Northern Thai language

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Template:Short description Template:Redirect Template:Distinguish Template:Infobox language Template:Contains special characters Northern Thai (Template:Langx), also called Kam Mueang (Template:Langx, กำเมือง), Lanna or Tai Yuan,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> is the language spoken by the Northern Thai people of Thailand. It is a Southwestern Tai language. The language has approximately six million speakers, most of whom live in Northern Thailand, with a smaller community of speakers in northwestern Laos.

Speakers of this language generally consider the name "Tai Yuan" to be pejorativeTemplate:Citation needed. They refer to themselves as Template:Lang (Template:Script, คนเมือง, Template:IPA – literally "people of Mueang" meaning "city dwellers"), Lanna, or Northern Thai. The language is also sometimes referred to as Template:Lang (พายัพ, Template:IPA), "Northwestern (speech)".

The term Yuan is still sometimes used for Northern Thai's distinctive Tai Tham alphabet, which is closely related to the old Tai Lue alphabet and the Lao religious alphabets. The use of the Template:Lang, as the traditional alphabet is known, is now largely limited to Buddhist temples, where many old sermon manuscripts are still in active use. There is no active production of literature in the traditional alphabet, and when used in writing standard Thai script is invariably used. The modern spoken form is called Template:Lang. There is a resurgence of interest in writing it in the traditional way, but the modern pronunciation differs from that prescribed in spelling rules.<ref name="Natnapang">Natnapang 2004, Section 3.5.6 The changing pronunciation of the Lanna script and Kammuang As with all languages, the pronunciation of the written and spoken forms changes over time. This is another problem that Kammuang speakers may have when they learn to write the Lanna script. These changes occur in only some words, and there are no readily apparent rules to explain the changes....</ref>

Nameboard of a Buddhist temple in Chiang Mai written with Tai Tham script: Wat Mokhamtuang (and street number 119 in Thai)

Classification

Template:Further Northern Thai is classified as one of the Chiang Saen languages—others being Thai, Southern Thai and numerous smaller languages, which together with the Northwestern Tai and Lao-Phutai languages, form the Southwestern branch of Tai languages. The Tai languages are a branch of the Kra–Dai language family, which encompasses a large number of indigenous languages spoken in an arc from Hainan and Guangxi south through Laos and Northern Vietnam to the Cambodian border.

From a purely genealogical standpoint, most linguists consider Northern Thai to be more closely related to Central Thai than to Lao or Isan, but the language has been heavily influenced by both Lao and Central Thai throughout history. All Southwestern Tai languages form a coherent dialect continuum of more or less mutually intelligible varieties, with few sharp dividing lines. Nevertheless, Northern Thai has today become closer to the Central Thai language, as Standard Thai is the principal language of education and government and spoken throughout Thailand. Template:Clade

Names

The Northern Thai language has various names in Northern Thai, Thai, and other Tai languages.

History

Template:Further

Tai migration

Map showing the general migration patterns and diversification of the Tai peoples and languages from the original Tai Urheimat of southeastern China.

The ancestors of the Northern Thai people were speakers of Southwestern Tai dialects that migrated from what is now southeastern China, specifically what is now Guangxi and northern Vietnam where the diversity of various Tai languages suggests an Urheimat. The Southwestern Tai languages began to diverge from the Northern and Central branches of the Tai languages, covered mainly by various Zhuang languages, sometime around 112 AD, but likely completed by the sixth century.<ref name="migration">Edmondson, J.A. and Gregerson, K.J. (2007). The Languages of Vietnam: Mosaics and Expansions in Language and Linguistics Compass, 1(0). pp. 727–749.</ref> Due to the influx of Han Chinese soldiers and settlers, the end of the Chinese occupation of Vietnam, the fall of Jiaozhi and turbulence associated with the decline and fall of the Tang dynasty led some of the Tai peoples speaking Southwestern Tai to flee into Southeast Asia, with the small-scale migration mainly taking place between the eighth and twelfth centuries. The Tais split and followed the major river courses, with the ancestral Northern Thai originating in the Tai migrants that followed the Mekong River.<ref>Pittayaporn, Pittayawat (2014). 'Layers of Chinese Loanwords in Proto-Southwestern Tai as Evidence for the Dating of the Spread of Southwestern Tai.' MANUSYA: Journal of Humanities, Special Issue No 20: 47–64.</ref>

Indianized kingdoms

Ancestors of the Northern Thai people established Ngoenyang, an early kingdom that existed between the 7th to 13th centuries, as well as smaller kingdoms like Phayao, in what is now modern-day northern Thailand. They settled in areas adjacent to the kingdom of Hariphunchai, coming into contact with Mon-speaking people whose writing system was eventually adapted for the Northern Thai language as the Tai Tham script.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> In the 13th century, King Mangrai consolidated control of these territories, establishing the kingdom of Lan Na. In the 15th century, King Tilokkarat ushered in a golden age for Northern Thai literature, with a profusion of palm leaf manuscripts written in Tai Tham, using vernacular Northern Thai and interspersed with Pali and Buddhist Indic vocabulary.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=":0" />

Thai subordination

In 1775, Kawila of Lampang revolted with Siamese assistance, and captured the city, ending 200 years of Burmese rule. Kawila was installed as the prince of Lampang and Phraya Chaban as the prince of Chiang Mai, both as vassals of Siam. In 1899, Siam annexed the Northern Thai principalities, effectively dissolving their status as sovereign tributary states.

