Mahasena (महासेन)
Sanskrit. ‘Having a great army’,
‘General’, or ‘Commander of a
large force’. A nickname for
Skanda
(fig.),
i.e.
Karttikeya (fig.).
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Maha Shivratri (महाशिवरात्रि)
See
Shivratri.
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Mahasingkhara (มหาสิงขร)
Thai. Name
of a city or kingdom in the
Ramakien,
which was ruled over by the
demon king
Thao
Unnaraat (fig.).
See also
LIST OF RAMAKIEN CHARACTERS & NAMES.
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mahat
(महत्)
Sanskrit. The great intelligence produced during creation. It is
related to the word ‘manas’, meaning ‘mind, intellect,
understanding’.
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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.
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Mahathat Chedi Ming Molih Sri Burapah
(มหาธาตุเจดีย์มิ่งโมลีศรีบูรพา)
Thai. Name of a Buddhist temple in the
tambon
Nong Khahng Khok of
Chonburi.
READ ON.
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Mahathep (มหาเทพ)
Thai. ‘Great god’. A designation
sometimes used for
Shiva.
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mahatma (महात्मा)
Sanskrit.
‘Great soul’. Honorary title given to sages and
teachers, such as
Gandhi.
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Mahatthai (มหาดไทย)
Thai. Since 1 April 1892 the name stands for the ‘Ministry of the
Interior’, but in the
Ayutthaya,
Thonburi and early
Rattanakosin
Periods,
it was
the name for the office responsible for the provinces North and East
of the capital and led by a
Chao Phraya, who had direct territorial
responsibilities. The term Mahatthai is also used to refer to its
minister, whose office and title were conferred by the King. In full
also referred to as Krasuang Mahatthai (กระทรวงมหาดไทย). See
also
Damrong Rachanuphaap.
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Mahatthai Uthit (มหาดไทยอุทิศ)
Thai. ‘Devoted
Mahatthai’.
The official name of a historical bridge
near
Pom Maha Kaan
(fig.)
and which in Thai is fully known as
Sapaan
Mahatthai Uthit.
READ ON.
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Mahavairochana (महावैरोचन)
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.
Sometimes transcribed Mahavairocana
and also known as
Vairochana.
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Mahavamsa
(மகாவம்சம்,
महावंश)
Tamil. 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.
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Mahavir (มหาวีร)
Thai for
Mahavira.
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Mahavira
(महावीर)
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.
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Maha Wizaya Zedi (မဟာဝိဇယစေတီ)
Burmese. Name of a Buddhist
temple in
Yangon's Dagon Township,
which was built in 1980 AD.
READ ON.
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mahawithayahlai (มหาวิทยาลัย)
Thai for ‘university’. See
education.
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Mahawithayahlai Maha Chulalongkon Ratcha
Withayahlai (มหาวิทยาลัย มหาจุฬาลงกรณราชวิทยาลัย)
Thai.
‘Chulalongkorn
the Great Royal Seminary University’. Name
of a public Buddhist university in Thailand.
READ ON.
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Mahawong (มหาวงศ์)
Thai name for the
Mahavamsa, the
Singhalese chronicle that traces the history of
Buddhism
in Sri Lanka.
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Mahayaan (มหายาน)
Thai name for
Mahayana.
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Mahayana (महायान)
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
northeastern
Asia, including Tibet, Nepal,
China, Mongolia, Korea and Japan, but also in
Vietnam and
sometimes also in
Malaysia, Indonesia,
Burma,
Thailand, and
Cambodia,
though the latter three now practice mainly
Theravada or
Hinayana Buddhism, the other main branch of Buddhism.
During prayers, Thai Mahayana monks wear a long orange ceremonial
robe (fig.), akin to that of Theravada Buddhist monks (fig.),
but otherwise they are dressed
in a more leisurely outfit,
that consists of an orange jacket and
long baggy
kaangkaeng le
trousers (fig.).
However,
the dress for
Mahayana Buddhist monks and novices differs
greatly per country (fig.).
In Vietnam, for instance, they wear a pale grey outfit (fig.),
which is covered by an orange-brown to dark brown robe (fig.) during
prayers (fig.),
or when travelling.
In Thai called
Mahayaan.
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Mahayogi
(महायोगी)
Sanskrit.
‘Great
ascetic’. A name of
Shiva.
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Mahayommayak (มหายมยักษ์)
Thai. Name of a
yak, i.e. a demon
character, in the Ramakien,
who has a
red complexion.
READ ON.
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Mahazedi (မဟာစေတီ)
1. Burmese. ‘Great
Zedi’
or ‘Great
Stupa’. Name of
a Buddhist temple in
Bago.
READ ON.
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2. Burmese. ‘Great
Zedi’
or ‘Great
Stupa’. Name of
a 13th century Buddhist
pagoda
in
Bagan.
READ ON.
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Mahendraparvata (महेंद्रपर्वत)
Hindi-Sanskrit. ‘Mountain of the Great
Indra’. One of the seven mountain chains of the
Himalayas and the early name for Phnom Kulen in Cambodia.
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Mahesvara (महेश्वर,
มเหศวร)
Sanskrit-Thai.
‘Great
Lord’. A name for
Shiva.
Also Maheshwara. The feminine form is known as
Mahesvari (fig.).
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Mahesvari (माहेश्वरी, มาเหศวรี)
Sanskrit-Thai.
The
shakti
or feminine energy of
Mahesvara, i.e. a form of
Shiva,
and one of the seven
Matris.
Also known as Rudrani, i.e. the female form of
Rudra,
and alternatively spelled Maheshwari.
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mah han bai yah soob (ม้าหั่นใบยาสูบ)
Thai. ‘Bench to cut tobacco leaves’. See
tobacco cutter.
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mahiddhika
Pali term meaning ‘of great magical power’.
It is related to the Sanskrit word
Maharddhika from
Tantrism
or
Vajrayana
Buddhism, which means ‘very
powerful’ or ‘great supernatural power’.
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Mahidol Adulyadej (มหิดล อดุลยเดช)
Thai. The father of
Ananda Mahidol
(Rama VIII)
and
Bhumipol Adulyadej (Rama IX)
and husband to Sangwan Talabhat, the Princess Mother,
Sri Nagarindra
(fig.).
He was the 69th child of King
Chulalongkorn (Rama V)
with Queen Sawang Wattana (Savang Vadhana) of whom he
was the 7th child. Besides two kings he also fathered a daughter,
i.e. Princess
Galyani
Watthana. He has the title
Prince of Songkhla,
and though educated as a MD, he was reportedly unable to fully
practice his profession, as direct contact between royalty and
commoners was at the time –at least officially– strictly prohibited.
With his princely status making it near-impossible to practice in
the capital, he went to work in a missionary-run hospital in
Chiang Mai, where he became a resident doctor. He was born on 1 January 1892
and died untimely from kidney failure on 24 September
1929. The Prince is portrayed on a postage stamp issued in 1983, to
mark
the
60th Anniversary of the cooperation
between the Siriraj Faculty of Medicine and the Rockefeller
Foundation, because in 1920, the Prince was the Thai Government's
delegate to negotiate with the Rockefeller Foundation for medical
aid (fig.).
He has appeared on a number of Thai postage stamps, most recently
for the occasion of the 120th anniversary of his birthday, in 2012 (fig.).
He has been given the title
Adulyadejvikrom.
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Mahidon Adunyadet (มหิดล อดุลยเดช)
Thai. Pronunciation of
Mahidol
Adulyadej.
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mahingsa (มหิงสา)
Thai pronunciation for
mahisha,
buffalo.
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Mahinthara (มหินธรา)
Thai-Sanskrit compound
of
maha, which means
‘great’ or ‘mighty’, and
Inthara
which is Thai for
‘Indra’.
