Thai language evolves, and it’s so ‘tamu tami’

BANGKOK: The slang terms popular among young people this year are a mixed bag, with the most references accruing to lamyai, which means to feel annoyed; tamu tami, “cute” or “adorable”; and nok, or a person whose flirtations have been rejected.

Those were the results of a recent survey conducted by the Culture Ministry and Suan Dusit Poll, which also found that 65.4% of respondents knew about Thai Language Day, which falls on July 29 every year.

The poll surveyed the opinions of 3,306 children, young people and other members of the public nationwide.

Culture Minister Veera Rojpojanarat said 57.34% of respondents knew the day had been established to mark His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s participation in a discussion about the Thai language at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Arts on July 29, 1962.

Respondents cited the most popular slang term, in descending order, with 39.44% referring to lamyai, 36.86% to tamu tami

and 36.23% to nok.

Other top contenders in the lexicon included jungboei, which means “very much”, as in jungloei, but with a child’s lisp (34.67% ); tay or dontay, meaning to abandon or to be abandoned (34%); eiei, a tongue-in-cheek laughing expression (33.61%); pay or saipay, meaning a person who likes to treat others (30.12%); teng, ta-eng or tal-eng, all of which mean “you” with a connotation of closeness like addressing a boyfriend or girlfriend (27.28%); and mungming, which is another way to say “cute” (26.06%).

Most respondents, 83.45%, said the person with the most outstanding Thai-language skills was Rattanakosin-era poet Phra Sunthonwohan, better known as Sunthorn Phu (1786-1855).

King Rama II, who is more formally known as Phrabatsomdet Phra Phutthaloetla Naphalai, was also cited in 41.16% of answers, followed by the famous Thai tutor Kitmanoch “Kru Lilly” Rojanasupya at 39.38%, SEA Write Award-winning poet and national artist Naowarat Pongpaiboon at 38.43%, and the Thai tutor Jakkriz “Kru Tom Khamthai” Yompayorm at 37.6%. The survey accepted more than one answer.

Accuracy and appropriate usage representing the country’s culture were also concerns, with most respondents, 39.02 %, focusing on the spoken language followed by writing and Thai reading at 37.17% and 23.81% respectively.

The poll concluded that 53.86% of respondents knew about the country’s master plan to promote reading and learning from 2017 to 2021, with 55.16% believing the plan would help people to achieve the goal of reading 90 minutes a day.

However, 29.79% disagreed, saying that many people did not like reading, had short attention spans, and were more keen to play games and use their smartphones.

Regarding time spent reading via various media, 56.59% said they read online media three hours a day.

With more than one choice available, 37.42% said they read books or documents one and a half hours per day, while 36.90% said they read newspapers and 18.63% said they read general journals for one hour a day.

Respondents also recommended that the Culture Ministry and related agencies host Thai language and reading activities at schools, organise annual Thai language contests with prizes, launch online campaigns promoting the proper use of the language, and organise reading, writing and speaking training sessions.

Poll surveyed the opinions of 3,306 children, young people and others nationwide.