ศาลาชุมนุม

[simonbournemouth]

I'm raising this question since I always have the feeling in this thread of "carrying coals to Newcastle" (or ho nok huk to Athenes???).

Sometimes you make me chuckle, R2D2.

Taking owls to Athens? Don't the inhabitants of Athens already have sufficient wisdom?

[Bancha S.]

I stand corrected on the difference between transliteration and transcription.

An interesting paper on the topic:

http://www.royin.go.th/upload/276/FileUpload/758_6484.pdf

Just to throw a spanner in the works I see that the name ธนพัฒนา is often used as a place name (หมู่บ้านธนพัฒนา) or as part of a surname (ธนพัฒนาภรณ์,ธนพัฒนากุล,พิบูลธนพัฒนา,ธนพัฒนาชัย) but I see no examples as a given name.

Is this then how Nan surmised that my example 'Thanapatana', as has been transcribed from Thai, can only be ธนพัฒน์ as ธนพัฒนา does not exist as a Thai given name? And how would one know for sure that it does not exist?

Furthermore, supposing ธนพัฒน์ is the correct Thai spelling why then the attempt by the owner of this name when transcribing to revert to its Sanskrit root [ทะนะพัดทะ(นะ)] before the Roman conversion? Similar to the ศรีนครินทร์/Srinagaindra example or worse: สุวรรณภูมิ/Suwannabhumi. Is this an attempt at transliterating to enable reversibility? And if used for just road signage or addressing people and not in a wholly scholarly capacity then whats the point?

Dear Zkckxx
Yes, for reversibility.
However, for geographic names, place names, Royal Academy has prescribed transcription (based on sound). So, Sri Nagarindra should be "Si Nakharinthara" or "Si Nakharin" the problem/ confusion sprang from the fact that it was the honorific of the late princess mother (and perhaps the road sign authorities thought that they might face lese majeste if they do not preserve the way her title is written in English - that is transliteration by tracing the thai word back to Pali-Sanskrit root first). I do not understand why this case if different from Borommaratchachonnani Road [Borommaratchachonnani - great mother of king - also a part of the late princess mother's honorific]. "Som Det Phra Sri Nagarindra Borommaratchachonnani Sri Sangwan" - read "Somdet Phra Si Nakharinthara Borommaratcchachonnani Si Sangwan."

[zackxx]

Taking owls to Athens? Don't the inhabitants of Athens already have sufficient wisdom?

Isn't it to do less with Owls seen as wise creatures and more to do with silver coins nicknamed 'Owls' & wealthy ancient Athens a net producer of the Greek Worlds's silver? Selling snow to Eskimos if you ask me!

Get the full story here:
http://dougsmith.ancients.info/feac36owl.html

[mangkorn]

Taking owls to Athens? Don't the inhabitants of Athens already have sufficient wisdom?

Isn't it to do less with Owls seen as wise creatures and more to do with silver coins nicknamed 'Owls' & wealthy ancient Athens a net producer of the Greek Worlds's silver? Selling snow to Eskimos if you ask me!
Thanks for that explanation, zackxx.

Learn something new every day.

[greensage]

Excuse me, may I ask someone to break down "ธนภัทร"and explain the meaning? It is for a class. Thank you very much.

[Richard Wordingham]

Excuse me, may I ask someone to break down "ธนภัทร"and explain the meaning? It is for a class. Thank you very much.

It should be two words, ธน (a noun) plus ภัทร (an adjective), pronounced as such [ทน-พัด]. It is formed in the normal fashion for Thai words. The literal meaning is 'auspicious wealth'.

However, as sometimes happens (cf. ผลไม้), the elements have been combined according to Indic rules. My wife offered two pronunciations, [ทน-นะ-พัด] and [ทะ-นะ-พัด].

I can't help wandering if there is some confusion with the homophonous noun ภัตร 'food, rice', in which case we would have a legitiamte dvandva compound.

[greensage]

Thank you very much for your speedy reply. I knew the general meaning but having it broken down so thoroughly gives me more understanding.