However, the compound is in literature also translated as ‘great
man’ and
‘lord
of the land’
or ‘lord
of the mountain’,
due to Indra's heavenly home
Sumeru,
on
Mount Meru.
It freely translates perhaps best as the
‘Great Indra’
or ‘Lord Indra’.
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mahisha (महिष)
Sanskrit. ‘Buffalo’. The mount of
Yama.
In Thai pronounced
mahingsa.
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Mahishasura (महिषासुर)
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 her
fearsome form of
Chamunda, who is
also referred to as
Mahishasuramardini. The episode is described in the
Devi Mahatmyam,
yet is also found in the
Mahabharata,
though according to the
latter,
Mahishasura is slain by
Skanda. The
event is
remembered during
Vijayadazaami (fig.),
i.e.
the last day of
the annual
Hindu
festival of
Navaratri.
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Mahishasuramardini (महिषासुरमर्दिनि)
Sanskrit.
‘Slayer of the
buffalo demon’. The name given to
Durga when she is fighting
Mahishasura
(fig.), the buffalo demon that represents the forces of evil and darkness.
In this form, she is also known as
Chamunda. See
also
Devi Mahatmyam.
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Mahison Rachareuthay (มหิศร ราชหฤทัย)
Thai. Royal name of the 77th son
of King
Mongkut,
i.e. King
Rama IV,
whom he begot with his
consort Huang (ห่วง).
READ ON.
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mahk (หมาก)
1. Thai name for the
betel palm and its fruit the
betel nut.
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2.
Thai board game or a game played with marbles, dry beans, nuts or
fruit stones, such as
mahk khum
and
mahk ruk.
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mah kahn kluay (ม้าก้านกล้วย)
Thai. ‘Banana stem horse’. Name of a traditional Thai children's game from
the past in which players run each other, whilst holding a banana
stem (kahn
kluay) that is carried over the shoulder
with a string and held between the legs (fig.), as if straddling an imaginary horse (mah
-
fig.).
First a banana stem is selected and its leaf is peeled away, leaving
only the tip for decoration, like a horsetail. Then the head of the
horse is made from another piece of banana stem of about 20
centimeters long (fig.). This is slightly cut on both sides of the top, to
create two ears, and attached to the opposite side of the ‘horsetail’, pierced with a small piece of
bamboo to keep it in
place. Then a string, usually made from banana stem fibres, is
attached near the tail and the head, or –alternatively– at the head
and neck.
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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. It is
commonly known as Lipstick Palm. Often seen in
gardens.
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mahk khum (หมากขุม)
Thai. ‘Cavity board game’. A traditional board game from southern
Thailand.
READ ON.
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mah klaeb (ม้าแกลบ)
Thai. ‘Chaff horse’ or ‘husk horse’. Name of a small
horse, which in English is known as Thai Pony. Fully grown adults
are between 122 and 142 centimeters and weigh around 360 kilograms.
The Thai Pony is a hybrid, resulting from crossbreeding between
Mongolian and Asian horses. It came to Thailand with minority groups
that migrated from
China.
People in the North, train these horses to trot according to
instructions given by a horn, with the intend to familiarize the
animals with loud noise, so that they won't get scared too easily
when out and about. This type of horse is especially used by hill
tribe people, both as beast of burden and as mount (fig.). Also named
mah look kaew,
after the
Poi Look Kaew ceremony, in which it
is used. See also
phra khi mah bintabaat,
mah
and
WATCH VIDEO (1)
and
(2) .
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mahk ruk (หมากรุก)
Thai. ‘Invading board game’ or ‘advancing board game’. Designation
for both international chess, which derives from
the ancient Indian strategy game
chaturanga, i.e. the common ancestor of
chess. The name is also used
for its local variant known in English as
Thai chess (fig.).
Besides the many local varieties of chessboard, Thai shops tend to sell foreign
chessboards imported from
China
(fig.),
Vietnam (fig.)
and other Asian countries, including
Burma
(fig.),
where besides the local variant of Thai chess (fig.)
yet another local version exists, which is known as
sittuyin.
Besides this, local markets and night bazaars
usually have a variety of mass-produced chessboards on offer,
sometimes even small-sized
travel games and souvenir gadgets (fig.).
See also
mahk.
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mahk sum (หมากสุ่ม)
Thai. Name for a tray
with a stand on which
phum mahk offerings (fig.)
are placed. It consists of an ornamental
phaan-like
tray,
reminiscent of a
khan kaew,
though square in shape and
decorated with four
naga or
stylized naga-like figures,
one on each corner and whose tail ends meet at the top, forming a
quadruple arch.
The name is sometimes used for the
phum mahk as a whole.
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mah look kaew (ม้าลูกแก้ว)
Thai. ‘Crystal horse’. A Thai designation for the
Thai Pony
(fig.),
named after the
Poi Look Kaew ceremony, in which it
is used. Also known as
mah klaeb.
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mah mai (หมาไม้)
Thai. ‘Wood dog’ or ‘tree dog’. Name for the
Yellow-throated Marten.
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mah mangkon (ม้ามังกร)
Thai. ‘Dragon-horse’. Another name for
mah nin mangkon.
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mah nahm (ม้าน้ำ)
Thai for ‘seahorse’. A
small, upright fish, with a head akin to that of a horse, and of the
genus Hippocampus, which drives from the Greek hippokampos (ἱππόκαμπος)
. Though an endangered animal, it is still caught
in the wild for use in Chinese traditional medicine, as an
aphrodisiac and as a treatment for a
whole range of ailments, stretching from heart disease and asthma,
to impotence. And alas, even though there is no scientific proof for
any real therapeutic value,
medicinal seahorses (fig.)
can still commonly be found for sale in dried form, in
Bangkok's
Chinatown.
In seahorses, it are the males that get pregnant. The female
transfers her eggs to the male's abdominal pouch, which is made of
modified skin, triggering the male to release sperm as they enter,
thus fertilizing the eggs and then incubating them for 24 days until
they are hatch. seahorses are also associated with
the story of
Phra Aphaimanih,
a Thai epic story in verse about
an underwater kingdom.
In the seas of Thailand 5 species of seahorse are commonly found,
i.e. the Common Seahorse, Estuary Seahorse or Spotted Seahorse
(Hippocampus kuda), known in Thai as mah nahm dam (ม้าน้ำดํา); the
Spiny Seahorse or Hedgehog Seahorse (Hippocampus spinosissimus),
known in Thai as mah nahm hnaam (ม้าน้ำหนาม); the Longnose Seahorse
or Three-spot Seahorse (Hippocampus trimaculatus), known in Thai as
mah nahm sahm jut (ม้าน้ำสามจุด); the Pygmy Seahorse or Bargibant's
Seahorse (Hippocampus bargibanti), known in
Thai as mah nahm khrae (ม้าน้ำแคระ);
and the Great Seahorse or Kellogg's Seahorse (Hippocampus kelloggi),
known in Thai as mah nahm yak (ม้าน้ำยักษ์).
The temporal Hippocampus lobe in the human brain is named after this
sea creature as its shape resembles a seahorse.
See also
THEMATIC STREET LIGHT (1)
and
(2).
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Ma Hne Galay (မနှဲကလေး)
Burmese.
‘Little
Lady with the Flute’.
Another name for
Shin Nemi.
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mah nin mangkon (ม้านิลมังกร)
Thai. ‘Dark blue-black (nin)
dragon-horse’. Name of a mythological animal in the story of
Phra Aphaimanih. It is partly horse (mah) and partly dragon (mangkon).
It is the mount of
Sut Saakhon.
Also mah mangkon and in English
dragon-horse.
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mahogany
See
mahokkanih.
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mahokkanih (มะฮอกกานี)
Thai for ‘mahogany’. Name for a large tree of which there are two
genuine species, which are known by the botanical names Swietenia mahagoni
and Swietenia macrophylla.