The Compulsory Education Act of 1921 banned schools and temples from using languages other than Central Thai (standard Thai), in an effort to bring remote regions under Siamese control.<ref name=":0" /> Northern Thai was relegated from the public sphere, with influential religious leaders like Khruba Srivichai jailed for using Northern Thai in sermons.<ref name=":0" /> In the 1940s, authorities promulgated Thai cultural mandates that reinforced the importance of learning and using Central Thai as the prestige language.<ref name=":0" />

These economic and educational pressures have increased the use of standard Thai to the detriment of other regional languages like Northern Thai.<ref>Template:Cite thesis</ref><ref name="Sukprasert 2015 153–166">Template:Cite journal</ref> Today, Northern Thai is typically code-switched with standard Thai, especially in more developed and urbanized areas of Northern Thailand, whereas exclusive use of Northern Thai remains prevalent in more remote areas.<ref name="Sukprasert 2015 153–166"/>

Dialects

Thanajirawat (2018)<ref>Thanajirawat, Zirivarnphicha (2018). Tonal Geography of Tai Yuan in Southeast Asia. Paper presented at the 28th Annual Meeting of the Southeast Asian Linguistics Society, held May 17–19, 2018 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.</ref> classifies Tai Yuan into five major dialect groups based on tonal split and merger patterns. (See also Proto-Tai language#Tones)

  1. most Tai Yuan varieties in Thailand, Laos and Myanmar
  2. Bokeo Province, Laos (A12-34 and BCD123-4 (B4=DL4=DS4))
  3. Mae Chaem District, Chiang Mai Province and Laplae District, Uttaradit Province, Thailand (A12-34 and BCD123-4 (A34=B123=DL123))
  4. Tha Pla District, Uttaradit Province and Xayaburi Province, Laos (A12-34, BDL1234, and CDS123-4)
  5. Ratchaburi Province, Thailand (A12-34 and BCD123-4 (A34=B123=DL123, B4=C4=DL4))

Phonology

Consonants

Initial consonants

Northern Thai consonant inventory is similar to that of Lao (Isan); both languages have the Template:IPAslink sound and lack Template:IPAslink.

Labial Dental/
Alveolar 		(Alveolo-)
Palatal 		Velar Glottal
Nasal Template:IPAslink
Template:Script Template:Script
ม 		Template:IPAslink
Template:Script Template:Script Template:Script
ณ, น 		Template:IPAslink
Template:Script Template:Script Template:Script
ญ, ย 		Template:IPAslink
Template:Script Template:Script
ง
Plosive/
Affricate 		tenuis Template:IPAslink
Template:Script Template:Script
ป 		Template:IPAslink
Template:Script Template:Script Template:Script
ฏ, ต 		Template:IPAslink
Template:Script Template:Script
จ 		Template:IPAslink
Template:Script Template:Script
ก 		Template:IPAslinkTemplate:Efn
Template:Script
อ
aspirate Template:IPAslink
Template:Script Template:Script
Template:Script Template:Script Template:Script
ผ, พ, ภ 		Template:IPAslink
Template:Script Template:Script Template:Script Template:Script
Template:Script Template:Script
ฐ, ฑ, ฒ, ถ, ท, ธ 		(Template:IPAslink)Template:Efn
ฉ, ช, ฌ 		Template:IPAslink
Template:Script Template:Script Template:Script
Template:Script Template:Script Template:Script Template:Script
ข, ฃ, ค, ฅ, ฆ
voiced Template:IPAslink
Template:Script
บ 		Template:IPAslink
Template:Script
ฎ, ด
Fricative Template:IPAslink
Template:Script Template:Script
ฝ, ฟ 		Template:IPAslink
Template:Script Template:Script Template:Script
Template:Script Template:Script Template:Script
ซ, ศ, ษ, ส 		(Template:IPAslink)Template:Efn Template:IPAslink
Template:Script Template:Script
Template:Script Template:Script
ห, ฮ
Approximant Template:IPAslink
Template:Script
Template:Script
ว 		Template:IPAslink
Template:Script Template:Script Template:Script
Template:Script Template:Script
ล, ฬ 		Template:IPAslink
Template:Script
ย
Rhotic/Liquid (Template:IPAslink)Template:Efn
Template:Script Template:Script
ร

Template:Notelist

Initial consonant clusters

There are two relatively common consonant clusters:

There are also several other, less frequent clusters recorded,<ref>Rungruengsi 2004, pp. ณ-ด</ref> though apparently in the process of being lost:<ref name=Natnapang_2>Natnapang 2004, Section 3.5.2 Initial consonant clusters in the Lanna script</ref>

Template:Colbegin

Template:Colend

Final consonants

All plosive sounds (besides the glottal stop /ʔ/) are unreleased. Hence, final Template:IPA, Template:IPA, and Template:IPA sounds are pronounced as Template:IPA, Template:IPA, and Template:IPA respectively.

Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal
Nasal Template:IPAslink Template:Script
ม 		Template:IPAslink Template:Script
ญ, ณ, น, ร, ล, ฬ 		Template:IPAslink Template:Script
ง
Plosive Template:IPAslink Template:Script
บ, ป, พ, ฟ, ภ 		Template:IPAslink Template:Script
จ, ช, ซ, ฌ, ฎ, ฏ, ฐ, ฑ,

ฒ ,ด, ต, ถ, ท, ธ, ศ, ษ, ส

Template:IPAslink Template:Script
ก, ข, ค, ฆ 		Template:IPAslinkTemplate:Efn
Approximant Template:IPAslink Template:Script
ว 		Template:IPAslink Template:Script
ย

Template:Notelist

Vowels

The basic vowels of the Northern Thai language are similar to those of Standard Thai. They, from front to back and close to open, are given in the following table. The top entry in every cell is the symbol from the International Phonetic Alphabet, the second entry gives the spelling in the Thai alphabet, where a dash (–) indicates the position of the initial consonant after which the vowel is pronounced. A second dash indicates that a final consonant must follow.

Front Central Back
short long short long short long
Close Template:IPAslink
 -ิ  		Template:IPAslink
 -ี  		Template:IPAslink
 -ึ  		Template:IPAslink
 -ื-  		Template:IPAslink
 -ุ  		Template:IPAslink
 -ู 
Mid Template:IPAslink
เ-ะ 		Template:IPAslink
เ- 		Template:IPAslink
เ-อะ 		Template:IPAslink
เ-อ 		Template:IPAslink
โ-ะ 		Template:IPAslink
โ-
Open Template:IPAslink
แ-ะ 		Template:IPAslink
แ- 		Template:IPAslink
-ะ, -ั- 		Template:IPAslink
-า 		Template:IPAslink
เ-าะ 		Template:IPAslink
-อ

The vowels each exist in long-short pairs: these are distinct phonemes forming unrelated words in Northern Thai,<ref>Template:Harvcoltxt</ref> but usually transliterated the same: เขา (khao) means "they/them", while ขาว (khao) means "white".

