นางกวัก

Thai

Amazon lily

beckoning woman figurines

Etymology

From นาง (naang, “lady”) +‎ กวัก (gwàk, “to beckon”); literally "beckoning lady".

Pronunciation

Orthographic		นางกวัก n ā ŋ k w ạ k
Phonemic		นาง-กฺวัก n ā ŋ – k ̥ w ạ k
Romanization	Paiboon	naang-gwàk
	Royal Institute	nang-kwak
(standard) IPA(key)		/naːŋ˧.kwak̚˨˩/(R)

Noun

นางกวัก • (naang-gwàk)

1. (botany) (ว่าน~) Amazon lily: the plant Eucharis × grandiflora of the family Amaryllidaceae, traditionally believed to possess the power to bring luck and fortune.
2. (occult) idol, image, or statue of a beckoning woman, believed to bring luck and fortune.