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LEXICON

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Maan (มาร)

Thai name for the demon Mara.

macaque

Name of a monkey of the genus macaca. They are often used for picking nuts at coconut palm plantations (fig.). There are several species, including the crab-eating macaque, the pig-tail macaque, etc. In Thai they are either called kang, or ling hang san when they have a short pig-tail.

Madchanu (มัจฉานุ)

Sanskrit-Thai. The son of Hanuman and the mermaid queen Suphanamatcha in the Ramayana, thus having the body of a monkey with a fish tail. Later, Rama cut off his tail so that he was no longer part fish. Also spelled Matchanu.

madeua (มะเดื่อ)

Thai name for the ficus racemosa or cluster fig tree. It usually grows near watersides where it thrives well. Its fruit grows in clusters on the main, usually thicker branches, and directly on its trunk.

Madhava

A name for Krishna or Vishnu.

Madhavi

A name for Lakshmi, a consort of Vishnu.

Madira

A name for Varuni, goddess of wine and consort of Varuna. See also Sura.

mae ai (แม่อาย)

Thai. 'Shy mother'. Nick name for the maiyarahb.

mae chie (แม่ชี)

Thai. Buddhist nun. They have lay status and do not belong to the Sangha. See also bhikkuni.

Mae Hong Son (แม่ฮ่องสอน)

The small capital of a jangwat of the same name in Northwest Thailand (map), at 924 kms from Bangkok and by mountain road over Pai, 1,864 curves and 245 kms from Chiang Mai. The city has a population of less than seven thousand (fig.). The place-name is possibly derived, though with a different Thai spelling, from the name of an enclosed space or 'room' (hong) in between two mountains, in a valley several kilometers south of the city. Here wild elephants were formerly rounded up, tamed and 'trained' (son). The name Mae (mother) is a general name for a village or small city in North Thailand, and appears in many place-names, most likely with the allegorical reference to a place where one feels at home. Half the population of Mae Hong Son consists of Shan (Thai Yai). There are several places of interest but main attractions are Wat Jong Kham and Wat Jong Klang, two temples in Burmese style near the lake in the centre of town (fig.), Tham Lod cave (fig.) with the separate section of Phi Maen Cave (fig.), and Tham Pla fish cave (fig.). Wat Phra That Doi Kong Mu is a temple that is located ...for more order our CDrom...

Mae Khong (แม่โขง)

1. Thai. Popular name of the 12th longest river in the world that rises in the Himalayas and forms the border between Thailand and Laos, and Laos and Myanmar (Burma), at the Golden Triangle. It is formed by the melt waters of the Tibetan Himalayas joined by several other rivers. It is 4,590 kms long and passes through 7 countries, namely  Tibet, China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, where it finally forms a delta and flows into the South China Sea. It is Thailand's ...for more order our CDrom...

2. Name of a Thai brand of rice whisky.

Mae Khongkha

See Khongkha.

Mae Nam Khong (แม่น้ำโขง)

Full Thai name for the Mae Khong river.

maengda (แมงดา)

1. Thai name for a giant water bug. They are consumed by some and can be served both fried as well as an ingredient in nahm prik num, a spicy dish of pounded grilled green chilies.

2. Thai slang for a pimp.

3. Short for maengda talae, the horseshoe crab.

maengda talae (แมงดาทะเล)

Thai name for the horseshoe crab.

Mae Phra Thoranee (แม่พระธรณี)

Thai name for Thoranee.

Mae Poh Sop (แม่โพสพ)

Another name for the Thai goddess of rice Poh Sop.

Maew (แม้ว)

1. Thai name for Hmong. Also Miao. MORE ON THIS.

2. Language belonging to the family of Miao-Yao-Pateng, a subgroup of the Sino-Tibetan language group that includes Chinese, Burmese and Tibetan. Also Miao. MORE ON THIS.

maew kwak (แมวกวัก)

Thai. 'Beckoning cat'. Thai name for the Japanese cat maneki-neko (fig.). Compare with nang kwak. See also kwak.

Mae Ya Nang (แม่ย่านาง)

Thai. Mascot or spirit guarding a ship or a boat.

ma fai (มะไฟ)

Thai name for a tree of the family euphorbiaceae, yielding small yellowish berry-like fruits. It fruits from April to May and is found in all over Thailand.

ma feuang (มะเฟือง)

Thai name for a tree with the Latin name averrhoa carambola and its fruit, the star fruit.

Magadha

See Makot.