The long-short pairs are as follows:

Long Short
Thai IPA Example Thai IPA Example
–า Template:IPA Template:Script ฝาน Template:IPA 'to slice' –ะ Template:IPA Template:Script ฝัน Template:IPA 'to dream'
–ี Template:IPA Template:Script ตี๋ Template:IPA 'to cut' –ิ Template:IPA Template:Script ติ๋ Template:IPA 'to criticize'
–ู Template:IPA Template:Script สูด Template:IPA 'to inhale' –ุ Template:IPA Template:Script สุ๋ด Template:IPA 'rearmost'
เ– Template:IPA Template:Script เอน Template:IPA 'to recline' เ–ะ Template:IPA Template:Script เอ็น Template:IPA 'tendon, ligament'
แ– Template:IPA Template:Script แก่ Template:IPA 'to be old' แ–ะ Template:IPA Template:Script แก๋ะ Template:IPA 'sheep'
–ื- Template:IPA Template:Script ฅืน (คืน) Template:IPA 'to return' –ึ Template:IPA Template:Script ขึ้น Template:IPA 'to go up'
เ–อ Template:IPA Template:Script เมิน Template:IPA 'to delay; long time' เ–อะ Template:IPA Template:Script เงิน Template:IPA 'silver'
โ– Template:IPA Template:Script โจ๋ร (โจ๋น) Template:IPA 'thief' โ–ะ Template:IPA Template:Script จ๋น Template:IPA 'to be poor'
–อ Template:IPA Template:Script ลอง Template:IPA 'to try' เ–าะ Template:IPA Template:Script เซาะ Template:IPA 'to search'

The basic vowels can be combined into diphthongs. For purposes of determining tone, those marked with an asterisk are sometimes classified as long:

Long Short
Thai script IPA Thai script IPA
–าย Template:IPA ไ–*, ใ–*, ไ–ย, -ัย Template:IPA
–าว Template:IPA เ–า* Template:IPA
เ–ีย Template:IPA เ–ียะ Template:IPA
– – –ิว Template:IPA
–ัว Template:IPA –ัวะ Template:IPA
–ูย Template:IPA –ุย Template:IPA
เ–ว Template:IPA เ–็ว Template:IPA
แ–ว Template:IPA – –
เ–ือ Template:IPA เ–ือะ Template:IPA
เ–ย Template:IPA – –
–อย Template:IPA – –
โ–ย Template:IPA – –

Additionally, there are three triphthongs, For purposes of determining tone, those marked with an asterisk are sometimes classified as long:

Thai script IPA
เ–ียว* Template:IPA
–วย* Template:IPA
เ–ือย* Template:IPA

Allophones

The following section largely concerns the Nan dialect of Northern Thai.<ref>Hundius, Harald. Phonologie und Schrift des Nordthai. Marburg: Deutsche Morgenländische Gesellschaft ;, 1990. Print.</ref>

Phoneme Allophone Context Example

(Tai Tham script)

Example

(Thai script)

IPA Gloss
Template:IPA Template:IPA onset Template:Script บ่า Template:IPA shoulder
Template:IPA Template:IPA onset Template:Script ดอย Template:IPA mountain
Template:IPA Template:IPA onset Template:Script ป่า Template:IPA forest
Template:IPA coda Template:Script อาบ Template:IPA bath
Template:IPA coda, emphasised Template:Script บ่หลับ Template:IPA don't sleep!
Template:IPA Template:IPA onset Template:Script ตา Template:IPA eye
Template:IPA coda Template:Script เปิด Template:IPA open
Template:IPA coda, emphasised Template:Script บ่เผ็ด Template:IPA not spicy!
Template:IPA Template:IPA onset Template:Script กา Template:IPA crow
Template:IPA coda Template:Script ปีก Template:IPA wing
Template:IPA coda, emphasised Template:Script บ่สุก Template:IPA not ripe!
Template:IPA Template:IPA before non-front vowels Template:Script แขก Template:IPA guest
Template:IPA before front vowels Template:Script ฅิง Template:IPA you (familiar)
Template:IPA Template:IPA onset Template:Script ซาว Template:IPA twenty
Template:IPA under emphasis Template:Script สาทุ Template:IPA surely
Template:IPA Template:IPA non-intervocalic Template:Script ห้า Template:IPA five
Template:IPA intervocalic Template:Script ใผมาหา Template:IPA who come find (Who is here to see you?)
Template:IPA Template:IPA after bilabial stop Template:Script ฅืบนึ่ง Template:IPA span one (one more span)
Template:IPA after alveolar stop Template:Script แถมขวดนึ่ง Template:IPA more bottle one (one more bottle)
Template:IPA after velar stop Template:Script แถมดอกนึ่ง Template:IPA more flower one (one more flower)

Tones

Template:Multiple image There are six phonemic tones in the Chiang Mai dialect of Northern Thai: low-rising, low-falling, high-level with glottal closure, mid-level, high-falling, and high-rising.<ref name=theLannaDictionary>พจนานุกรมภาษาล้านนา = The Lanna dictionary (พิมพ์ครั้งที่ 2). (พ.ศ. 2550 [= 2007 CE]). เชียงใหม่: สถาบันภาษา ศิลปะและวัฒนธรรม มหาวิทยาลัยราชภัฏเชียงใหม่.</ref> or low-rising, mid-low, high-falling, mid-high, falling, and high rising-falling<ref name=Gedney1999>Gedney, W. J. (1999). Southwestern Tai dialects: Glossaries, texts, and translations (T. J. Hudak, Ed.). University of Michigan Center for South East Asian Studies.</ref>


Contrastive tones in smooth syllables

The table below presents six phonemic tones in the Chiang Mai and Nan dialects in smooth syllables, i.e. closed syllables ending in sonorant sounds such as [m], [n], [ŋ], [w], and [j] and open syllables. Sources have not agreed on the phonetic realization of the six tones in the Chiang Mai dialect. The table presents information based on two sources, one from Gedney (1999)<ref name=Gedney1999/> and the other one from the Lanna dictionary (2007)<ref name=theLannaDictionary/> which is a Northern Thai-Thai dictionary. Although published in 1999, Gedney's information about the Chiang Mai dialect is based on data he collected from one speaker in Chiang Mai in 1964 (p. 725). As tones may change within one's lifetime (e.g., Bangkok Thai tones have changed over the past 100 years<ref>Pittayaporn, P. (2007). Directionality of tone change. Proceedings of the 16th International Congress of Phonetic Sciences (ICPhS XVI), 1421–1424.</ref>), the information about the six tones from Gedney (1999) should be considered with caution.

