What is your name? #3: Examples of ‘Cªheu l§en’ names
‘Cªheu l§en’ names are normally single syllable words no more than four letters long. They tend to be the names of animals, numbers, colours or distinct people characteristics. Some ‘Cªheu l§en’ names are taken from letters of the Roman alphabet (E.g. A person may be called ‘A’ or ‘B’). In most cases these names convey something far deeper than the literal word meaning suggests due to the associations Thai people have with that name.
Below are some examples of ‘Cªheu l§en’ names.
| Phonetic | Thai | English |
|---|---|---|
|
³Yy  |
ใหญ่ |
Big |
|
N°ok |
นก |
Bird |
|
³Gy |
ไก่ |
Chicken |
|
Dtah |
ตา |
Eye |
|
F™on |
ฝน |
Rain |
|
Daeng |
แดง |
Red |
|
S¡uay |
สวย |
Pretty |
|
L°ek |
เล็ก |
Small |
You will notice that it is possible to outgrow some of these nicknames. An infant that is small as a baby and given the name ‘L°ek’ for instance may grow into a tall person, and that beautiful cherubic baby named ‘S¡uay’ may grow into something of an eyesore when older!
Games for this lesson
The following games draw upon the content from this lesson and any prior lessons.
