Thai

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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Unknown. Compare Lao ເຫັ້ຽ (hīa), Tai Dón hể, Tày khı́a, and Nùng [Western] tɕhi:C1.

As observed by Chamberlain (2022), Varanus salvator is a highly venerated creature in Siamese folk religion, so much so that the evocation of its name is regarded as taboo, hence the negative connotations.[1] An earliest attestation of this can be found in a 1891 magazine from the reign of King Chulalongkorn, indicating that the term had been used negatively since at least the previous reign.[2]

Pronunciation

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Orthographicเหี้ย
e h ī ˆ y
Phonemic
เฮี่ย
e ɦ ī ˋ y
RomanizationPaiboonhîia
Royal Institutehia
(standard) IPA(key)/hia̯˥˩/(R)

Noun

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เหี้ย (hîia)

  1. (ตัว~) Asian water monitor (Varanus salvator)
  2. (loosely) any water monitor.
  3. (slang, vulgar, very offensive, used as a curse word) (อี, ไอ้~) anyone or anything considered to be unpleasant, unfavourable, disagreeable, or contemptible.

Derived terms

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Adjective

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เหี้ย (hîia) (abstract noun ความเหี้ย)

  1. (slang, vulgar, very offensive) unpleasant; unfavourable; disagreeable; contemptible.

Adverb

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เหี้ย (hîia)

  1. (slang, vulgar, very offensive) unpleasantly; unfavourably; disagreeably; contemptibly.
  2. (slang, vulgar, very offensive) used as an intensifier: the fuck, the hell, the heck, etc.
  3. (slang, vulgar, can be offensive) extremely; very.

Interjection

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เหี้ย (hîia)

  1. (slang, vulgar, can be offensive) an exclamation of anger, contempt, disapproval, discontent, disgust, dismay, rejection, or surprise.

References

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  1. ^ James R. Chamberlain (2022 December 21) “Chapter 1: Comparative and Historical Glimpses of the Lacertilia (Lizards) in Tai: A Reconstructive Problematic”, in Journal of Research Institute[1], volume 63, Kobe City University of Foreign Studies, pages 1-35
  2. ^ เหี้ย เป็นสัตว์ก้าวหน้า ที่คนไทยใช้ด่า มาตั้งแต่สมัย ร. 4”, in matichon.co.th[2] (in Thai), 2024 March 2