ศาลาชุมนุม

[nakriian]

เอ๋ย is in the first verse of the thai alphabet song

ก เอ๋ย กอ ไก่

What does เอ๋ย mean? Can you give me another example? Also, does it even change the meaning of the verse if I remove เอ๋ย

[mangkorn]

Nan will explain this far better, but it isn't a word - rather more of a sound which denotes affection (like a "cooing" sound a mother makes to a small child). In this case, it could convey that feeling, as well as also just being a nice melodic starter for a nursery rhyme.

If you removed it, you wouldn't change any meanings, but then the song would begin with the harsher sound of กอ ไก่

[nakriian]

Thanks mangkorn, that is a good explanation. Here is the definition from the dictionary.

เอ๋ย eeuy
[particle, colloquial]
definition
[a sound expressing affection or politeness, used after a vocative by a man or woman]
categories ภาษาและวรรณคดี ; พยางค์อนุภาคในภาษาไทย Language - Literature » Particles
examples กอ เอ๋ย กอ ไก่ gaaw eeuy gaaw gai
G is for /gai/ (chicken)
แม่งูเอ๋ย maae nguu eeuy [name of a traditional Thai game/entertainment in the past]