The six tones in the Chiang Mai and Nan dialects
Chiang Mai
(the Lanna dictionary, 2007, p. ต)<ref name=theLannaDictionary/>		 Chiang Mai
(Gedney, 1999, p. 725)<ref name=Gedney1999/>		 Standard Thai tone Equated to<ref name="MFL_pCH"/> Example based on the Chiang Mai tones described in the Lanna Dictionary (2007)<ref name=theLannaDictionary/>
Name Tone letters Name Tone letters Tone letters Phonemic Phonetic Northern Thai script Thai script Gloss
low-rising (A1-2) 24 or ˨˦ low-rising (A1-2) 14 or ˩˦ 23 or ˨˧ rising Template:IPA Template:IPA Template:Script เหลา sharpen
low-falling (B1-3) 21 or ˨˩ mid-low (B1-3) 22 or ˨˨ 22 or ˨˨ low Template:IPA Template:IPA Template:Script เหล่า forest; group
high-level with glottal closure (which falls slightly at the end<ref name=theLannaDictionary/>) (C1-3) 44ʔ or ˦˦ʔ high-falling, glottalized (C1-3) 53ʔ or ˥˧ʔ 44ʔ or ˦˦ʔ (none) Template:IPA Template:IPA Template:Script เหล้า liquor, alcoholic drink
mid-level (A3-4) 33 or ˧˧ mid-high (A3-4) (which sometimes rises at the end<ref name=Gedney1999/>) 44 or ˦˦ 35 or ˧˥ mid Template:IPA Template:IPA Template:Script เลา beautiful, pretty; reed
high-falling (B4) 42 or ˦˨ falling (B4) 41 or ˦˩ 31 or ˧˩ falling Template:IPA Template:IPA Template:Script เล่า tell (a story)
high-rising (C4) 45 or ˦˥ high rising-falling, glottalized (C4) 454ʔ or ˦˥˦ʔ 41ʔ or ˦˩ʔ high Template:IPA Template:IPA Template:Script เล้า coop, pen (for chickens or pigs)

The Gedney boxes for the tones are shown below the descriptions.

Contrastive tones in checked syllables

The table below presents four phonemic tones in checked syllables, i.e. closed syllables ending in a glottal stop [ʔ] and obstruent sounds such as [p], [t], and [k].

Tone<ref name=theLannaDictionary/> Standard Thai Tone
Equated to<ref name="MFL_pCH"/>		 Example
(Northern Thai script)		 Example
(Thai script)		 Phonemic Phonetic<ref name=theLannaDictionary/> gloss
low-rising (D1-3S) rising Template:Script หลั๋ก Template:IPA Template:IPA post
high-rising (D4S) high Template:Script ลัก Template:IPA Template:IPA steal
low-falling (D1-3L) low Template:Script หลาก Template:IPA Template:IPA differ from others
high-falling (D4L) falling Template:Script ลาก Template:IPA Template:IPA drag

Grammar

The grammar of Northern Thai is similar to those of other Tai languages. The word order is subject–verb–object, although the subject is often omitted. Just as Standard Thai, Northern Thai pronouns are selected according to the gender and relative status of speaker and audience.

Adjectives and adverbs

There is no morphological distinction between adverbs and adjectives. Many words can be used in either function. They succeed the word which they modify, which may be a noun, verb, or another adjective or adverb.

Because adjectives can be used as complete predicates, many words used to indicate tense in verbs (see Verbs:Aspect below) may be used to describe adjectives.

Verbs

Verbs do not inflect. They do not change with person, tense, voice, mood, or number; nor are there any participles.

The passive voice is indicated by the insertion of Template:Script / โดน (Template:Lang, Template:IPA) before the verb. For example:

  • Template:Script / เปิ้นโดนตี๋ (Template:Lang, Template:IPA), He is hit or He got hit. This describes an action that is out of the receiver's control and, thus, conveys suffering.

To convey the opposite sense, a sense of having an opportunity arrive, Template:Script / ได้ (dai, Template:IPA, can) is used. For example:

Negation is indicated by placing บ่ (bor,Template:IPA or Template:IPA not) before the verb.

Aspect is conveyed by aspect markers before or after the verb.

Present can be indicated by Template:Script / กะลัง (Template:Lang, Template:IPA, currently) or Template:Script / กะลังหะ (Template:Lang, Template:IPA, currently) before the verb for ongoing action (like English -ing form), by Template:Script / อยู่ (Template:Lang, Template:IPA) after the verb, or by both. For example:
Future can be indicated by Template:Script / จะ (cha, Template:IPA, will) before the verb or by a time expression indicating the future. For example:
Past can be indicated by Template:Script / ได้ (dai, Template:IPA) before the verb or by a time expression indicating the past. However, Template:Script / แล้ว (laew,  :Template:IPA, already) is often used to indicate the past aspect by being placed behind the verb. Or, both ได้ and แล้ว are put together to form the past aspect expression. For example:

Aspect markers are not required.

Words that indicate obligation include at cha (Template:Script / อาจจะ), na cha (Template:Script / หน้าจะ), khuan cha (Template:Script / ควรจะ)Template:Dubious, and tong (Template:Script / ต้อง).

Actions that wherein one is busily engaged can be indicated by มัวก่า (mua ka, Template:IPA).

  • Template:Script / ก่อมัวก่ากิ๋นหั้นเนาะ (kor mua ka kin han nor, Template:IPA) (It's that you/he/she) just keeps on eating it like that, you know?

