Thai is a Tai-Kadai language of the Southwestern Tai group, spoken by about sixty million people, mainly in Thailand, where it is an official language and the de facto national language. It is closely related to Lao, and its vocabulary includes many words from Pali, Sanskrit and Old Khmer. The Thai alphabet, an abugida thought to be based on the Old Khmer alphabet, is traditionally said to have been created by King Ramkhamhaeng, and the oldest known inscriptions in Thai date from about 1292. The same script is used to write Pali and Sanskrit, and eight of its letters are used only for words of Pali and Sanskrit origin, so the writing system itself records the religious and learned vocabulary the language absorbed.
Facts
Geography
Modern AreaThailand, with speaker communities in the United States, Taiwan, Germany, Australia, Sweden and Malaysia 1 Origins
Language FamilyKra-Dai, Tai, Southwestern Tai, Chiang Saen, Thai 1 Identity
Native Script Liturgical role (class)Vernacular used liturgically 2 Connections
Attested in Region
Source Omniglot: Thai language page
Named or Composed in This Language
Source Omniglot: Thai language page
Source The Movie Database (TMDB): Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives
Source Wai khru ram muay (Wikipedia)
Originated In
Source Omniglot: Thai language page
Read in Region
Source Omniglot: Thai language page
Uses This Script
Source Omniglot: Thai language page
In the Other Atlases
Same As
Also in Language Atlas: the same subject.
In Branch
Also in Language Atlas: the branch this subject belongs to.
Source Omniglot: Thai language page
Sources
1. Omniglot: Thai language page
At a glance box: Language family
Language family : Kra-Dai, Tai, Southwestern Tai, Chiang Saen, Thai
At a glance box: Spoken in
Spoken in : Thailand, USA, Taiwan, Germany, Australia, Sweden, Malaysia and other countries
At a glance box: Writing system
Writing system : Thai alphabet
Originated In: Thailand, At a glance box: Status
Status : Official language in Thailand. Recognised minority language in Cambodia, Malaysia and Myanmar
Attested in Region: Southeast Asia, At a glance box: Status
Status : Official language in Thailand. Recognised minority language in Cambodia, Malaysia and Myanmar
Read in Region: Southeast Asia, At a glance box: Status
Status : Official language in Thailand. Recognised minority language in Cambodia, Malaysia and Myanmar
Named or Composed in This Language: Thai, Thai alphabet section
The Thai alphabet is used to write Thai, Sanskrit , Pali, and a number of minority languages spoken in Thailand.
Uses This Script: Thai, Thai at a glance
The Thai alphabet is used to write Thai, Sanskrit , Pali, and a number of minority languages spoken in Thailand.
View the Source2. New Catholic Encyclopedia (encyclopedia.com): Thailand, The Catholic Church in
New Catholic Encyclopedia (encyclopedia.com)Section after the Second Vatican CouncilQuote, Section after the Second Vatican Council
In the years following the conclusion of the Second Vatican Council , the Thai Church enthusiastically embraced the use of vernacular languages at Mass and explored opportunities to inculturate the Christian Gospel and the Church on Thai soil.
Wai khru ram muay (Wikipedia)
Named or Composed in This Language: Wai Khru Ram Muay, Lead sectionQuote, Named or Composed in This Language: Wai Khru Ram Muay, Lead section
(Thai: ไหว้ครูรำมวย
The Movie Database (TMDB): Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives
The Movie Database (TMDB)Named or Composed in This Language: Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (2010), Facts panel: Original LanguageQuote, Named or Composed in This Language: Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (2010), Facts panel: Original Language
Original Language Thai
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