Meaning of farang

[Guest]

someone wrote to me and asked me to explain this word.....of course all of us Thai travellers know what it means but for you new people who have never been there, farang basically means a white westerner. not a bad word at all.....it has no negative connotations.....it just is a simple word for Thai's to say when they see someone with round eyes who is taller than them.

[Guest]

Interesting JaiDee;

I found this on another board:

Just an observation on the similarity of some words in different languages.
> > In arabic (in Egypt and in some North African countries) "Afrangui" also means a foreigner of obvious western appearance. [...]  I wonder if  "farang" and  "afrangui" derive from the same or similar source or is it just a coincidence?

 Serge Thion. 1993. "On Some Cambodian Words." Australian National University Thai-Yunnan Project Newsletter. Canberra: Research School of Pacific Studies. Number 20, March 1993, 18-23. In this paper Thion traces the word back to the Germanic 'Franks'. The word spread through Muslim trade
routes after the Crusades into Africa, India, and Southeast Asia. [...]

Another source is Jimmy Harris. 1986. "The Persian connection: Four loanwords in Siamese." Pasaa Vol.XVI, No.1 (June 1986). Bangkok: Chulalongkorn University Language Institute, 9-12. This paper traces the probable immediate
source of the word in Thai to Persian traders who were established in Siam by the 16th century. The Persian word was 'farangg'.

[Guest]

Thanks Scorpio! for clarifying that

I have never known the origins, I just know that all the Thai people I have asked "is that word offensive?", they all say no....it's just a simple way to say people from the west [who all look the same and have big noses!]

[Blue Ballz]

If anyone knows its Mr. Lonely. Heres what I heard. When the French were bopping around SEAsia years ago they stayed in Thailand at times and when the Thais tried to say "French" it came out as falang. Who the hell knows it thats true. BE CAREFUL OUT THERE!!

[Tomcat]

Fellows of the forum

Scorpio is spot on. Many words are shared through many languages since people began to speak. I believe that Farang is such one. There is some nerdy guy who collates this stuff and writes for the Science mags so it must be true.

e.g
The word "Mama" has the same sound and meaning in 7,000 languages and dialects and goes back since the dawn of the spoken  word.(mamasan?)

[Guest]

Thais tried to say "French" it came out as falang

My understanding this is correct that the transliteration for france is "farangset" of which farang is derived.

[Guest]

Yeah Scorpio is right, i am from Egypt and we use Afrangi to describe the forigners. but the origin goes back even more, hundreds of years ago the egptians called teh french when they came to invade Egypt "Ferenga" and then with time and a bit of a different accent or Jargon people acquire with time the street egyptian word for it is Afrangi

Cherry

[Stewart]

transliteration

Is that a real word, or did you have a few too many tinnies last night??

[Guest]

i am egyptian so believe me i know.

[Snick]

Is this what a Farangi looks like ?

[Tomcat]

Im not sure about this .

Anyhow i think you,d better see a new Dentist Snick , your teeth sure need straightning out. Nice shirt though.

[Guest]

Gosh.. Ive been living here for awhile now... and perhaps I am sensitive. (not really) ... but I certainly think there are times when the word "falang" does has negative meaning.

Well.. ok.. at minimum, "falang" is an offensive word to be constantly called... Like when I went to a (ex)girlfriends families house for the weekend.. out in the country... and everyone there kept calling me falang.. (to each other).. and I finally was like "look, I am sensitive to what offends thai people, and I try not to do it... Could you at least try to learn my name as we are spending the whole weekend together?"

Once that was out... they did... and things went well.. but I have to admit.. I was really getting pissed hearing falang all the time.