Magadhi

Ancient language from Magadha.

maha (มหา)

1. Sanskrit-Pali-Thai. 'Great' or 'mighty'. A prefix often placed before the name or title of important persons, things and places.

2. Thai. A graduate in Buddhist theology who has passed at least the third grade exam, out of a total of nine. He must be a member of the clergy, though retains the title after leaving the priesthood.

Maha Bali

Name of the king who became so powerful that he dominated the triloka (three worlds). Vishnu in his avatar of a dwarf eventually subdued him.

Mahabharata

Sanskrit. 'The Great Bharata'. Great epic from India dated around the 4th century BC. It contains chronicles of the Vedic times and is composed of eighteen books consisting of one hundred and ten thousand couplets relating the great battle of the Bharatas between the Kauravas and the Pandavas, two related families of a royal lineage. The Hindu god Krishna emerges as one of the protagonists of the poem in which he reveals the Bhagavad Gita ...for more order our CDrom...

Mahachaat (มหาชาติ)

Thai. The story of the last great incarnation of the Buddha, consisting of many episodes or lae.

Mahachai (มหาชัย)

1. Thai. Another name for Samut Sakon.

2. Thai. 'Great accomplishment or triumph'. Name of a canal that connects Samut Songkhram with Bangkok and runs straight across the province of Samut Sakon where it crosses the Tachin River.

Mahadhammaracha Lithai (มหาธรรมราชาลิไท)

King of Sukhothai in the 14th century who commissioned the casting of the Phraphut Chinnarat image (fig.) from Wat Phra Sri Rattanamahathat. Beside his kingship he also taught Buddhist cosmology. Also spelled Mahadhammaracha Leuthai.

mahadhatu

See mahathat.

Mahakala

Sanskrit. 'Great time'. The personification of kala in a terrible form, associated with the destructive aspects of Shiva. In some texts Mahakala was initially a follower of Shiva and became, according to Tantric Buddhism of the 10th century, his protective deity as well as one of the eight protectors of the law. His female counterpart is Mahakali. See also Kali.

Mahakali

Sanskrit. 'Great Kali'. The awesome form of Parvati with two or more arms and sometimes with several heads with protruding tongues. Around her waist she often wears a dress of severed arms and around her neck a garland of ...for more order our CDrom...

Maha Kassapa

The monk that succeeded the Buddha as leader of the Sangha. Usually represented in murals as an old man accompanied by the young monk Ananda, the Buddha's cousin and his most important disciple.

mahal

A palace or grand building in India, as in Taj Mahal.

mahamandapa

Sanskrit. 'Great pavilion'. A large porch or pillared hall in a temple, usually in front of the main shrine. See also mandapa.

Maha Maya

Sanskrit. 'Great illusion'. Wife of king Suddhodana and mother of prince Siddhartha who later became the Buddha. In Vajrayana Buddhism a protective deity.

Mahantayot

Thai. Twin brother of Anantayot and son of the legendary Chamadevi of Lopburi, queen of the Dvaravati empire in the 7th century AD.

Mahaparinippahn (มหาปรินิพพาน)

See Mahaparinirvana.

Mahaparinirvana

Sanskrit. The definitive transition of the Buddha to nirvana and his total extinction following death in which all his suffering, desire, and the cycle of rebirths cease. This happened in 483 BC in Kusinagara after he had gathered all his disciples to hear his ...for more order our CDrom...

Mahapharata (มหาภารต)

Thai name for Mahabharata.

Maha Prajapati

The sister of Maha Maya who served as Siddhartha's guardian when his mother died seven days after his birth. She later married Siddhartha's father Suddhodana. She is also known by the name Gautami.

mahapurusha

Sanskrit. A great man destined to become a world leader or saviour and recognizable by the 32 lakshanas, the marks of a great person to be.

maharadja

Sanskrit. Great king or monarch. In Thai Maha Raj.

Maha Raj (มหาราช)

Thai. Great king or monarch. Usually occurs as a suffix with the names of important kings of Thai history.

maharani

Sanskrit. Great queen, the wife of a maharadja.

maharishi

Sanskrit. Great rishi, master, teacher or sage. An honorary title.

Maha Sarakham (มหาสารคาม)

Thai. 'Great independent village'. Capital of Maha Sarakham province (map) in central Isaan, about 475 kms Northeast of Bangkok, between Khon Khaen and Roi Et. The city was founded on the banks of the Kut Nang Yai river by thao Maha Chai and thao Bua Thong, two brothers from Roi Et, and in 1865 AD the city was renamed Meuang Maha Sarakham by king Phra Chom Klao. The province has eleven amphur and two king amphur.

mahat

Sanskrit. The great intelligence produced during creation. It is related to the word 'manas', meaning 'mind, intellect, understanding'.