Words that express one's desire to do something can by indicated by khai (ใค่) and kan (กั๊น).

Template:Lang (Template:Script / ผ่อท่าว่า, Template:IPA) is used to give the impression or sensation of being something or having a particular quality.

Final particles

Northern Thai has a number of final particles, which have different functions.

Interrogative particles

Some of the most common interrogative particles are Template:Lang (Template:Script / ก่อ, Template:IPA) and Template:Lang (Template:Script / กา, Template:IPA)

Imperative particles

Some imperative particles are Template:Script (แล่), Template:Script (จิ่ม), and Template:Script (เตอะ).

Template:Lang (Template:Script / แล่, Template:IPA)

Template:Lang (Template:Script / จิ่ม, Template:IPA)

Template:Lang (Template:Script / เหีย, Template:IPA)

Template:Lang (Template:Script / เต๊อะ, Template:IPA)

Polite particles

Polite particles include Template:Script (คับ) and Template:Script (เจ้า).

Nouns

Nouns are uninflected and have no gender; there are no articles.

Nouns are neither singular nor plural. Some specific nouns are reduplicated to form collectives: Template:Script / ละอ่อน (Template:Lang, Template:IPA, child) is often repeated as Template:Script ละอ่อน ๆ (Template:Lang, Template:IPA,) to refer to a group of children.

The word Template:Script / หมู่(Template:Lang, Template:IPA) may be used as a prefix of a noun or pronoun as a collective to pluralize or emphasise the following word. (Template:Script / หมู่ผม, Template:Lang, Template:IPA, we (exclusive), masculine; Template:Script / หมู่เฮา Template:Lang, Template:IPA, emphasised we; Template:Script / หมู่หมา Template:Lang, Template:IPA, (the) dogs).

Plurals are expressed by adding classifiers, used as measure words (ลักษณนาม), in the form of noun-number-classifier ( Template:Script / คูห้าคน, "teacher five person" for "five teachers").

Pronouns

Pronouns may be omitted once they have already been established in the first sentence, unless the pronoun in the following sentences is different from the first sentence. The pronoun "you" may also be omitted if the speaker is speaking directly to a second person. Moreover, names may replace pronouns, and they can even replace the first person singular pronoun.

Person Tai Tham script Thai script Transliteration Phonemic (IPA) Phonetic (IPA) Meaning
first Template:Script กู Template:Lang /kūː/ [kuː˧] I/me (impolite/vulgar)
Template:Script ฮา Template:Lang /hāː/ [häː˧] I/me (from high-status to low-status or familiar; informal)
Template:Script ข้า Template:Lang /kʰa᷇ː/ [kʰäː˥˧] I/me (formal; used by male). Literally "servant, slave".
Template:Script ผู้ข้า Template:Lang /pʰu᷇ː.kʰa᷇ː/ [pʰuː˥˧.kʰäː˥˧] I/me (formal)
Template:Script ข้าน้อย Template:Lang /kʰa᷇ː nɔ́ːj/ [kʰäː˥˧ nɔːi̯˦˥] I/me (formal; used by male/archaic)
Template:Script ข้าเจ้า Template:Lang /kʰa᷇ː tɕa᷇w/ [kʰäː˥˧.t͡ɕäu̯˥˧] I/me (formal; used by female/historically also used by male)
Template:Script ข้าผะเจ้า Template:Lang /kʰa᷇ː.pʰa.tɕa᷇w/ [kʰäː˥˧.pʰä˨.t͡ɕäu̯˥˧] I/me (very formal)
Template:Script เฮา Template:Lang /hāw/ [häu̯˧] we/us (common)
Template:Script ตู๋ Template:Lang /tǔː/ [t̪uː˨˦] we/us (exclusive)
second Template:Script มึง Template:Lang /mɯ̄ŋ/ [mɯŋ˧] you (impolite/vulgar)
Template:Script ฅิง Template:Lang /kʰīŋ/ [kʰiŋ˧] you (from high-status to low-status or familiar; informal/singular)
Template:Script ตั๋ว Template:Lang /tǔa/ [tua˨˦] you (familiar/singular)
Template:Script เจ้า Template:Lang /tɕa᷇w/ [tɕäw˥˧] you (formal/singular). Literally "master, lord"
Template:Script สู Template:Lang /sǔː/ [suː˨˦] you (informal; plural or formal/singular)
Template:Script สูเขา Template:Lang /sǔː kʰǎw/ [suː˨˦ kʰäw˨˦] you (informal/plural)
Template:Script สูเจ้า Template:Lang /sǔː tɕa᷇w/ [suː˨˦ tɕäw˥˧] you (formal/plural)
third Template:Script มัน Template:Lang /mān/ [män˧] it, he/she (offensive if used to refer to a person)
Template:Script เขา Template:Lang /kʰǎw/ [kʰäw˨˦] they/them
Template:Script เปิ้น Template:Lang /pɤ̂n/ [pɤn˥˩] he/she (general), others
Template:Script ต้าน Template:Lang /tâːn/ [täːn˥˩] he/she (formal), you (formal), others
reflexive Template:Script ตั๋วเก่า Template:Lang /tǔa kàw/ [tua˨˦ käw˨˩] oneself

Vocabulary

Northern Thai shares much vocabulary with Standard Thai, especially scientific terms, which draw many prefixes and suffixes from Sanskrit and Pali, and it also has its own distinctive words. Just like Thai and Lao, Northern Thai has borrowed many loanwords from Khmer, Sanskrit, and Pali.

word gloss origin
Template:IPA
Template:Script
ของกิ๋น		 food native Tai word
Template:IPA
Template:Script
อาหาร		 food Pali and/or Sanskrit
Template:IPA
Template:Script
ก่ำเนิด (กำเนิด)Template:Dubious		 birth Khmer

Writing system

Northern Thai in its own alphabet, the Tai Tham alphabet

Currently, different scripts are used to write Northern Thai. Northern Thai is traditionally written with the Tai Tham script, which in Northern Thai is called Template:Lang (Template:Script ตั๋วเมือง Template:IPA) or Template:Lang (Template:Script ตั๋วธัมม์ Template:IPA). However, native speakers are presently illiterate in the traditional script;Template:Citation needed therefore, they instead use the Thai script to write the language.Template:Citation needed In Laos, the Lao script is commonly used to write Northern Thai.Template:Citation needed