Besides a variety of common names, the first species is known by the
common name Small-leaf Mahogany, in Thai mahokkanih bai lek (มะฮอกกานีใบเล็ก),
whilst the latter variety is commonly known as Big-leaf Mahogany, in
Thai mahokkanih bai yai (มะฮอกกานีใบใหญ่).
Mahogany is famed for its dark-coloured hardwood and is
most easily recognized by its seed pods, woody capsules that enclose
numerous long, flat, winged seeds (fig.),
which are released when the pods breaks open from below.
In the blooming season, from March to July, the tree has tiny, pale greenish flowers,
that spread a strong yet pleasant fragrance. These flowers are so
tiny that they are hardly noticeable when on the tree, but they can
often be seen scattered on the ground beneath the tree. Though it
used to be mostly cultivated for its wood, it is now also grown as
an ornamental tree and there are several roads in
Bangkok that
are lined by this tree, e.g. around
Chitralada Palace in
Dusit and along the path at the
northern entrance of
King
Rama IX Royal Park.
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mahorateuk (มโหระทึก)
See
klong mahorateuk.
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mahori (มโหรี)
Thai. An orchestra chiefly composed of
stringed instruments.
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Mahosot Chadok (มโหสถชาดก)
Thai-Sanskrit. Name for one of the
Totsachat,
i.e. life stories of the
ten last
incarnations of
the
Buddha,
in which the
bodhisattva
was born as
Mahosot, a wise prince born with a golden complexion.
READ ON.
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Mahothon (มโหทร)
1.
Thai. ‘One
with a big belly’. Term derived
from Sanskrit and used in
Hindu
iconography
to refer to someone with a big belly, such as
Ganesha.
See also
lampothon.
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2.
Thai. Name of an
important
yak
character
from the
Ramakien, who
belongs to the
army of
Longka,
i.e. the city or kingdom of
Totsakan.
He has a green complexion, wide open eyes called
tah phlohng
(fig.), and wears a golden crown with a bulbous
tip, which is decorated with pieces of dark green glass. He is
very similar in appearance to
Phiphek,
another yak with a
green complexion and a similar golden crown with a bulbous tip, but
which is more elongated and usually decorated with pieces of dark
blue glass (fig.),
and who has eyes of which
the upper eyelid partly covers the eyeball and that are known as
tah jorakae (fig.).
Mahothon usually appears in pair (fig.)
with
Paowanasoon (fig.),
another yak with a very similar crown, but with a white complexion (fig.).
See also
LIST OF RAMAKIEN CHARACTERS & NAMES.
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mahout
English-Hindi. Herd, caretaker and keeper of an
elephant. In
Thailand
mahouts often belong to the
Karen hill tribe
(fig.) and are usually assigned to a young elephant
when still a young boy, allowing them to stay
attached to one
another throughout
their lives.
Also transcribed mahaut and sometimes
called kornak. In Thai,
kwan chang.
WATCH VIDEO (1),
(2),
(3)
and
(4).
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Mah Pihk (ม้าปีก)
Thai. ‘Winged
Horse’.
Name for a
mythological creature, that consists of a horse with
wings, and which is able to fly.
READ ON.
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mahrah (หมาร่า)
Thai name for the wasp family Sphecidae, which includes mud daubers,
digger wasps and other types, that all fall under the category of
Thread-waisted Wasps (fig.).
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Mahuna Phaya (မနူဟာဘုရား)
Burmese. ‘Pagoda
of Mahuna’.
Name of a Buddhist temple in the village of Myinkaba, near
Bagan.
READ ON.
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mah yohk (ม้าโยก)
Thai for ‘rocking horse’. Though rocking horses are perhaps not
originally Thai, the way they are produced in Thailand, i.e. from
old cart wheels, is definitely an original idea. These unique
rocking horses are generally known as mah yohk lo kwian (ม้าโยกล้อเกวียน).
See also
kwian.
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mai (ไม้)
Thai. Generic name and classifier for
any plant or tree, as well as for wood, a piece of log, lumber,
timber, or plank. The word is also often used as part of a
compound.
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mai (ไหม)
1. Thai for
silk.
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2.
Thai for
silkworm.
Also called
dakdae.
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mai faad
khao (ไม้ฟาดข้าว)
Thai. ‘Rice-thrashing
woods’. A set of wooden sticks connected by a piece of rope,
used like large pincers to grab bundles of rice, in order to beat
(trash) them and make the grains fall from the ears of the paddy (fig.).
The rope is attached through holes at the end of each stick and
fixed with a knot. The sticks are often made from
ruak and about 60-70 centimeters, whereas the rope is
about 50 centimeters long.
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mai hok hian (ไม้หกเหียน)
Thai.
‘Turning
six tree’. A small manipulated
tree or shrub.
READ ON.
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mai jan, mai chan (ไม้จันทน์)
Thai for
sandalwood.
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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
and with
lao (fig.).
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mai kam ma-lo (ไม้กำมะลอ)
Thai.
‘Self-styled
tree’, ‘mock
tree’ or ‘bogus tree’.
A small, manipulated,
bonsai-like
tree
or shrub.
READ ON.
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mai khabuan (ไม้ขบวน)
Thai.
‘Procession
tree’.
A small,
bonsai-like
tree
or shrub.
READ ON.
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mai kham (ไม้ค้ำ)
Thai. ‘Support wood’. Name of
either a cut or carved wooden log, or a smaller natural stick, which
has been painted (fig.)
and is used to symbolically support
a sacred object or place. It is typically forked (Y-shaped) at the top and is most commonly seen placed under the
branches, or
against the trunk, of a
bodhi
tree, especially in northern Thailand. These sticks or logs are believed
to be auspicious, preventing hardship
and prolonging life. It is sometimes done as part of the
seubchatah ceremony and the wooden stick
or log is therefore also referred to as
mai kham
chatah.
Since they are usually painted, they are also called mai kham
see/sih
(สี),
i.e. ‘painted support wood’, though this is actually a
corruption of
mai kham sarih (ไม้ค้ำศรี), a name
used in
Lan Na
for these wooden supports and in which the word sarih,
spelled srih
(ศรี) but pronounced sarih
(สะหรี), in Thai has an unwritten
vowel ‘a’ whereas the word
sri
(ศรี), which has the exact same Thai
spelling, is normally pronounced srih, yet typically transliterated
sri, and more often than not is pronounced simply sih, in which the
second consonant, i.e. the ‘r’, is silent, hence the confusion with
the homonymous word
sih (สี).
The term sarih (ศรี)
derives from ton sarih (ต้นศรี), a northern
Thai word for
ton poh,
i.e. the bodhi tree, and likely derives itself from its respectful
name which in full is
ton
phra
sri
maha
poh
(ต้นพระศรีมหาโพธิ์).
According to local beliefs the tradition of offering mai kham supports or crutches
placed at the
east of the bodhi tree will bring forth an abundant offspring; those
placed to the west will bring healing from disease; and if
all four sides are supported, it will fulfill worldly desires and
bring treasure. Hence, these twigs or wooden sticks, that are used
symbolically as stilts or crutches, are believed to
symbolize support for the enduring nature of
Buddhism and
aim to bring about prosperity, while safeguarding the
donor's destiny. In recent years, with growing local tourism, there
has been a prevalent trend among certain groups of tourists to place
sticks in nature, especially under overhanging cliffs and rocks (fig.).
This has led to the growing phenomena of so-called Laan Mai Kham,
entire rows of wooden sticks that have been placed at the foot of
mountain ridges or underneath large boulders in numerous natural tourist
destinations.
See also
TRAVEL PICTURES.
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mai kham chatah (ไม้ค้ำชะตา)
See
mai kham.
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mai kham sarih (ไม้ค้ำศรี)
See
mai kham.
