Thai greeting
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The Thai greeting referred to as the wai (Thai: ไหว้) or in Lao as "Kub" consists of a slight bow, with the palms pressed together in a prayer-like fashion. The higher the hands are held in relation to the face and the lower the bow, the more respect/reverence the giver of the wai is showing.
The wai is also common as a way to thank someone or apologise.
The word often spoken with the wai as a greeting or farewell is "Sawasdee". This word was coined in the mid-1930's by Phraya Upakit Silapasan of Chulalongkorn University. This word derived from the Sanskrit "svasti" (meaning well being), had previously been used in Thai only as a formulaic opening to inscriptions. The strongly nationalist government of Plaek Pibulsonggram in the early 1940's promoted the use of the word Sawasdee amongst the government bureaucracy as well as the wider populace as part of a wider set of cultural edicts to modernise Thailand.
[edit] Origin
The wai originated from an ancient greeting that was done to show neither individual had any weapons.[citation needed] There exist multiple versions of the greeting based on social class, gender, and age.
One speculation is that it comes from Buddhism.[citation needed] After certain prayers, one must clasp their hands together and bring it down towards the ground three times.
[edit] References
- Diller, Anthony (1991). "National Identity and Its Defenders". Chap 4 "What Makes Thai A Central Language" ISBN 974-7047-209
- Barme, Scot (1993). "Luang Wichit Wathakan and the Creation of a Thai Identity" ISBN 981-3016-58-2
[edit] See also
Gestures | ||
|---|---|---|
| Friendly gestures | A-ok · Air kiss · Big up · Cheek kissing · Dap greeting · Thumbs up · Fist pound · Namaste · High five | Image:The Thumbs-up position.jpg |
| Formal gestures | Bowing · Curtsey · Hand-kissing · Genuflection · Pranam | |
| Salutes | Salute · Bellamy salute · Final Salute · Hitler salute · Roman salute · Royal Salute · Scout sign and salute · Three-finger salute · Two-finger salute | |
| Celebration gestures | Applause · Fist pump · Gator Chomp · Gig 'em Aggies · High five / Gimme five · Hook 'em Horns · Tomahawk Chop | |
| Obscene gestures | Bowfinger · Corna · Finger · Mooning · Shocker · Moutza | |
| Other | Air quotes · Anasyrma · Articulatory gestures · Crossed fingers · Gang signal · Hand gesture · Head bobble · Jazz hands · Lock and fly · Manual communication · Mudra · Nod · Poke · Pollice verso · Puppy face · Raised fist · Shaka sign / Hang loose · Shrug · Sign of the Cross · Thai greeting · Type of gesture · Varadamudra · V sign · Vulcan salute · War Chant · | |
| List of gestures | ||
ru:Тайское приветствие th:สวัสดี