A sign written in Northern Thai, Thai, and English

Some problems arise when the Thai script is used to write Northern Thai. In particular, Standard Thai script cannot transcribe all Northern Thai tones. The two falling tones in Northern Thai correspond to a single falling tone in Thai. Specifically, Northern Thai has two types of falling tones: high-mid falling tone (Template:IPA) and high-falling tone (Template:IPA). However, Thai lacks the distinction between the two falling tones, not having a high-falling tone (Template:IPA). When using Thai script to write Northern Thai tones, the distinction of the two falling tones is lost because Thai script can only indicate a low falling tone (Template:IPA). As an example, the tonal distinction between Template:IPA (ก้า (Template:Script กล้า) "to be brave") and Template:IPA (ก้า (Template:Script ค่า) "value") is lost when written in Thai since as only Template:IPA (ก้า) is permitted. Consequently, the meaning of ก้า is ambiguous as it can mean both "to be brave" and "value". Similarly, Template:IPA (ป้าย (Template:Script ป้าย) "sign") and Template:IPA (ป้าย (Template:Script พ่าย) "to lose") have the same problem and only Template:IPA (ป้าย) is permitted. As a result, the spelling ป้าย is ambiguous because it can mean both "sign" or "to lose". Such tonal mergence ambiguity is avoided when the language is written with the Northern Thai script.

  • Northern Thai script page 1
    Northern Thai script page 1
  • Northern Thai script page 2
    Northern Thai script page 2
  • Northern Thai script page 3
    Northern Thai script page 3
  • Northern Thai script page 4
    Northern Thai script page 4

Northern Thai and Standard Thai

The tables below present the differences between Northern Thai and Standard Thai.

Different sounds

Unlike Northern Thai, Standard Thai lacks alveolo-palatal nasal sound (/ɲ/). Thus, the alveolo-palatal nasal sound (/ɲ/) and the palatal approximant sound (/j/) in Northern Thai both correspond to the palatal approximant sound in Standard Thai:

Standard Thai Northern Thai gloss note
[jâːk]
ยาก		 [ɲâːk]
Template:Script		 difficult cf. Template:Langx [ɲâːk]
[jūŋ]
ยุง		 [ɲūŋ]
Template:Script		 mosquito cf. Template:Langx [ɲúŋ]
[jāːw]
ยาว		 [ɲāːw]
Template:Script		 long cf. Template:Langx [ɲáːw]
[jāː]
ยา		 [jāː]
Template:Script
 medicine cf. Template:Langx [jàː]
[jàːk]
อยาก		 [jàːk]
Template:Script		 desire cf. Template:Langx [jȁːk]
[jàːŋ]
อย่าง		 [jàːŋ]
Template:Script		 manner, way cf. Template:Langx [jāːŋ]

Unlike Northern Thai, Standard Thai lacks a high-mid-falling tone ([˥˧]). The high-mid falling tone ([˥˧]) and high-falling tone ([˦˩]) in Northern Thai both correspond to the falling tone in Standard Thai ([˦˩]).

Standard Thai Northern Thai gloss
[bâːn]
บ้าน		 [ba᷇ːn]
Template:Script		 village, home
[hâː]
ห้า		 [ha᷇ː]
Template:Script		 five
[tɕâw]
เจ้า		 [tɕa᷇w]
Template:Script		 master, lord, you
[lâw]
เหล้า		 [la᷇w]
Template:Script		 alcohol
[lâw]
เล่า		 [lâw]
Template:Script		 tell (a story)

Different words

Many words differ from Standard Thai greatly:

Standard Thai Northern Thai gloss note
[jîː sìp]
ยี่สิบ		 [sāːw]
Template:Script
ซาว		 twenty cf. Template:Langx [sáːw] "twenty"
and Shan: Template:Script [sáːw] "twenty"
[pʰûːt]
พูด		 [ʔu᷇ː]
Template:Script
อู้		 speak
[pʰîː tɕʰāːj]
พี่ชาย		 [ʔa᷇ːj]
Template:Script
อ้าย		 older brother cf. Template:Langx [ʔâːj] "older brother"
and Shan: Template:Script [ʔāːj] "eldest brother, first born son"
[tʰáːj tʰɔ̄ːj]
ท้ายทอย		 [ŋɔ̂n]
Template:Script
ง่อน		 nape cf. Template:Langx [ŋɔ̄n] "nape"
[tɕā.mùːk]
จมูก		 [dāŋ]
Template:Script
ดัง		 nose cf. Template:Langx [dàŋ] "nose",
Standard Thai: ดั้ง [dâŋ] "nasal bridge".
[tʰām]
ทำ		 [ɲa᷇ʔ]
Template:Script/Template:Script
ยะ/เยียะ		 do
[dūː]
ดู		 [pʰɔ̀ː]
Template:Script
ผ่อ		 look cf. Template:Langx [pʰɔ̄ː] "to see, to look"
and Tai Lü: Template:Script [pʰɔ̀ː] "to see, to look"
[tʰîaw]
เที่ยว		 [ʔɛ̀w]
Template:Script
แอ่ว		 visit, travel cf. Tai Lü: Template:Script [ʔɛ᷄w] "to visit, to travel"
[nɯ́a]
เนื้อ		 [tɕín]
Template:Script
จิ๊น		 meat cf. Template:Langx [sîːn] "meat"
[mâj]
ไม่		 [bɔ̀ː]
Template:Script
บ่อ		 no cf. Template:Langx [bɔ̄ː] "no, not"
[tɕʰɔ̂ːp]
ชอบ		 [ma᷇k]
Template:Script
มัก		 like cf. Template:Langx [māk] "to like"
[mâːk]
มาก		 [na᷇k]
Template:Script
นัก		 much, many
[dɤ̄ːn]
เดิน		 [tīaw]
Template:Script
เตียว		 walk cf. Tai Lü: Template:Script [têw] "to walk"
[wîŋ]
วิ่ง		 [lôn]
Template:Script
ล่น		 run
[hǔa rɔ́ʔ]
หัวเราะ		 [kʰâj hǔa]

