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How Do You Spell Farang?


blackcab

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9 hours ago, Spidey said:

Was up in Buriram recently. Honestly didn't hear it. The locals claim to speak "Khmen" so I tried a bit of my Khmer on them. Understood very little, appears to be quite different to the Khmer that Cambodians speak.

The Khmer dialect spoken in south Buriram and Surin is northern Khmer, different to the Khmer found in the rest of Cambodia.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Khmer_dialect

 

I am in a village on the border most can speak Thai, but many of the older people can only speak Northern Khmer They can all pronounce "R'. Buriram city is different You wont find many speaking Khmer, I think its dying out.

 

We go to Cambodia regularly to visit family for weddings and funerals. I have noticed my wife has difficulty communicating in her northern Khmer more than 60 miles into Cambodia. 

 

 

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10 hours ago, Spidey said:

Was up in Buriram recently. Honestly didn't hear it. The locals claim to speak "Khmen" so I tried a bit of my Khmer on them. Understood very little, appears to be quite different to the Khmer that Cambodians speak.

Indeed. The Khmer dialect in south Isaan is Northern Khmer. 

 

Whether or not the locals you spoke to in Buriram would understand, even if you were speaking the correct dialect, would depend on two things. First is where in Buriram you were and second would be if the locals could understand your accent.

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2 minutes ago, youreavinalaff said:

Indeed. The Khmer dialect in south Isaan is Northern Khmer. 

 

Whether or not the locals you spoke to in Buriram would understand, even if you were speaking the correct dialect, would depend on two things. First is where in Buriram you were and second would be if the locals could understand your accent.

I learned a little Khmer in Pnom Penh and Pray Veng. I have tried speaking Khmer to people in both Buriram and Surin who have claimed to speak Khmen. Even some of the most basic phrases, they don't seem to understand. Chom reab sur - hello, gets blank looks. I'm sure that both Mick220675 and yourself are correct in your assertion that the Khmen spoken in Thailand is quite different to the khmer spoken in Pnom Penh.

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18 hours ago, blackcab said:

spelling the word "Farang". I've seen so many variations..

Maybe already posted but here in northern parts they say Falang.

 

I mostly post Falangie similar to an alien in StarTrek we are considered as aliens here after all.

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  • 8 months later...
On 2/10/2019 at 10:57 AM, mauGR1 said:

The English language has many good qualities, but transliteration of other languages is not one of those.

The Latin alphabet has many good qualities, and with the help of added symbols (such as used in the IPA) transliteration of other languages is one of those.

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11 hours ago, Northman said:

The Latin alphabet has many good qualities, and with the help of added symbols (such as used in the IPA) transliteration of other languages is one of those.

The latin alphabet is ok. It's English that is confusing, regarding to transliteration.

In Italian A is always an A and O is always an O. In English A can be an A, or an AE, O can be an O or a U, U can be a U or an A...Got it ? Not great for transliteration.

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ONCE UPON A TIME.........the French discovered that the British had already colonised the best parts of world. As the Brtish were not there yet, the french colonised Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.


They introduced themselfes: "Nous sommes Français et nous parlons Français" (We are French and we speak French).


The French never occupied Thailand, but a fierce trade between those French Colonies and Thailand was always taking place during this time.
Native traders from those colonies diden't forget to mention to Thai's that their "masters" are now "Français".
The ensuing linguistic evolution (accomodating the Asian tongue) was inevitable: From Français to Farangçais to the current day "Farang". End of story.
All other interpretations of the origin of the word "Farang" have it's roots in wishflul-thingking or an over-consumption of Beer-Chang.


Pronounced as Farang or Falang or Fereng is of minor importance: At the end of the day it means "foreighner".


-PS: As the Thai-tongue has difficulty pronouncing certain "Farang" Names correctly, often times the Thai Wifes prefer to introduce their Farang-Hubbies as "the Farang". 

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51 minutes ago, swissie said:

ONCE UPON A TIME.........the French discovered that the British had already colonised the best parts of world. As the Brtish were not there yet, the french colonised Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.


They introduced themselfes: "Nous sommes Français et nous parlons Français" (We are French and we speak French).


The French never occupied Thailand, but a fierce trade between those French Colonies and Thailand was always taking place during this time.
Native traders from those colonies diden't forget to mention to Thai's that their "masters" are now "Français".
The ensuing linguistic evolution (accomodating the Asian tongue) was inevitable: From Français to Farangçais to the current day "Farang". End of story.
All other interpretations of the origin of the word "Farang" have it's roots in wishflul-thingking or an over-consumption of Beer-Chang.


Pronounced as Farang or Falang or Fereng is of minor importance: At the end of the day it means "foreighner".


-PS: As the Thai-tongue has difficulty pronouncing certain "Farang" Names correctly, often times the Thai Wifes prefer to introduce their Farang-Hubbies as "the Farang". 

Perhaps further proof of what you say is the fact that French Polynesians call the French "farani" (while undefined Europeans are called "popa'a").

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2 hours ago, oldhippy said:

Perhaps further proof of what you say is the fact that French Polynesians call the French "farani" (while undefined Europeans are called "popa'a").

Shortly after the French "conquistadors", came the missionaries. Telling the natives about the "Pope" in Rome. Pope= popa'a'. Plausible and entirely possible.

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9 hours ago, swissie said:

Shortly after the French "conquistadors", came the missionaries. Telling the natives about the "Pope" in Rome. Pope= popa'a'. Plausible and entirely possible.

Yes  that is possible - but I also read somewhere that popa'a would be polynesian for "sunburned".....

PS: French Polynesia in polynesian language = Porinesia Farani.

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