DO I HEAR A "LISP" OR AM I MISTAKEN?

[svarbo]

I have lived in Thailand for over 4 years now, and although adapting has not always been easy, I am able function reasonably well and understand more and more some of what is Asian Culture in general, and in some cases, particular to Thailand. So here is a question that I have not been able to find an answer to. Even when I ask Thai nationals directly, I have not been able to receive an explanation. Perhaps I am just projecting something into my observation that is not actually there. Here it goes: I have noticed on a regular basis that some Thai people sometimes speak with a slight "lisp" (male & female). As sudden as it appears in their speech pattern, it also disappears rather quickly. I have noticed this lisp in every social and economic branch of the population. I almost had it chalked up to "baby talk" until I noticed a "phu yai" speaking similarly to a co-worker. Is anyone able to explain this temporary change in speech pattern? What's the purpose? Or am I just misunderstanding something here?

[sulasno]

I hope I read your post correctly;

I think it got to do with pronounication; sort of something "invisible" under the tongue

try putting a plum under the tongue and speak Thai

[svarbo]

Thank you for your reply sulasno.
For clarification, I am not hearing something I want to replicate. I am describing something I am "hearing" while listening to conversations. Yes, I can "lisp" on command if I feel like it, but as you may know, the Thai language is not typically spoken with a "lisp". The sound I am referring to is somewhat like the over-pronounced "lisp" a english speaking comedian would engage in to play a overly expressive gay man. I hope that clarifies the situation.

[svarbo]

To give a quick example:
Sukhotai would sound something like: thukhotai
again, it would be just a few sentences and then it's back to the sharp "s" instead of the "th" lisp.

[Sean Moran]

by svarbo on Mon Mar 23, 2009 2:33 pm
To give a quick example:
Sukhotai would sound something like: thukhotai
again, it would be just a few sentences and then it's back to the sharp "s" instead of the "th" lisp.

I might be wrong but I believe that there are three equivalents to the English 'S' sound in pasa Thai.

Sor Soh - the Chain.
Sor Ruu-sii - the Hermit.
Sor Sua - the Tiger.

E&OE

I don't know if there is any equivalent for the English combination of T & H to make a 'th' lisp. In transliterated pasa Thai, the addition of the H to a T is due to the separate pronunciations of the T sound that only has one equivalent in English. TH in Thai is a strong T.

I've heard the same sort of thing from time to time as you mention, but I wonder if it might be more about the foreign origins of the lisp, which is related to a very different alphabet and language. Where English has only 20-26 consonants, Thai has 42-44. That might be where it comes from but I am a native English speaker so I can't be sure.

[svarbo]

Thank you Sean Moran. However, I am not looking for a thai equivalent of an english "th" sounds. The "th" is used by me to demonstrate a lisp I hear. So without needing to know a thai equivalent for "th", I can assure you that thai people are well capable of making this sounds and in my case here, making this sound instead of the "s" sound.
What I am describing may be a bit "over-analyzed" here as I can tell from the responses. I am well aware of the Thai alphabet and the obvious difference to other alphabets. I speak Thai and several other languages, ergo, I am not looking for thai language lessons. The sound I am describing is simply a lisp of the "s" sound that sounds more like a "th" when I hear it. And as I mentioned before, it's not constant. It appears quickly for a few sentences and then is gone as quickly as it appeared. They are not foreign words and the conversations are always taking place in a thai/thai environment. Many of my friends have also heard this change in pronunciation, but I am not sure how else I can explain this, and perhaps I just think too much into it and/or am not able to explain it to be understood. I have had Thai people acknowledge it, but quickly retracted their acknowledgment after they were not able to explain the purpose or reason for it. I don't push for an explanation as pushing for anything will only bring undesirable results.

[Sean Moran]

by svarbo on Mon Mar 23, 2009 4:20 pm [124.122.136.xx]
Thank you Sean Moran. However, I am not looking for a thai equivalent of an english "th" sounds. The "th" is used by me to demonstrate a lisp I hear. So without needing to know a thai equivalent for "th", I can assure you that thai people are well capable of making this sounds and in my case here, making this sound instead of the "s" sound.
What I am describing may be a bit "over-analyzed" here as I can tell from the responses. I am well aware of the Thai alphabet and the obvious difference to other alphabets. I speak Thai and several other languages, ergo, I am not looking for thai language lessons. The sound I am describing is simply a lisp of the "s" sound that sounds more like a "th" when I hear it. And as I mentioned before, it's not constant. It appears quickly for a few sentences and then is gone as quickly as it appeared. They are not foreign words and the conversations are always taking place in a thai/thai environment. Many of my friends have also heard this change in pronunciation, but I am not sure how else I can explain this, and perhaps I just think too much into it and/or am not able to explain it to be understood. I have had Thai people acknowledge it, but quickly retracted their acknowledgment after they were not able to explain the purpose or reason for it. I don't push for an explanation as pushing for anything will only bring undesirable results.

This might be a bit of a different tack to before, but how tall are you? Do you think that some might find you intimidating at times?

Other than that, about all I can think of to explain it would come back to the innate differences between two languages, and that goes further thn just the alphabet, but right down to the vocal chords. I can't even find a translation for the word "lisp" in my Poomsan-Becker dictionary.

That's all I reckon it might be, but maybe sometimes people are cautious and perhaps nervous around you because of some reason or other. I hope that's not a red herring but it's all I can think of apart from the obvious.

[svarbo]

For further clarification, although I am 6'2", the observed "lisp" is independent of me being present. I am in some cases not even visible to the individuals having a conversation (office cubicle). So it's a pure thai thing that has nothing to do with 2 different languages. They are thai words and the "normal' pronunciation would be a sharp "s".

[svarbo]

Thanks, that confirms my hearing the lisp. However, I still don't know if there is a purpose to this lisp. Is it perhaps done when a conversation is specifically comfortable?

[timeout]

That is definitely the Thai 'gatoy' dialog; originating on Soi 7 @ Sukumvit