Thai alphabet for Sanskrit

Sanskrit is a classical language of India, which is used as a religious and ceremonial language, and as a spoken language. It can be written with many different writing systems, including the Thai alphabet.

In about the 10th century the Thai people adapted to old Khmer script to write their language. By the 15th century this had become known as the Khom Thai script and was used for religious texts in Thai, Pali and Sanskrit. By then a distinct Thai alphabet had developed and was used for non-religious texts. In the 19th century King Rama IV ordered to use of the Thai alphabet for religious texts.

The Thai alphabet was adapted to write Sanskrit, and many Sanskrit, and Pali, words were borrowed into Thai. In fact, the Thai alphabet includes letters for all the sounds of Sanskrit, some of which do not exist in Thai. As a result, there are quite a few Thai letters that are pronounced in the same way in Thai. For example, ข, ฃ, ค,ฅ, ฆ are all pronounced [kʰ] at the beginning of words and [k̚] at the end of words. There are also some letters that are just used to write words of Sanskrit and Pali origin.

Thai alphabet for Sanskrit

Thai alphabet for Sanskrit

Sample text in Sanskrit in the Thai alphabet

สเรฺว มานวาะ สฺวตนฺตฺราะ สมุตฺปนฺนาะ วรฺตนฺเต อปิ จ, เคารวทฺฤศา อธิการทฺฤศา จ สมานาะ เอว วรฺตนฺเตฯ เอเต สเรฺวเจตนา-ตรฺก-ศกฺติภฺยำ สุสมฺปนฺนาะ สนฺติฯ อปิ จ, สเรฺว'ปิ พนฺธุตฺว-ภาวนยา ปรสฺปรํ วฺยวหรนฺตุฯ

Transliteration

Sarvē mānavāḥ svatantrāḥ samutpannāḥ vartantē api ca, gauravadr̥śā adhikāradr̥śā ca samānāḥ ēva vartantē. Ētē sarvē cētanā-tarka-śaktibhyāṁ susampannāḥ santi. Api ca, sarvē'pi bandhutva-bhāvanayā parasparaṁ vyavaharantu.

Translation

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

Information about Sanskrit | Phrases | Numbers | Tower of Babel | Writing systems for Sanskrit: Devanagari, Bhaiksuki, Brahmi, Galik, Grantha, Gupta, Kadamba, Kharosthi, Nandinagari, Sharda, Siddham, Thai, Tibetan

Information about Thai | Phrases | Numbers | Family words | Tower of Babel | Books about Thai on: Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk [affilate links]


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Links

Thai-Sanskrit Dictionary
https://www.stars21.com/dictionary/thai/sanskrit/

Some of the writing systems used to write Sanskrit

Bhaiksuki, Brāhmi, Devanāgari, Galik, Grantha, Gupta, Kadamba, Kharosthi, Nandinagari, Sharda, Siddham, Thai, Tibetan

Languages written with the Thai script

Akha, Bisu, Isan, Kuy, Northern Khmer, Northern Pwo, Nyah Kur, Pāli, Sanskrit, Thai, Thai Song, Urak Lawoi’

Page created: 14.08.22. Last modified: 14.08.22

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