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mai khen
(ไม้เขน)
Thai.
‘Shield
tree’.
A small, manipulated tree
or shrub.
READ ON.
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mai kritsana (ไม้กฤษณา)
Thai.
Literally ‘Krishna
wood’.
Thai name for
agarwood.
See also
mai
and
Kritsana.
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mai kwaat dok yah (ไม้กวาดดอกหญ้า)
Thai. A traditional broom, made from natural grasses,
especially a roadside grass called
dok yah tong kong (ดอกหญ้าตองกง),
known in English as bamboo grass and tiger grass, with the botanical name
Thysanolaena latifolia, formerly Thysanolaena maxima, and nicknamed Asian broom
grass. The stalk of this grass is straight and divided into clear joints, akin
to bamboo. The broom is made of inflorescences that have already been shaken off
the fluff, then dried and sewn together, and finally attached to a long handle,
that is typically made from
bamboo. It is recorded that this
kind of broom making originated in the
amphur
Lab Lae (ลับแล) in
Uttaradit. They are usually offered for sale by
specialized broom vendors, often driving a motorized pushcart, a literal broom
wagon (fig.).
See also
dok yah (fig.).
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Mainland Serow
A species of cloven-hoofed mammal with the binomial name
Capricornis sumatraensis, that belongs to the family Bovidae. It is sometimes
placed in the genus Naemorhedus and hence called Naemorhedus sumatraensis.
Beside this, it may commonly be called Southern Serow or Sumatran Serow. It is distributed from
India through southern
China,
to most of mainland Southeast Asia and some parts of Indonesia. It has a
relatively short body and long legs, with a grey to black bristly fur, sometimes
with a reddish brown tinge, especially on and around the legs. It has short,
slightly curved horns and a mane of long hairs, that are dark near the body, but
pale towards the top. At first glance, this animal is somewhat similar in
appearance to the male
Nilgai
(fig.). The Mainland Serow lives either solitary or in small
groups and feeds on grasses, shoots and leaves of a variety of plants. Being a
territorial dweller, it is has a fondness for its area and doesn't move much
when feeding. Mainland Serows mostly inhabit
forested, steep mountainous areas, including limestone cliffs, but are also
found in lowlands. They are mostly active at dusk and dawn, and spends the rest
of the day in dense vegetation and under overhanging cliffs. In Thai it is named
liang phah,
yiang phah,
yeuang,
gooram and
koram.
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mai non phrai (ไม้นอนไพร)
Thai. ‘Sleeping forest
wood’. Term for forest wood or tree trunks (fig.)
that have fallen and died naturally.
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mai phai (ไม้ไผ่)
Thai for
bamboo. Also
phai.
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mai sak (ไม้สัก)
Thai for
teak.
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mai tat (ไม้ดัด)
Thai. ‘Cut tree’ or ‘clipped tree’. A
generic Thai term for
khao mo,
i.e.
bonsai,
as well as for
topiary
and
other trees or shrubs
that are clipped ornamentally or otherwise. See also
penjing.
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Mai Thai (ไหมไทย)
Thai for hand-woven Thai
silk.
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maithuna (मैथुन)
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.
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Maitreya (मैत्रेय)
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 wheel.
In
Tibet, he is depicted with his hand in the gesture or
mudra of turning the Wheel
of
dharma, i.e.
the
dharmachakra. He represents an
unbroken lineage of
buddhas through time,
appearing in the world to reveal the path to
Enlightenment.
In another form he is also known as
Huan Xi Fo or
Budai, the Chinese ‘smiling
buddha’ (fig.).
Besides this, he is sometimes considered to be one of the Eighteen
Arahats, though originally
those were to remain in the world to propagate the
dhamma until Maitreya came,
which is conflicting if he is one of them. He is however also one of
the
Eight Great Bodhisattvas
(fig.).
Also
Metraiy and
in Pali referred to as
Metteya.
See also
Angaja.
See also TRAVEL PICTURE.
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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
scares
off any leaf-eating flying insect that may land on it, and also
prevents heavy raindrops from damaging this
rather 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 some varieties are known
as maiyarahb
yak (giant mimosa pudica)
and maiyarahb leuay (climbing mimosa pudica vine).
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Maiyarahp (ไมยราพณ์)
Thai. Name of a
yak, i.e. giant demon from the
Ramakien. He lived in the underworld and
was the son of
Mahayommayak (fig.)
and
Nang
Chantrapraphasih (จันทรประภาศรี), and a
nephew of
Totsakan.
Maiyarahp succeeded his father as the third king of
Meuang or
Krung
Badahn (บาดาล).
Despite his father's
instructions not to associate with his uncle, and a reminder of this
by his mother,
Maiyarahp sets out to join
Totskan in his batlle against
Rama.
He performed a ceremony to make a sleeping potion for
Rama's
army and he succeeded in putting everyone to sleep, but was later
killed by
Hanuman. He is
described as having a pale mauve complexion. In
iconography, he is usually depicted
with a
chadah-like, cockerel tail
crown, that seen from the side, is wavy and arches backward at the
tip (fig.). In architecture, he is usually portrayed in companion with
Virunchambang,
a yak
with a navy blue complexion. Both stand at the third door of the
Northern entrances of
Wat Phra Kaew.
In 2001, he was depicted on a Thai postage stamp, as part of a set
of four stamps with yak that guard temple
entrances (fig.).
Sometimes transcribed Mayarap or Maiyarap. In the
Ramayana,
he is known as Ahiravan or Mahiravan, king of the underworld, and is
described as a brother of
Ravana,
rather than a nephew like his counterpart in the Thai version.
See also
LIST OF RAMAKIEN CHARACTERS & NAMES.
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Ma Jow (ม่าโจ้ว)
Thai-Tae
Chew name for
Mazu.
In full also called Ma Jow Poh (ม่าโจ้วโป๋).
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mak (มรรค)
Thai.
‘Way, path’. One of the
Four
Noble Truths of Buddhism.
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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.
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makara (मकर)
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,
while in Myanmar,
its head is often supported by human-faced
lion-figures
(fig.),
yet it may also take the shape of a crocodile (fig.),
and if the latter also has a prehensile trunk-like snout it is known
as
magan
(fig.).
It is the emblem of
Kama and conveyance of the Hindu goddess
Ganga, as well as that of
Varuna.
In North Thailand, it is called
mom
and is the mount of the god of the storm
clouds,
Thep
Patchanna.
In Thailand, the makara also appears as the bow of certain
Royal Barges,
both ancient (fig.)
and modern (fig.).
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Makha (มาฆ)
Thai. The third lunar month corresponding to the sign of Capricorn in the
zodiac.
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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.
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makhaam kaew (มะขามแก้ว)
Thai. ‘Crystal
tamarind’.
Name for a sweet made from tamarind (fig.).
Fresh tamarind fruits are first peeled and cleaned from their
inedible parts, i.e. fibres and pits.
The flesh of fruit is then made into a paste by mixing it with water
and put in a pot over a fire, to liquefy it. Then salt, pulverized
prik khee noo
chilies and sugar are added, and the brew is cooked until it becomes
sticky. After this, the mixture is cooled off and made into small
balls, which are coated by dipping and rolling them in granulated
sugar. They are a popular snack and a local specialty from
Phichit province,
amongst others. In English also referred to as tamarind balls.
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makhaam khluk (มะขามคลุก)
Thai. ‘Rolled
tamarind’
or ‘mixed tamarind’.
Name for a sweet made from tamarind (fig.).
Fresh tamarind fruits are peeled and cleaned from their
fibres, and then coated by rolling them
in, or mixing (khluk) them with, granulated sugar. Also known as
makhaam khluk nahmtahn (มะขามคลุกน้ำตาล), i.e. ‘tamarind mixed
[with] sugar’.