Template:Script
ใค่หัว

laugh cf. Tai Lü: Template:Script [xāj hó] "to laugh"
[sā.nùk]
สนุก		 [mûan]

Template:Script
ม่วน

funny, amusing cf. Template:Langx [mūan] "fun, amusing, pleasant",
Tai Lü: Template:Script [mōn] "fun, amusing, pleasant",
and Shan: Template:Script [mōn] "fun, amusing, pleasant"
[kōː hòk]
โกหก		 [tɕúʔ]

Template:Script
จุ๋

lie cf. Tai Lü: Template:Script [tsu᷄ʔ] "to lie, to deceive"
[ʔā.rāj]
อะไร		 [ʔā.ɲǎŋ]
Template:Script
อะหยัง		 what cf. Template:Langx [ʔī.ɲǎŋ] "what"
[dèk]
เด็ก		 [lā.ʔɔ̀n]
Template:Script
ละอ่อน		 child cf. Tai Lü: Template:Script [lūk.ʔɔ᷄n] "child, young offspring"
[pʰráʔ]
พระ		 [túʔ tɕa᷇w]
Template:Script
ตุ๊เจ้า		 Buddhist monk cf. Tai Lü: Template:Script [tūʔ tsa᷅w] "Buddhist monk"

Similar words

There is not a straightforward correspondence between the tones of Northern and Standard Thai. It also depends on the initial consonant, as can be seen from the merged Gedney tone boxes for Standard Thai and the accent of Chiang Mai:

Ancestral tone: A (smooth, no tone mark) B (mai ek) DL (checked, long vowel) DS (dead, short vowel) C (mai tho)
Initial Consonant Std Thai CM NT gloss Std Thai CM NT gloss Std Thai CM NT gloss Std Thai CM NT gloss Std Thai CM NT gloss
1. High rising low-rising ear low mid-low four low low to hit low low-rising to dig falling high-falling old
/hǔː/
หู		 /hǔː/
Template:Script
หู 		/sìː/
สี่		 /sìː/
Template:Script
สี่		 /tʰùːk/
ถูก		 /tʰùːk/
Template:Script
ถูก		 /kʰùt/
ขุด		 /kʰǔt/
Template:Script
ขุ๋ด		 /tʰâw/
เฒ่า		 /tʰa᷇w/
Template:Script
เฒ่า
2. CM High but Std Mid (= Std Thai ก ต ป) mid low-rising eye low mid-low turtle low low mouth low low-rising to fall falling high-falling aunt
/tāː/
ตา		 /tǎː/
Template:Script
ต๋า 		/tàw/
เต่า		 /tàw/
Template:Script
เต่า		 /pàːk/
ปาก		 /pàːk/
Template:Script
ปาก		 /tòk/
ตก		 /tǒk/
Template:Script
ต๋ก		 /pâː/
ป้า		 /pa᷇ː/
Template:Script
ป้า
3. Mid for Both (= Std Thai ด บ อ อย) mid mid-high good low mid-low to scold low low flower low low-rising to bend falling high-falling mad
/dīː/
ดี		 /dīː/
Template:Script
ดี 		/dàː/
ด่า		 /dà:/
Template:Script
ด่า		 /dɔ̀ːk/
ดอก		 /dɔ̀ːk/
Template:Script
ดอก		 /dàt/
ดัด		 /dǎt/
Template:Script
ดั่ด		 /bâː/
บ้า		 /ba᷇ː/
Template:Script
บ้า
4. Low mid mid-high fly falling falling mother falling falling knife high high-falling bird high high rising-falling horse
/bīn/
บิน		 /bīn/
Template:Script
บิน		 /mɛ̂ː/
แม่		 /mɛ̂ː/
Template:Script
แม่		 /mîːt/
มีด		 /mîːt/
Template:Script
มีด		 /nók/
นก		 /no᷇k/
Template:Script
นก		 /máː/
ม้า		 /máː/
Template:Script
ม้า

Note that the commonalities between columns are features of the Chiang Mai accent. On the other hand, the relationships between rows are typical of Northern Thai, being found for at least for Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai,<ref name=Li77/> Phayao,<ref name=Li77/> Nan and Prae,<ref name=Li77/> and extending at least to Tak<ref name=Li77/> and the old 6-tone accent of Tai Khuen,<ref name=Li77/> except that the checked syllables of Chiang Rai are more complicated.

The primary function of a tone box is etymological. However, it also serves as a summary of the rules for tone indication when the writing system is essentially etymological in that regard, as is the case with the major Tai-language writing systems using the Thai, Lanna, New Tai Lue, Lao and Tai Dam scripts.

Some words differ only as a result of the regular tone correspondences:

Standard Thai Northern Thai gloss
[hòk]
หก		 [hǒk]<ref>Rungrueangsi 2004, pp. ฉ, ช & 769</ref>
Template:Script
ห๋ก		 six
[tɕèt]
เจ็ด		 [tɕět]<ref>Rungrueangsi 2004, pp. ฉ, ช & 199</ref>
Template:Script
เจ๋ด		 seven
[sìp]
สิบ		 [sǐp]<ref>Rungrueangsi 2004, pp. ฉ, ช & 746</ref>
Template:Script
สิ๋บ		 ten
[pēn]
เป็น		 [pěn]
Template:Script
เป๋น		 be (copula)
[kīn]
กิน		 [kǐn]
Template:Script
กิ๋น		 eat

Other tone differences are unpredictable, such as:

Standard Thai Northern Thai gloss
[nɯ̀ŋ]
หนึ่ง		 [nɯ̂ŋ]
Template:Script
นึ่ง		 one

Some words differ in a single sound and associated tone. In many words, the initial ร (/r/) in Standard Thai corresponds to ฮ (/h/) in Northern Thai:

