Thai

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Etymology

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Cognate with Isan ไพร่, Lao ໄພ່ (phai), Northern Thai ᨻᩕᩱ᩵ (phay⁵), Khün ᨽᩱ᩵ (phay⁵) or ᨻᩕᩱ᩵ (phay⁵), ᦺᦘᧈ (phay¹), Tai Dam ꪼꪝ꪿ (ꞌpay), Tai Dón ꪼꪝꫀ, Shan ၽႆႈ (phāi).

Pronunciation

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Orthographicไพร่
ai b r ˋ
Phonemic
ไพฺร่
ai b ̥ r ˋ
RomanizationPaiboonprâi
Royal Institutephrai
(standard) IPA(key)/pʰraj˥˩/(R)

Noun

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ไพร่ (prâi) (classifier คน)

  1. (archaic) citizen; national; subject.
  2. (archaic) manpower; human resources.
  3. (historical, now derogatory and offensive) commoner.
  4. (archaic, sometimes derogatory and offensive) subordinate; servant; attendant; dependent.
  5. (derogatory and very offensive) vulgar person; unrefined person; low-class person.

Usage notes

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  • In the Thai history, forced labour and compulsory conscription were enforced on citizens, making the term imply people in military service or members of an armed force, such as soldiers, military officers, conscripts, etc.

Derived terms

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