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makhaam khluk buay (มะขามคลุกบ๊วย)
Thai. ‘Buay mixed
tamarind’.
Name for a tamarind candy, made from fresh tamarind fruits (fig.)
which are peeled and cleaned from their fibres, and
then coated by rolling them in a mixture of granulated sugar
and buay powder, i.e. powder obtained from the Japanese apricot, a
fruit which is also known as Chinese plum (Prunus mume).
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makhaampom (มะขามป้อม)
Thai. Name of the Indian gooseberry, a
tropical tree and its
fruit, which is known by the scientific name Phyllanthus emblica. Its fruit
is usually described as having a
rather sweet-and-sour taste, though its high acidity makes it
actually more likely extremely bitter-sour. Though the green berries
at
first glance look very similar to
western green gooseberries, they are actually quite
dissimilar (fig.). In
its centre sits is a large green pit, unlike the small multiple
seeds found in western gooseberries. They have a hard rind and their
acidity is so high, that most people won't like the taste of them.
They are hence best peeled and cut into small pieces and sprinkled
with sugar and/or syrup. In Thailand, they are typically dipped in a
mixture of salt, sugar and dry chili powder. Also known as the emblic tree.
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Makhaam Thao (มะขามเฒ่า)
Thai. ‘Old
Tamarind’. A regional
name of the
Tha Chin
River, after it splits from
Chao Phraya
River near
Chainat
until
Suphanburi,
where it becomes
known by the local name
Suphan
River.
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makhaamthet (มะขามเทศ)
Thai name for the Camachile, a tree and its fruit
(fig.) 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. It is also known by the common names
Madras Thorn, Manila
Tamarind, while
the fruits are nicknamed monkeypods.
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Makha Bucha (มาฆบูชา)
Thai. Buddhist holiday that commemorates all saints and is held during the full
moon (fig.) 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
the
Ovada Patimokkha
Discourse at
Bamboo
Grove Monastery in
Rajagaha. This public holiday reaches its climax in candle processions
around the main temple buildings or
chedi. Also
Wan Makha
Bucha.
See also
bucha and
POSTAGE STAMPS (1),
(2)
and
(3).
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makheua (มะเขือ)
Thai. Generic name for plants that produce bulbous vegetables, such
as the different varieties of eggplant
and the tomato (fig.), which
both belong to the family Solanaceae. There are many different
varieties, such as the
makheua
khao (white eggplant -
fig.),
makheua
phuang (pea eggplant -
fig.),
makheua
muang (purple eggplant -
fig.),
makheua thet (tomato),
makheua proh (crisp eggplant - fig.),
makheua
poo (Thai hairy-fruited eggplant -
fig.), etc. Any of the eggplant varieties
grown to its full size may in Thai also be called
makheua
yao (long makheua -
fig.), whereas their small appearance
may in English be referred to as baby eggplant. Compare with
taeng.
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makheua cartoon (มะเขือการ์ตูน)
Thai. ‘Cartoon
makheua’.
Name for a species of eggplant with the scientific name Solanum
mammosum. Its fruit's is yellowish-orange and has an udder-like
appearance. Due to this, it is known in English as Cow's Udder,
Nipplefruit, Titty Fruit, and Apple of Sodom. In
China, the
gold-coloured fruit is considered auspicious and is known as wu zhi
jia (五指茄), i.e. ‘five toes eggplant’, while in Japan it is
reportedly referred to as ‘fox face’.
Unlike most other eggplant species found in Southeast Asia, the
fruit of this one is poisonous and the plant is grown solely for
ornamental purposes.
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makheua khao (มะเขือขาว)
Thai. ‘White
makheua’. Name for the white eggplant, a
plant with the scientific name
Solanum melongena. It is a variety of the purple eggplant, in Thai
known as
makheua
muang. It produces white, bulbous vegetables that
when still young look like round eggs and are full of tiny seeds.
Similar varieties may be slightly green or have green stripes. They are
edible and usually harvested when still young and hard. Especially
in this stage they are popular in Thai cuisine. Cut in half and
boiled they are used as an ingredient in red and green curries (fig.),
usually together with the seed boxes of the cluster eggplant which
in Thai is known as
makheua
phuang. On occasion
they are also eaten fresh.
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makheua muang (มะเขือม่วง)
Thai. ‘Purple
makheua’. Name for the purple eggplant, a
plant with the scientific name
Solanum melongena. It is a variety of the white eggplant, in Thai
known as
makheua
khao, and is usually grown to a much larger size.
Despite its clear differences, it has the same Latin designation.
When grown into an elongated size (fig.), it is also known as purple aubergine
(fig.).
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makheua phuang (มะเขือพวง)
Thai. ‘Cluster
makheua’. Name for the pea eggplant, a species of eggplant with the scientific name
Solanum
tarvum/torvum. It produces clusters of small green balls, each the size of
a large pea. These spherical seed boxes are edible and contain numerous small seeds. They are eaten when still unripe and
are mainly used as an ingredient in red and green curries, usually
together with the white eggplant which in Thai is known as
makheua
khao.
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makheua poo (มะเขือปู่)
Thai. ‘Paternal grandfather's
eggplant’. Name for a species of
makheua,
with the scientic name Solanum ferox. It has soft furry-like hairs
on it and is yellowish orange in colour. Its taste is a little sour
and the hair needs to be removed before consumption. In English it
is known as Hairy Eggplant, Hairy-fruited Eggplant and Thai
Hairy-fruited Eggplant. In Thai also called
ma-poo.
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makheua proh (มะเขือเปราะ)
Thai. ‘Crisp
makheua’. Name for a species of eggplant of which the fruits are either oval-round or
round-flat and about the size of a golf ball (fig.). The fruit is crisp and comes
in two colours: green-white and purple-white, depending on the type.
It is used as a vegetable, mainly quartered as an ingredient in red and green
curries (fig.), similar to the white eggplant which in Thai is called
makheua
khao.
In English, this type of eggplant is sometimes referred to as Thai
eggplant.
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makheua yao (มะเขือยาว)
Thai. ‘Long
makheua’. Name for any species of eggplant that has grown into a full-grown lengthy size
(fig.), although the term is also and
in particular used for
the elongated green eggplant or green aubergine.
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makhwit (มะขวิด)
Thai name for the
wood-apple
(fig.),
locally described as an edible ancient fruit
hard to find and that occurs in subtropical and tropical southern Asia. It has a
hard, wooden rind,
hence its common English name.
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maki sushi (巻き寿司)
Japanese for ‘rolled
sushi’, a type of sushi made by using a
bamboo rolling mat called a
makisu. It has a filling made of sushi
rice and some other
ingredients, usually fish and is wrapped in sheets of
dried seaweed called nori, although it can also be found wrapped in other edible
wrappers, such as a soy paper, thin omelet, etc. After this the cylindrical roll
is cut into small ready-to-eat chunks and served, often in bamboo steaming
baskets called
kheng (fig.). There are several
types of maki sushi, all with their own names, depending on their size and the
different fillings. Sometimes transcribed maki-zushi
or makizushi.
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makisu (巻き簾)
Japanese for a sushi rolling mat, used to make
maki sushi.
It consists of a collection of round wooden sticks woven together with string
into a flat pliable mat (fig.).
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makkaliphon (มักกะลีผล)
See
makkariphon and
nariphon.
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makkariphon (มักรีผล)
Thai. Name for the fruit of a mythical tree in
Himaphan forest that, according
to legend, fruits beautiful women (fig.),
which are also known as
nariphon, i.e. ‘women fruit’.
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Makkawaan (มัฆวาน)
A Thai name for
Indra.
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maknayok (มรรคนายก)
See
makanayok.
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makok (มะกอก)
1.