Mahathat (มหาธาตุ)

Thai. 'Great relic'. Term used in Thailand to name the most important relic shrines which usually hold a relic of the lord Buddha.

mahatma

Sanskrit. 'Great soul'. Honorary title given to sages and teachers.

Mahavairochana

Sanskrit. 'Great illumination' or 'great sun'. The Adi-Buddha. One of the five jinas or transcendental buddhas from Vajrayana Buddhism. He is positioned in the middle of a mandala and makes the gesture of supreme wisdom by holding the right index finger in the left fist with the thumb pointing upward. His signs are the wheel and the sun. Also Vairochana.

Mahavamsa

Singhalese chronicle in Pali containing the history of Buddhism in Ceylon from its beginning in the 3rd century BC to the early 4th century AD. In Thai Mahawong.

Mahavir (มหาวีร)

Thai for Mahavira.

Mahavira

Sanskrit. 'Great hero'. Title for the last of the twenty-four omniscient great teachers called tirthankaras and the founder of Jainism. He was a contemporary of the Buddha. In Thai Mahavir. See also Vardhamana.

mahawithayahlay (มหาวิทยาลัย)

Thai for university. See education.

Mahawong (มหาวงศ์)

Thai name for the Mahavamsa, the Singhalese chronicle that traces the history of Buddhism in Sri Lanka.

Mahayaan (มหายาน)

Thai name for Mahayana.

Mahayana

Sanskrit. 'Greater vehicle'. The branch of Buddhism whose believers rely on bodhisattvas for their salvation from the endless cycle of rebirths and their aim to become a buddha. This sect of Buddhism spread from northern India in the 2nd century AD and is mainly practiced in countries of northern Asia, including Tibet, Nepal, China, Mongolia, Korea and Japan, but also in Vietnam and at one time also in Malaysia, Indonesia, Burma, Thailand and Cambodia. The latter three now practice Theravada or Hinayana Buddhism, the other main branch of ...for more order our CDrom...

Mahayogi

Sanskrit. 'Great ascetic'. A name of Shiva.

Mahendraparvata

Sanskrit. One of the seven mountain chains of the Himalayas and the early name for Phnom Kulen in Cambodia.

Mahesvara

Sanskrit. 'Great Lord'. A name for Shiva.

mahingsa (มหิงสา)

Thai pronunciation for mahisha, buffalo.

mahisha

Sanskrit. 'Buffalo'. The mount of Yama. In Thai pronounced mahingsa.

Mahishasura

Sanskrit. 'Buffalo demon'. An asura or demon of darkness with immense powers who after continuously changing shape eventually transformed into a buffalo (mahisha) and thus got slain by Durga. In the Mahabharata he is slain by Skanda.

Mahishasuramardini

Sanskrit. 'Slayer of the buffalo demon'. The name given to Durga when she is fighting Mahishasura, the buffalo demon that represents the forces of evil and darkness.

mahk (หมาก)

Thai name for the betel palm and its fruit the betel nut.

mahk daeng (หมากแดง)

Thai. 'Red betel palm'. A palm tree with a reddish trunk up to 6 meters high and the scientific Latin name cyrtostachys renda, and cyrtostachys lakka, a similar but slightly shorter species. Often seen in gardens.

mahorateuk (มโหระทึก)

See klong mahorateuk.

mahori (มโหรี)

Thai. An orchestra chiefly composed of stringed instruments.

mahout

Herd, caretaker and keeper of an elephant. In Thailand mahouts often belong to the Karen hill tribe (fig.). Also kornak.

mai (ไหม)

1. Thai for silk.

2. Thai for silkworm.

mai jan (ไม้จันทน์)

Thai for sandalwood.

mai kaan haab (ไม้คานหาบ)

Thai. Flexible yet strong bamboo wooden (mai) pole used for carrying loads (kaan) across the shoulder (haab) as often seen in rural Thailand and with itinerant food sellers. Also kaan. Compare with kaanhaam.

mai kham (ไม้ค้ำ)

Wooden logs placed against a bodhi tree to support it. They are believed to be auspicious logs, preventing hardship and prolonging life. It is sometimes done as part of the seubchatah ceremony.

mai phai (ไม้ไผ่)

Thai for bamboo. Also phai.

mai sak (ไม้สัก)

Thai for teak.

