Thai

edit

Etymology

edit

Inherited from Proto-Southwestern Tai *ɟuəjᴮ⁴ (to help), from Middle Chinese (MC dzrjoH). Cognate with Northern Thai ᨩ᩠ᩅ᩠᩵ᨿ or ᨩᩬ᩠᩵ᨿ, Isan ซอย, Lao ຊ່ວຍ (suāi) or ຊ່ອຍ (sǭi), ᦋᦾᧈ (tsoay¹), Tai Dam ꪋ꪿ꪮꪥ, Shan ၸွႆႈ (tsāui), Tai Nüa ᥓᥩᥭ (tsoay), Phake ꩡွႝ (coy), Ahom 𑜋𑜨𑜩 (choy) or 𑜋𑜢𑜤𑜐𑜫 (chüñ), Southern Thai ฉวย.

Pronunciation

edit
Orthographic/Phonemicช่วย
d͡ʑ ˋ w y
RomanizationPaiboonchûai
Royal Institutechuai
(standard) IPA(key)/t͡ɕʰua̯j˥˩/(R)

Verb

edit

ช่วย (chûai) (abstract noun การช่วย)

  1. (transitive) to help.

Descendants

edit
  • Nyah Kur: จวย่
  • Khmer: ជួយ (cuəy) (possibly via Thai or Middle Chinese)