Thai. Generic name for any plum tree of the genus Spondias, in the
family Anacardiaceae, of which there are several species, the ones
most commonly found in Thailand being the genus Spondias mombin and Spondias dulcis, which are known in Thai as makok
(fig.) and makok farang (มะกอกฝรั่ง),
respectively. The name
Bangkok is
derived from this tree, which bears oval, edible fruits that grow on
long stalks, and which are sometimes referred to as hog plums. The
flesh of this fruit is crunchy and it contains a fibrous pit. Eaten
fresh, the taste is slightly sour, but it also has several culinary
uses.
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2.
Thai. Name for a plum tree of the genus Spondias, in the family Anacardiaceae, with the botanical name Spondias mombin.
It grows to 30 meters tall and its bark is greyish-brown, thick,
rough, and often deeply grooved with blunt, spine-like projections (fig.).
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Makot
1.
Thai name for the kingdom of
Magadha in
ancient India, now called Bihar.
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2.
Magadhi, the
Prakrit language of
Magadha, similar to
Pali.
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makrud (มะกรูด)
Thai for the kaffir lime or kieffer lime, a shrub with the Latin
scientific name Citrus hystrix. It is native to Indonesia and
Malaysia, where it is called limau purut, but is commonly grown all
over South and Southeast Asia, often as a backyard shrub which
consist of a thorny bush with leaves that grow vertically in pairs,
one on top of the other, somewhat like the shape of a hourglass. Its
fruit, a kind of
lime
with a knobby rind (fig.), as well as its aromatic
leaves are widely used in Southeast Asian cuisine, especially in
Thai cooking. The leaves are used as a spice, both fresh as in
tom yam or dried (fig.) as mixed
with nuts or
khao mao (fig.),
whereas the oil from the fruit's rind can be applied as a mosquito
repellant. See also
manao.
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makut (มกุฎ)
Thai for ‘crown’. It derives from the Sanskrit
word
mukuta. Also
mongkut.
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Makuta (မကုဋ)
Mon-Burmese.
Name of the last King
of the
Thaton Kingdom, who reigned from
ca. 1030 until 1057 AD, when he was defeated by King
Anawrahta
(fig.),
captured and taken to
Pagan (fig.)
as a prisoner,
together with his consort
Queen Ningalade (fig.).
His name was corrupted into Manuha and according to some ancient
inscriptions, he built
Mahuna Phaya
(fig.)
in Myinkaba, near
Bagan,
while in captivity.
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Makutrajakumaan (มกุฎราชกุมาร)
1. Thai
for ‘Crown Prince’.
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2. Thai. ‘Crown Prince’.
Name of an offshore patrol frigate
operated by the Royal Thai Navy. It is usually
referred to with the prefix HTMS, i.e. His Thai Majesty's Ship.
See POSTAGE STAMP.
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malabiang (มาลาเบี่ยง)
See
Phra Malah Biang.
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Malacca apple
See
chomphu ma-miaw.
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malachite
A
copper carbonate hydroxide mineral that is green in appearance. It
is one among
several minerals that qualify as
jade.
This semiprecious mineral polishes to a
high gloss and is used to produce ornaments. Since the late 19th
century, in Europe and especially in Bohemia, i.e. today's western
part of the Czech Republic, this mineral is imitated in pressed
glass, known as Malachite Glass, and intended to look like
malachite.
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malaeng (แมลง)
Nonspecific Thai name for several types of adult invertebrates,
including most insects, such as bugs, flies, beetles, etc. They
consist of three main parts: i.e. a head; an outer part, such as a
shell or wings; and an abdomen, which has 6 legs. Some of the
invertebrates in this category may have 1 or 2 pairs of wings,
though there are some without wings too. Although
not completely interchangeable some of those invertebrates may also be called
maeng, though this term is usually
reserved for those with 8-10 legs. Several species of insect, both
of the malaeng and maeng category, are eaten (fig.)
by some locals, e.g. scorpions (maengpong -
fig.), crickets (jing
rihd -
fig.), giant water bugs or horseshoe crabs
(maengda -
fig.), silk pupae (dakdae),
bamboo worms (rotduan
-
fig.),
grasshoppers (takkataen), tarantulas (beung -
fig.), etc.
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malaeng chi pa-khao (แมลงชีปะขาว)
Thai
for ‘Mayfly’.
READ ON.
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malaeng maengpong (แมลงแมงป่อง)
Thai
term for the
Scorpion Fly
(fig.)
and literally a compound of the words
malaeng
and
maengpong.
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malaeng noon luang (แมลงนูนหลวง)
Thai. ‘Embossed royal insect’. Designation for a large beetle,
commonly known as Sugarcane White Grub, after their larvae,
which feed on the roots of
sugarcane. It belongs to the family
Scarabaeidae and has the scientific name Lepidiota stigma. Females
are overall whitish-grey, whereas males are pale beige-brown (fig.).
On average, adults measure between 3.5 to 4.7 centimeters. With
adults being able to fly (fig.),
they can spread over large areas and are considered important pests
of
cassava and sugarcane, especially in
the provinces
Kanchanaburi,
Ratchaburi,
Rayong,
Chonburi and
Kamphaeng Phet.
In
Isaan, they are fried and eaten by some
locals. In English, this
beetle is sometimes also referred to as the Large Cockchafer.
See also WILDLIFE PICTURES.
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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. The so-called
stick insect
or stick
bug, the kind that camouflages as a stick and in Thai also known as
takkataen king mai (fig.), can grow well over 30
centimeters in length and researchers have identified a species from the island of Borneo
with a size of over 55 centimeters, as the world's alleged longest insect.
Stick insects are not venomous and apart from relying on camouflage
alone for its defence, it also has colourful wings that it can open
to scare off enemies and some species can spray an irritating
substance from glands on their back onto an attacker. Ranatra
linearis is an aquatic species of stick bug that lives in and near
aquatic plants in ponds, marshes and other freshwater habitats, and
which is referred to as Needle Bug or Water Stick Insect. Though
adults can fly this predator typically hunts underwater using its
front legs to catch prey while its tail acts as a breathing tube,
similar to
Water Scorpions
(fig.).
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malaeng pihk khaeng (แมลงปีกแข็ง)
Thai. ‘Hard-winged insect’. Generic name for any type of beetle,
alongside the designation
duang. The
term derives from the elytra, i.e. the modified hardened fore-wings, that
serve as shield-like wing-covers or sheaths to the rear-wings, when not in flight.
The elytra of metallic
beetles
are in Thailand used to make artifacts, which are generally referred
to as beetle wing collages (fig.).
The life-cycle of metallic beetles is short and they meet a natural
death at the due time, leaving their wings scattered around the tree
trunks where they used to live. The wings of metallic beetles
are bluish-green with a golden-yellow shine and remain vivid and
durable, so they can be used to decorate sculptures and ornaments. With a size of up to 13
centimeters, the largest beetles in Thailand are the three-horned
beetles, generally known in Thai as
kwahng
sahm khao, and in English commonly referred to as
Atlas Beetles. They belong to the genus Chalcosoma, which includes
the species Chalcosoma caucasus, Chalcosoma atlas and Chalcosoma
mollenkampi. Though beetles are able to fly, many species are too
large and heavy to lift from the ground and must first climb to an
elevated point, such as a tree, from where they drop themselves in
the air to get airborne. In order to enable them to climb, beetles
typically have large claws or hooks on their legs.
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malaeng pihk khaeng thee you tahm moon sat
(แมลงปีกแข็งที่อยู่ตามมูลสัตว์)
Thai generic name for dung beetles. There are several species and
the ones found in Thailand include Onitis sp., which lives in buffalo dung
and is, naturally, a local delicacy.
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malaeng poh (แมลงปอ)
Thai.
Generic name for ‘dragonfly’, as well as ‘damselfly’,
though the latter is officially known as
malaeng poh khem (แมลงปอเข็ม), literally
‘needle dragonfly’.