Mai Thai (ไหมไทย)

Thai for hand-woven Thai silk.

maithuna

Sanskrit. 'Couple' or 'the act of pairing'. Copulating figurines or sculptures as seen in iconography or used as amulets (fig.). Also spelled mithuna. In Thai methun. See also yabyum.

Maitreya 

Sanskrit. A bodhisattva now living in Tushita heaven waiting to be reborn as a future Buddha in order to restore faith. He is worshipped in both Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism, and is sometimes represented as a bodhisattva dressed in royal attire ruling from his throne in heaven. He wears a stupa in his headdress and his attributes may include a vase and ...for more order our CDrom...

maiyarahb (ไมยราบ)

Thai. Name of an omnipresent weed that thrives well and is found all over Thailand. This shrubby, sensitive plant has the scientific name mimosa pudica. Its leaves fold up with the slightest touch or when they come into contact with rain. This is a self-defence system that prevents the heavy raindrops from damaging this very fragile shrub. It also protects itself from predators by small spikes underneath its stalks and leaves. It can sometimes grow to a height of well over two meters and blooms globular amethyst flowers. Due to its sensitivity it is nicknamed mae ai (shy mother) and ...for more order our CDrom...

mak (มรรค)

Thai. 'Way, path'. One of the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism.

makanayok (มรรคนายก)

Thai. 'Temple liaison man'. A layman responsible for the liaison between the clergy of a temple or monastery and the laity, a male appointed to look after the interests of a temple or monastery. Also maknayok.

makara

Sanskrit. A mythical aquatic creature symbolizing 'water' and 'abundance'. In architecture, especially in Khmer buildings, it may be found as a decoration on lintels, doorway frames, etc., sometimes in combination with kala. In Thailand it is usually found on the balustrades of temple buildings, where a naga (fig.) is seen emerging from its mouth (fig.). In India it has the body and tail of a fish, but in Southeast Asia usually that of a reptile. Though, in Java its head is that of a crocodile with a large jaw and an elephant's trunk. In Champa it has the head of a lion with tusks and a trunk, or the head of a antelope with forelegs. It is the emblem of Kama and conveyance of ...for more order our CDrom...

Makha (มาฆ)

Thai. The third lunar month corresponding to the sign of Capricorn in the zodiac.

makhaam (มะขาม)

Thai for tamarind (fig.). Besides this it is also known by different local names, depending on the region: in Kanchanaburi it is known by its Karen name muang klohng, in Korat it is called taloob, in the South it is named khaam and in the province of Surin the Khmer name ampial is used. See also makhaampom and makhaamthet.

makhaampom (มะขามป้อม)

Thai. Name of the Indian goose-berry, a tree and its fruit which is known by the scienticfic name phyllanthus emblica. Its fruit has a rather sweet-and-sour taste. Also known as the emblic tree.

makhaamthet (มะขามเทศ)

Thai name for the camachile, a tree and its fruit known by the scientific name pithecolobium dulce. Its fruits are similar to those of the tamarind tree but has a softer skin and a different taste. Its tender curly skin is red-green and its whitish-pink flesh sits around shiny brown seeds.

Makha Bucha (มาฆบูชา)

Thai. Buddhist holiday that commemorates all saints and is held during the full moon of the third lunar month (Makha), usually mid-February. It celebrates the 1,250 enlightened monks who, without prior notice or call, simultaneously came to the Buddha to hear him preach. This public holiday reaches its climax in candle processions around the main temple buildings or chedi. Also Wan Makha Bucha.

Makkawaan (มัฆวาน)

A Thai name for Indra.

maknayok (มรรคนายก)

See makanayok.

makut (มกุฎ)

Thai for 'crown'. Also mongkut.

makutrajakumaan (มกุฎราชกุมาร)

Thai for 'crown prince'.

makok (มะกอก)

Thai. A plum tree of the genus spondias.

