Thai Language

The Complex Thai Language

The Thai language is the official language of the country of Thailand and the native tongue of the Thai people, who are the prevalent ethnic group there. The country, located in Southeast Asia, was known as Siam until May 11, 1949, when it officially changed its name to Thailand. The Thai language is a member of the Tai group of languages, which is in turn a part of the Tai-Kadai language family (a language family found in Southeast Asia and China). The Tai-Kadai languages are believed to have their origins in South China.

Like the Chinese language, the Thai language is tonal. That means it is spoken using certain pitches or tones to differentiate word meanings. The pitch quality must be used properly in order for the word to be understood. The Thai language is also an analytic language, meaning that the bulk of the morphemes used are considered words in their own right. These attributes in combination with a complex set of symbols that is used to write the language, and other grammatical factors make the Thai language a very complex and often difficult language to learn, especially for someone who is not at all familiar with languages of the type.

Standard Thai, also known as Siamese, is the official language of the country of Thailand. It is spoken by roughly 25 million people. There are many dialects spoken in Thailand, and they can be broken down into 4 general regional groupings. There is Isan, or Northeastern Thai, which is spoken by about 15 million people.  Northern Thai is spoken by around 6 million Thai people. Southern Thai is spoken by approximately 5 million people. Finally there is Central Thai, or Bangkok Thai. This is possibly the most principal of the regional dialects, because it is the dialect that is taught in all of the schools and that is used for television broadcasts. These 4 dialects are not the same as the 4 different "languages" used by the Thai people, which correspond to different social situations.  For example, there are specific words that are used only by Thai royalty; therefore there is a separate "royal" language. In addition, there are also "languages" used for religious figures, polite conversational dealings, and slang.

The alphabet of the Thai language is a complicated one. It is derivative of the Khmer alphabet (the official alphabet of Cambodia), but also has some basis in Pali and Sanskrit. The Khmer alphabet emulates the written Brahmic alphabet from the Indic language family. The Thais adopted the Khmer script and altered it to fit their own language needs. The first known inscriptions in Thai writing emerged around 1292 CE (Christian Era). The Thai alphabet consists of 44 consonants and 15 vowels. It is an alphabetic language (akin to English), meaning that the pronunciation of a word is unrelated to the word's meaning.

Because it is common for Thai students to learn English while in school today in Thailand, they do not necessarily expect English-speaking visitors to their country to known their language. However, for tourists trying to do business in the country at an outdoor market, for example, it is often easier to know a few basic phrases. This will demonstrate great respect, and often be beneficial in getting better prices for merchandise, and making contacts among the local Thai people. Though the tonal aspect of the language often proves challenging to learn, the grammar of the Thai language is more simple than even the English language, which helps to offset some of the tension that might occur in learning the language. There are many resources available for those who are interested in learning how to speak or write the Thai language, including books, tapes, and Internet resources. The Thai culture is rich in history, and its language reflects that history through its evolution, and the pride that the Thai people have in keeping many of the language traditions alive.

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