READ ON.
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malaeng poh ban boh (แมลงปอบ้านบ่อ)
Thai name for the
Scarlet
Skimmer.
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malaeng poh ban pihk leuang dam
(แมลงปอบ้านปีกเหลืองดำ)
Thai name for the
Yellow-Striped Flutterer.
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malaeng poh ban pihk taem dam
(แมลงปอบ้านปีกแต้มดำ)
Thai name for the
Blackspot Widow.
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malaeng poh ban seua khiaw
(แมลงปอบ้านเสือเขียว)
A Thai name for the
Green Tiger Skimmer,
besides
malaeng poh ban seua laai khiaw.
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malaeng poh ban seua laai khiaw
(แมลงปอบ้านเสือลายเขียว)
A Thai name for the
Green Tiger Skimmer,
besides
malaeng poh ban seua khiaw.
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malaeng poh ban sih mon thong daeng
(แมลงปอบ้านสีหม่นท้องแดง)
Thai name for the
Black-bodied Skimmer.
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malaeng poh ban som leuang
(แมลงปอบ้านส้มเหลือง)
Thai name for the
Orange Skimmer.
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malaeng poh ban song sih khiaw fah (แมลงปอบ้านสองสีเขียวฟ้า)
Thai name for the
Ground Skimmer.
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malaeng poh ban tahn plaay pihk saai
(แมลงปอบ้านตาลปลายปีกใส)
Thai name for the
Cleartip
Widows.
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malaeng poh ban tai kohn pihk dam
(แมลงปอบ้านใต้โคนปีกดำ)
Thai name for the
Indigo
Dropwing.
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malaeng poh ban tai phu muang
(แมลงปอบ้านใต้ผู้ม่วง)
Thai name for the
Crimson
Marsh Glider.
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malaeng poh seua laai pradap
(แมลงปอเสือลายประดับ)
A Thai name for the
Common Clubtail,
besides
malaeng poh seua
thammada.
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malaeng poh seua
thammada (แมลงปอเสือธรรมดา)
A Thai name for the
Common Clubtail,
besides
malaeng poh seua laai pradap.
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malaeng saab (แมลงสาบ)
Thai. ‘Musty insect’. Generic name for any kind
of cockroach. Species commonly found in Thailand include the
American Cockroach (Periplaneta americana), Australian Cockroach (Periplaneta
australasiae -
fig.), Common or Oriental
Cockroach (Blatta orientalis), German Cockroach (Blattella germanica), Brown-banded Cockroach
(Supella longipalpa or Supella supelectilium -
fig.) and the Surinam
Cockroach (Pycnoscelus surinamensis).
Their life cycle from egg to
adult passes through several instars, in which the nymphs (fig.) of winged
adult species are still wingless (fig.). Cockroaches can go without
water or food for a long period and are able to live without their
heads. Cockroaches breathe through the sides of their bodies and as
such do
not require a nose or head. This, in addition with the fact that they do not
have blood pressure like mammals do -which can lead to uncontrolled
bleeding- they can live about a week or longer
without their heads. A decapitated individual will
eventually die of dehydration. It has recently been
discovered that special chemicals in the brains of cockroaches
enable them to resist a wide range of bacteria and allow them to
live in highly unclean environments. Scientists have identified
several different molecules in their brains and tissues that are
toxic to deadly bugs, possibly opening the way to treat multi-drug
resistant bacterial infections.
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malaeng saab thalae (แมลงสาบทะเล)
Thai. ‘Musty sea insect’ or ‘sea
cockroach’.
READ ON.
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malaeng sahm ngahm (แมลงสามง่าม)
Thai. ‘Three-pronged insect’.
Name of a nocturnal wingless insect with long antennae. It has the
scientific designation
Lepisma
saccharina and is commonly known as Silverfish. Whereas the English
name derives from the insect's distinctive metallic
appearance and its fish-like shape, as
well as its wiggling motion that resembles the movement of a
fish,
the Thai
common name refers to its three prongs at the end of
its tapering abdomen,
which consist of two long cerci (paired
appendages that —depending on the kind of arthropod— are either
functionless, or serve as pinching weapons, or as sensory or
reproduction organs) and one filament, used
used by males to vibrate against females during courtship. The Latin
name refers to the
insect's appetite
for
matter that contains polysaccharides.
Also transliterated malaeng saam ngaam.
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malaeng wan (แมลงวัน)
Thai for ‘fly’, literally it reads
‘day insect’, and thus malaeng wan is sometimes translated as
‘day-fly’. See also
malaeng.
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malaeng wan bian (แมลงวันเบียน)
Thai. ‘Disturbing fly’ or ‘annoying fly’.
Generic name for
any fly in the family Tachinidae, of which there are more than 2,000
genera, and more than 10,000 species worldwide. They are commonly
called Tachina Flies or simply Tachinids, an in Thai also known as
malaeng wan tua bian (แมลงวันตัวเบียน). Their larvae are often
parasitoids, developing inside a living host and eventually killing
it, or sometimes parasitic, just living off the host for a while.
Depending on the species, there are different reproductive
strategies. Some species lay their eggs on the host insect, others
insert them into the host's body, or leave them in the host's
environment, where they are either ingested by the host, or the
larvae search for the host themselves, some even by using ambush
techniques. For this reason, this fly is also referred to as
Parasitic Fly.
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malaeng wan hua boob (แมลงวันหัวบุบ)
Thai. ‘Dented-headed fly’. Generic name for
any species of robber fly, that belongs to the Asilidae family.
There are several subfamilies and members all have stout, spiny
legs, a dense bristle of hairs on the face, and three simple eyes in a characteristic dent between two larger compound
eyes. Furthermore, they have short antennae, with a bristle-like
structure, and a short, strong proboscis, used to stab victims,
which they then inject with saliva containing neurotoxic and
proteolytic enzymes, that paralyze and digest the internal organs,
allowing the robber fly to suck up the liquefied insides. Most
robber flies have a rather long abdomen and some species mimic other
insects.
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malaeng wan hua khiaw (แมลงวันหัวเขียว)
Thai. ‘Green-headed fly’. Name for
a species of blow-fly with the scientific designation Chrysomya megacephala, that belongs to the family Calliphoridae.
It has large, bright reddish-brown compound eyes, and a metallic
greenish-blue body, 1 to 1.2 centimeters in length, with a golden
shine and dark, blackish rings. Though found in many places across
the globe, it does prefer year-round warmer climates and is
particularly prevalent in the Oriental and Australasian region.
Whilst it can be a nuisance and cause health problems to both humans
and animals, it is also an important tool in forensic entomology, as
it is one of the first species to show up on a corpse, allowing
pathologists and forensic scientists to determine, or at least
estimate, the time of death by calculating a post mortem interval,
according to the larvae of this species and their abundance, found
on a decaying body. Research done in Thailand was used to examine
what species of insects were found on a number of cadavers, grouped
in specific environments, e.g. indoor, outdoor, urban, forested,
etc. Results showed that flies in the family Calliphoridae were by
far the most common of all flies found on all of these cadavers,
headed by the species Chrysomya megacephala, which was found on two
thirds of the cadavers.
For this reason, blow-flies are also called carrion flies. In
English, it is commonly known by the less than flattering
designation
Oriental Latrine Fly.
See also WILDLIFE PICTURES.
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malaeng wan pheung (แมลงวันผึ้ง)
Thai for ‘bee-fly’.
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malaeng wan ponlamai (แมลงวันผลไม้)
Thai. ‘Fruit fly’. Designation for small
flies of the family Tephritidae, one of two families commonly
referred to as
fruit
flies, the other being Drosophilidae, which
members are included in a group of insects known as
malaeng
wih in Thai, said to be named after the sound they
make. Worldwide, there are several thousand species belonging to the
family Tephritidae, commonly known as picture-wing flies. They are
larger than fruit flies of the family Drosophilidae, commonly known
as vinegar flies (fig.),
and are easily distinguished from other, similar flies, by the dark
pattern or banding of the wings.