Standard Thai Northern Thai gloss note
[rɔ́ːn]
ร้อน		 [hɔ́ːn]
Template:Script
ฮ้อน		 hot cf. Lao: ຮ້ອນ [hɔ̂ːn] "to be hot" and Shan: Template:Script [hɔ̰n] "to be hot"
[rák]
รัก		 [ha᷇k]
Template:Script
ฮัก		 love cf. Lao: ຮັກ [hāk] "to love" and Shan: Template:Script [ha̰k] "to love"
[rúː]
รู้		 [húː]
Template:Script
ฮู้		 know cf. Lao: ຮູ້ [hûː] "know" and Shan: Template:Script [hṵ] "know"

Aspiration of initial consonants

Some aspirated consonants in the low-class consonant group (อักษรต่ำ /ʔàk.sɔ̌ːn.tàm/) in Standard Thai correspond to unaspirated sounds in Northern Thai. These sounds include ค, ช, ท, and พ (/kʰ/, /tɕʰ/, /tʰ/, and /pʰ/ respectively), but sounds such as ฅ, คร, ฆ, ฒ, พร, ภ (/kʰ/, /kʰr/, /kʰ/, /tʰ/, /pʰr/, and /pʰ/ respectively) remain aspirated. Such aspirated consonants that are unaspirated in Northern Thai correspond to unaspirated voiced sounds in Proto-Tai which are *ɡ, *ɟ, *d, and *b (ค, ช, ท, and พ respectively).:

Standard Thai Northern Thai gloss note
[tɕʰīaŋ rāːj]
เชียงราย		 [tɕīaŋ hāːj]
Template:Script
เจียงฮาย		 Chiang Rai city and province cf. Tai Lü: Template:Script [tsêŋ hâːj] "Chiang Rai"
[kʰít]
คิด		 [kɯ́t]
Template:Script
กึ๊ด		 think cf. Tai Lü: Template:Script [kɯ̄t] "to think"
[tɕʰɔ́ːn]
ช้อน		 [tɕɔ́ːn]
Template:Script
จ๊อน		 spoon cf. Tai Lü: Template:Script [tsɔ̀n] "spoon"
[tɕʰáj]
ใช้		 [tɕáj]
Template:Script
ใจ๊		 use cf. Shan: Template:Script [tsa̰ɰ] "to use", Tai Lü: Template:Script [tsàj] "to use"
[pʰɔ̂ː]
พ่อ		 [pɔ̂ː]
Template:Script
ป้อ		 father cf. Shan: Template:Script [pɔ̄] "father", Tai Lü: Template:Script [pɔ̄] "father"
[tʰāːŋ]
ทาง		 [tāːŋ]
Template:Script
ตาง		 way cf. Shan: Template:Script [táːŋ] "way", Tai Lü: Template:Script [tâːŋ] "way"

But not:

Standard Thai Northern Thai gloss note
[kʰôːt.sā.nāː]
โฆษณา		 [kʰôːt.sā.nāː]
Template:Script
โฆษณา		 commercial, advertisement cf. Tai Lü: Template:Script [xôː.sā.nâː] "advertisement"
[pʰāː.sǎː]
ภาษา		 [pʰāː.sǎː]
Template:Script
ภาษา		 language cf. Tai Lü: Template:Script [pʰâː.sáː] "nationality"
[wát.tʰā.ná(ʔ).tʰām]
วัฒนธรรม		 [wa᷇t.tʰā.na᷇(ʔ).tʰām]
Template:Script
วัฒนธัมม์		 culture cf. Tai Lü: Template:Script [wāt.tʰā.nā(ʔ).tʰâm] "culture"
[tʰām]
ธรรม		 [tʰām]
Template:Script
ธัมม์		 Dharma cf. Tai Lü: Template:Script [tʰâm] "Dharma"

Though a number of aspirated consonants in Standard Thai often correspond to unaspirated sounds in Northern Thai, when an unaspirated consonant is followed by ร (/r/) the unaspirated consonant becomes aspirated:

Standard Thai Northern Thai gloss note
[prā.tʰêːt]
ประเทศ		 [pʰā.têːt]
Template:Script
ผะเต้ศ		 country cf. Tai Lü: Template:Script [pʰā.te᷄ːt] "country"
[kràːp]
กราบ		 [kʰàːp]
Template:Script
ขาบ		 kowtow, prostrate cf. Tai Lü: Template:Script [xa᷄ːp] "to prostrate oneself"
[prāː.sàːt]
ปราสาท		 [pʰǎː.sàːt]
Template:Script
ผาสาท		 palace cf. Tai Lü: Template:Script [pʰáː.sa᷄ːt] "palace"

Notes

Template:Reflist

References

Further reading

Template:Refbegin

  • Bilmes, J. (1996). Problems And Resources In Analyzing Northern Thai Conversation For English Language Readers. Journal of Pragmatics, 26(2), 171–188.
  • Davis, R. (1970). A Northern Thai reader. Bangkok: Siam Society.
  • Filbeck, D. (1973). Pronouns in Northern Thai. Anthropological Linguistics, 15(8), 345–361.
  • Herington, Jennifer, Margaret Potter, Amy Ryan and Jennifer Simmons (2013). Sociolinguistic Survey of Northern Thai. SIL Electronic Survey Reports.
  • Howard, K. M. (2009). "When Meeting Khun Teacher, Each Time We Should Pay Respect": Standardizing Respect In A Northern Thai Classroom. Linguistics and Education, 20(3), 254–272.
  • Khankasikam, K. (2012). Printed Lanna character recognition by using conway's game of life. In ICDIM (pp. 104–109).
  • Pankhuenkhat, R. (1982). The Phonology of the Lanna Language:(a Northern Thai Dialect). Institute of Language and Culture for Rural Development, Mahidol University.
  • Strecker, D. (1979). "A preliminary typology of tone shapes and tonal sound changes in Tai: the La-n N-a A-tones", in Studies in Tai and Mon-Khmer Phonetics and Phonology In Honour of Eugénie J.A. Henderson, ed. T.L. Thongkum et al., pp. 171–240. Chulalongkorn University Press.
  • Wangsai, Piyawat. (2007). A Comparative Study of Phonological Yong and Northern Thai Language (Kammuang). M.A. thesis. Kasetsart University.

Template:Refend

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