampawa points out a cute kitten to her daughter, Arunpan Ampawa. She says, |
| "Look at the kitten!" |
| Arisa Ampawa: ดูลูกแมวสิ (duu lûuk maaeo sì) |
| Dialogue |
| Arisa Ampawa: ดูลูกแมวสิ (duu lûuk maaeo sì) |
| Arunpan Ampawa: น่ารัก (nâa-rák) |
| Michael: Once more with the English translation. |
| Arisa Ampawa: ดูลูกแมวสิ (duu lûuk maaeo sì) |
| Michael: "Look at the kitten!" |
| Arunpan Ampawa: น่ารัก (nâa-rák) |
| Michael: "[How] cute!" |
Lesson focus |
| Michael: In this lesson, you will be learning about diminutives in Thai and when and where they are used. To begin with, let me explain what a diminutive is. You know how, in English, we add "-let" to the word "pig" to make the word "piglet?" Well, that is a diminutive. Diminutives are words that are formed by joining a root word with a suffix or a prefix. Generally, diminutives denote a smaller version of something, or else they might indicate affection or, occasionally, be derogatory. |
| Michael: Did you notice how Arisa says, |
| Nantanee: ลูกแมว (lûuk maaeo) |
| Michael: or "kitten?" If you look at the word carefully, you'll see the word "cat" in there, or |
| Nantanee: แมว (maaeo) |
| Michael: and attached to it is the prefix, |
| Nantanee: ลูก (lûuk), |
| Michael: a classifier for both human and animal names that means "offspring." Attaching this prefix to the Thai word for "cat" results in the word "kitten." The resulting word is what is referred to as a diminutive.Thai doesn't use a lot of diminutives, but it does employ nicknames, or |
| Nantanee: ชื่อเล่น (chûue-lêen), |
| Michael: which seem to work in a similar way. |
| [Summary] |
| Michael: So far, we have learned that diminutives are words that have been modified to convey the smallness of their root meaning. In Thai, they are often used in names of animal offsprings. One common prefix used to form diminutives in Thai is |
| Nantanee: ลูก (lûuk) |
| Michael: We have seen this prefix in action in our previous example. You'll also find it in words such as |
| Nantanee: ลูกนก (lûuk nók) |
| Michael: which means "fledgling," the offspring of a bird, or in |
| Nantanee: ลูกสุนัข (lûuk sù-nák) |
| Michael: which means "puppy." As you can observe, forming diminutives in Thai is as simple as attaching a prefix to the root word and doesn't involve applying any changes to the spelling of the root word in any way. |
| Contrast |
| Michael: Most languages use diminutives to express intimacy toward another person. Thai also does the same with the use of specific particles. One such particle is |
| Nantanee: จ๋า (jǎa) |
| Michael: This particle can be used by anyone regardless of age or sex. When attached to a term of endearment, such as |
| Nantanee: ที่รัก (thîi-rák) |
| Michael: or "darling," it makes the word sound even sweeter or more intimate. |
| Nantanee: ที่รักจ๋า (thîi-rák jǎa) |
| Michael: It still means "darling," but with a more intimate tone. It can also be used when referring to someone you're not in a romantic relationship with, such as, |
| Nantanee: พ่อจ๋า (phâaw jǎa), |
| Michael: or "Daddy dear." A similar particle is |
| Nantanee: ขา (khǎa) |
| Michael: Unlike the previous particle, this one has a more romantic tone, and is used by a lover seeking the attention of their beloved. Again, you can simply attach it at the end of any term of endearment, such as "darling," in which case, you get |
| Nantanee: ที่รักขา (thîi-rák khǎa) |
| Michael: or "Darling dear." |
| Expansion |
| Michael: Like most Asian cultures, Thai heavily uses nicknames. While they don't technically work as diminutives, they seem to function the same way, that is, to express affection or serve as shorter alternatives to full names. A common nickname you'll encounter in Thai is |
| Nantanee: เล็ก (lék) |
| Michael: which literally means "small." A similar name is |
| Nantanee: นิด (nít) |
| Michael: which means "little." And, finally, there's the nickname |
| Nantanee: ต้อย (dtâauy), |
| Michael: which means "tiny" or "humble." In the past, Thai people believed assigning such nicknames to newborn babies confuses evil spirits. This means that the nicknames don't really describe the child's physical appearance, although the nickname often sticks until adulthood. |
Outro |
| Michael: Do you have any more questions? We're here to answer them! |
| Nantanee: แล้วพบกันใหม่เร็วๆ นี้ค่ะ (láaeo phóp gan mài reo-reo níi khâ) |
| Michael: See you soon! |
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