deepee wrote:Has anyone else noticed recently that many young females ie 15 to 25 year olds are dropping the k in ka and saying "ha" instead by rolling the tongue tip back in their mouths?. Now these are Bangkokians and some are family and I thought it may have been linked to them wearing braces.Watching tv last night and the young actresses were not wearing them but there were lots of ha's going around.what's brought this on ?
Pleng ,as far as the rellies are concerned they're as straight as a rod young ladies. They way they say the ha is quite gutteral sounding and the younger they are the more pronounced it seems to be.Mrs deepee has noticed it too.
Noz wrote:interjection [Northern Dialect] [word added by a female speaker to the end of every statement to convey politeness; equivalent of ค่ะ
Can confirm from personal experience. My girlfriend is from Chiang Rai. When we are there she uses tjao instead of kha.
For those interested here is an article regarding the use of the earlier mentioned tja (จ๊ะ) and tjaa (จ๋า)
I find it a bit over-used (unnecessarily so sometimes) and it can appear plastic and insincere, but not necessarily annoying. I guess it's just how they do it so don't think about it too much although the TV point is valid as sometimes it sounds like it's the only thing being said.
Someone mentioned about women using 'Krup' sometimes, I only see that usually when an older women is talking to a young boy so as if to get him used to using it and hearing it, almost hammering it home so to speak...like when the boy asks a question and the older Thai woman says 'Krup/Kap' in answer. Not entirely sure what it's all about but that would be my guess.
As for 'Ja', I too just thought it was used towards people known to the user and that the user holds affection/respect for the receiver.
Like you say Pete - 'Mia Ja' would be the equivalent of saying 'sweet wife'.
Spitfire wrote:
As for 'Ja', I too just thought it was used towards people known to the user and that the user holds affection/respect for the receiver.
My girlfriend says you use it when you want to be lovely. So I think Krap/Kaa is more respectful in that sense, and Jaa is reserved for affection.