Makot

1. The kingdom of Magadha in ancient India, now called Bihar.

2. Magadhi, the Prakrit language of Magadha, similar to Pali.

malaeng (แมลง)

Thai for an insect, such as a bug, a beetle, etc. Although not completely interchangeable some insects may also be called maeng, usually those with 8 legs. Several species of insects are eaten by some locals, e.g. scorpions (malaeng/maengpong), crickets (jingrihd), giant water bugs or horseshoe crabs (maengdah), silk pupae (dakdae), grasshoppers (takkataen), bamboo worms (rotduan - fig.), etc.

malaeng phi (แมลงผี)

Thai. 'Ghost insect'. The popular name for an insect that camouflages as a stick (fig.), dry twig or withered leave. It comes in many sizes and shapes, the most common being a walking stick.

malai (มาลัย)

See puang malai.

malai khlong meua (มาลัยคล้องมือ)

Thai. A round-shaped garland to wear around the wrist. See also puang malai.

malai piya (มาลัยเปีย)

Thai. An oval-shaped garland with below a tassel of flowers and at the top a string to be hung from one point. See also puang malai.

malai song chai (มาลัยสองชาย)

Thai. A double garland with two ends connected with a string or band to wear around the neck. See also puang malai.

malai tum (มาลัยตุ้ม)

Thai. A somewhat bulbous garland with below a floral tassel and on top a bowed band for hanging. See also puang malai.

malako (มะละกอ)

Thai for papaya. A small  tree with the Latin name carica papaja that can grows up to 7.5 meters. Its fruits, when still green (fig.), are used as the main ingredient for the popular dish somtam. When ripe the fruit resembles melon. The Hawaiian species is smaller than the usual Thai variety (fig.). Also called melon tree.

malaria

Disease that causes a recurrent fever caused by a parasite transmitted by a bite of the anopheles mosquito, the carrier of this parasite. In Thai called khai pah (jungle fever) and khai jab san (shivering fever) ...for more order our CDrom...

Malayan bear

Small species of bear whose natural habitat is southern Thailand, the Malay peninsula and the Indonesian archipelago. It has the scientific name helarctos malayanus but is also known by the name sun bear, due to a creamy-white sickle-shaped curve on its upper chest. In Thai it is named mih mah.

malay lukkaew ok kai (มาลัยลูกแก้วอกไก่)

Thai. A redented chedi with a central part of several successive rings (malay) with three angles, in which the outer edge of each ring in profile resembles the form of a chicken breast (ok kai). This part of the chedi resembles a decorative buffer and was popular towards the end of the Ayutthaya period.

Malaysia

Thailand's neighbouring country to the South. It includes the southern peninsula and northern one-third of the island of Borneo, bordering Indonesia and the South China Sea, south of Vietnam. Its total area is 329,750 km². It has a total land border of 2,669 km, that is  381 km with Brunei, 1,782 km with Indonesia, and  506 km with Thailand. Its total coastline is 4,675 km long (the Peninsula 2,068 km and East Malaysia 2,607 km) and its highest point is Gunung Kinabalu with 4,100 m. The country's capital is Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia was formed in 1963 through a federation of the former British colonies of Malaya and Singapore, including the East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak on the northern coast of Borneo. The first several years of the country's history were marred by Indonesian efforts to control Malaysia, Philippine claims to Sabah, and Singapore's secession from the federation in 1965. It has a population of just over 23 million, consisting of 58% of Malays and other indigenous people, 24% Chinese, 8% Indians, and 10% others. Bahasa Melayu is the official language, but a variety of other languages are also spoken, such as English, Chinese dialects (Cantonese, Mandarin, Hokkien, Hakka, Hainan, Foochow), Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Panjabi, and Thai. In addition, in East Malaysia several indigenous languages are spoken, the largest being Iban and Kadazan. Practiced religions are Islam, Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, Christianity and the Sikh religion. In East Malaysia Shamanism is practiced. The currency is the 'ringgit' and ...for more order our CDrom...

ma-li (มะลิ)

Thai for Arabian jasmine, a shrub of the genus jasminum sambac. There are different species. The Thai variety has white scented flowers and its flower buds are used as the main item in most puang malai garlands (fig.).

ma muang (มะม่วง)

Thai for mango. A tree and fruit of the genus mangifera indica with a large variety of species, the most popular in Thailand being ma muang ok rong.

ma muang fah lan (มะม่วงฟ้าลั่น)

Thai. 'Thundering mango'. A mango with a green skin and yellowy spots. Fruits mainly in the month of April. It makes a slight sound (lan) when peeled, hence its name fah lan (thunder). The flesh is yellow and quite sweet.

ma muang himaphan (มะม่วงหิมพานต์)

Thai for cashew nut.

ma muang man (มะม่วงมัน)

Thai collective term for all mangos eaten when still green and consequently still hard and sour.

ma muang nahm dok mai (มะม่วงน้ำดอกไม้)

Thai. 'Barracuda mango'. Name for a sweet and soft mango with yellow flesh.

ma muang ok rong (มะม่วงอกร่อง)