monsoon (มรสุม)

English-Thai term for the annual reoccurring seasonal wind that prevails in the region of South and Southeast Asia. Between May and September, the season is also known as the wet monsoon, as the wind blows from the southwest and brings rain, whereas roughly between  October and April, the wind blows from the northeast, and is referred to as the dry monsoon. See also phansa, reudoo fon and nah fon. In Thai the word is sometimes ued as a synonym for phayu, i.e. ‘storm’, a word that derives from Vayu (fig.), the name of the Vedic god of the wind and air. Etymologically, the word monsoon derives from the Arabic mausim (موسم), meaning ‘season’ and in broader context is used to refer to the seasonal reversal of winds. See also nahm thuam (fig.), POSTAGE STAMPS (1) and (2), and WATCH VIDEO. 回