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[Colin]

Hi,

Teaching basic family terms in an intro Thai class the other night, and a student asked me how identical twins refer to one another in Thai, as the terms I introduced are age-relative (phîi-nǎwng). I was unable to answer! Seemed like a good question for the forum!

Thanks

Colin

[simonbournemouth]

Hi Colin, welcome to the forum.

Twins also refer to one another as phîi-nǎwng. One of them has to be born first!!!

I wonder how Chang and Eng referred to each other?

[Colin]

Hi Simon,

True enough! I guess I wasn't thinking of the age separation down to the level of minutes! Thanks for the reply.

But indeed, conjoined twins present a whole different linguistic problem...

Colin

[Nan]

แฝดคนพี่ - the elder twin

แฝดคนน้อง - the younger twin

พี่ชายฝาแฝด - older twin brother

น้องชายฝาแฝด - younger twin brother

พี่สาวฝาแฝด - older twin sister

น้องสาวฝาแฝด - younger twin sister

ฝาแฝด - twins

[Colin]

ขอบคุณมากครับ !



Colin

[JingJo Thames]

คุณ Colin ครับ

If I may ask, what kind of intro Thai class do you teach?

Inquiring minds yearn to learn...

โจ้

[Colin]

สวัสดีครับ !

I am actually a lecturer in English, Linguistics and Asia-Pacific civilisation at l'Université de La Rochelle http://www.univ-larochelle.fr/, France. The course I have created here is a single 20 hour elective course (2 hours per week over 10 weeks = one semester). It is not part of a major stream (in the French system it is known as an "EC libre"), but is open to any student enrolled at the University.

I hesitated a long time before launching this course, mainly because I am far from fluent in Thai myself. I had a good conversational level about 20 years ago, but I have not used the language at all since.

Still, in the context of this course, where the students are starting from zero, and we only have 10 weeks, in fact my capacity in the language (as it turns out) is fine! We only have one class left (next week) before the end of the semester.

I am trying to actually speak in Thai as much as possible (using very simple statements and structures... a little งูๆ ปลาๆ), although as we progress that gets harder and harder to maintain. But the response has been positive, and it gives me great pleasure to be able to share a little of the love I have for the Thai language and the Thai people here in France, where both are considered very "exotic"...

And, as I have already said elsewhere in these fora, this site is an absolute gold-mine, and has helped me considerably in the preparation of my classes.



Colin

[JingJo Thames]

Very interesting. Sounds like a fun job and a great way to keep your Thai up and spread the love for the language and people. Hopefully with your newfound enthusiasm you are gaining more confidence in your own Thai ability - as well as that of your students'.

Glad you are finding the site as useful as the rest of us do

โจ้