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malaeng wan klaay mot (แมลงวันคล้ายมด)
Thai. ‘Ant-like fly’. Designation for the
Stilt-legged Fly (fig.).
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malaeng wih (แมลงหวี่)
Thai. ‘Buzzing insect’. Designation for flying
insects that include the small flies of the family Drosophilidae,
said to be named after the sound they make and which is one of two
families commonly referred to as
fruit
flies, the other being Tephritidae, which members
are known as
malaeng wan ponlamai in Thai (fig.). Malaeng wih are fruit flies commonly known as
vinegar, wine or pomace flies and can be identified by the frontal
bristles on their head, usually three on each side above the eye.
Since the Thai word for bristle is also wih (หวี), though pronounced
with a different tone (i.e. rising rather than low, see
tonal marks and rules),
it could perhaps be questioned if the name malaeng wih, may have
been derived from this, rather than just the sound it makes. Vinegar
flies are mostly 2 to 4 millimeter small, pale yellow to reddish brown
or black flies, with distinctive red eyes.
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malai (มาลัย)
Thai term for ‘garland’,
used both for
phuang malai
(fig.)
and
kreuang khwaen
(fig.).
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malai (मलाई)
Hindi.
South Asian cooking ingredient made from
non-homogenized whole milk.
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malai khao tok (มาลัยข้าวตอก)
Thai. ‘Popped
rice garland’.
Name for a kind of garland or
mobile, made of stringed grains
of popped
rice.
READ ON.
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malai khlong meua (มาลัยคล้องมือ)
Thai. ‘Wristlet garland’. A round-shaped garland to wear around the
wrist. See also
phuang malai.
See also POSTAGE STAMPS.
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malai piya (มาลัยเปีย)
Thai.
‘Plaited garland’. An oval-shaped garland, with below a tassel
of flowers and at the top a string to be hung from one point. See also
phuang malai.
See also POSTAGE STAMPS.
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malai song chai (มาลัยสองชาย)
Thai. ‘Two boys garland’. A double garland with two ends connected
with a string or band to wear around the neck. See also
phuang malai.
See also POSTAGE STAMPS.
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malai tum (มาลัยตุ้ม)
Thai. ‘Knobbed garland’. A somewhat bulbous garland, with below a
floral tassel and on top a bowed band for hanging. See also
phuang malai.
See also POSTAGE STAMPS.
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malako (มะละกอ)
Thai for
papaya. A small tree with the Latin name
Carica papaja that
can grows up to 7.5 meters. When blooming,
it bears greenish-white to pale yellowish flowers (fig.),
which can be male, female, or hermaphrodite, and whereas the female
blossoms can develop into a fruit when pollinated, the hermaphrodite
flowers are self-fertile.
Its fruits, when still green (fig.), are used as the main ingredient
for the popular dish
somtam. When ripe the
fruit is orange (fig.)
and resembles melon. The Hawaiian species is smaller than the usual Thai
variety (fig.). Also called
melon
tree.
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malaria
Disease that causes a recurrent fever
caused by a parasite transmitted by a bite of the Anopheles mosquito, the carrier of this parasite.
The ancient Romans initially mistakenly attributed the disease to
the breathing in of ‘bad air’ produced by the pestilential fumes
exhalated by swamps and marshes, and thus in Latin called the
unwholesome atmosphere mala aria, i.e.
‘bad air’, of which malaria is the contracted compound form. In Thai called
khai pah (jungle fever) and
khai jab san (shivering fever).
See also
haemorrhagic fever
and
dengue.
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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 and is also known by the name
Malayan Sun Bear, due
to a creamy-white crescent-shaped curve on its upper chest (fig.).
In
China and
some countries of Southeast Asia, such as
Vietnam, Malayan Sun Bears
are farmed –often in very poor living conditions, including crush
cages– to extract their bile, which is used in Chinese traditional
medicine, although the practice is illegal. In Thai, this bear is
called mih mah,
i.e. ‘dog bear’. See also
Asian Black Bear.
WATCH VIDEO
and
VIDEO (E).
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Malayan Gharial
See
jorakae.
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Malayan
Peacock-pheasant
Common name of a medium-sized pheasant, with the binomial name
Polyplectron malacense.
Adult males are short-tailed, measure
about fifty centimeters, and have a loose, pointed and upturned,
dark blue-green crest on the forehead. Their plumage is mainly
pale brown, with small black spots and bands, and iridescent
greenish-blue ocelli with a buff edge. It has a blackish bill and
legs, and pink to bright orange-red, bare facial skin. Their eyes
have bluish-white irises. Females have less distinct ocelli and no
obvious crest. Also
known as Crested Peacock-pheasant, Malay Peacock-pheasant and
Malaysian Peacock-pheasant. Sometimes spelled Malayan Peacock
Pheasant. In Thai it is called nok waen sih nahm tahn (นกแว่นสีน้ำตาล)
and nok waen tai (นกแว่นใต้), which translates as
‘brown ringed bird’ and ‘southern ringed bird’, respectively.
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Malayan Pit
Viper
A venomous and potentially fatal
snake, with the binomial
name Calloselasma rhodostoma and Agkistrodon rhodostoma, which is found throughout tropical and
subtropical Southeast Asia. Its body has a pattern of triangular
markings on a light to dark, reddish to purplish brown background.
This colouring is perfect camouflage, making it almost impossible to
see the snake when it is coiled among dried leaf matter, hence it is
easily stepped on. The Malayan
Pit Viper
is the only Asian
pit viper with large crown scales and smooth dorsal scales.
Characteristically, on each side of its head, behind the eyes, it
has a dark-brown patch, bordered with a fine white line. The top of
this patch is straight, the bottom is serrated. Its snout is pointed
and curved upward. This snake has long, hollow fangs that fold back
against the roof of its mouth and which must be extended before it
can bite. As with all pit vipers, it is distinguished by the
presence of a heat-sensing pit organ located between the eye and the
nostril on either side of the head (fig.).
The Malayan Pit Viper is in many ways reminiscent of the in America
occurring pit viper Bothrops atrox, including its hemotoxic venom. In Thai
ngu kapa. In 1981, it was depicted
on the last stamp of a set of four Thai postage stamps featuring
venomous Thai snakes (fig.).
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Malayan Porcupine
Name of a species of porcupine (fig.) found in South and Southeast Asia,
from Nepal to Sumatra and Borneo, including Thailand. It has the
scientific name Hystrix brachyura and occurs in various types of
forest, as well as in open areas near forests, where it may even
stray into agricultural areas. Its habitat is terrestrial, digging
into the ground and living in burrows, often inhabiting dens near
rocky areas. It resides in small groups and females may give birth
to a litter of usually one young, twice a year. Its diet consists largely of roots,
tubers, bark and fallen fruits, but they also feed on carrion and
insects. Malayan porcupines are characterized by a large and stout,
black
body, covered with sharp quills. These long quills or spines are actually
modified hairs that grow on their upper body parts and are of a white colour
with a narrow dark band, often someplace halfway towards the tip. The quills are soft at
birth and become hard and rough as the porcupines enter adulthood.
The spines on its back can be raised when it is attacked and those
on its tail, which are shorter and hollow, are used to rattle when
it feels threatened. If a predator persists past these threats, the
porcupine launches a backwards assault, anticipating to stab its
attacker with its quills. Porcupine quills are needle-sharp and can
be released on contact. Their tips have microscopic barbs on them
that, once implanted in an attacker, will remain attached and may
even move further up into the tissue, due to the movements of the
predator. The barbs make them difficult and painful to extract, and
animals can be severely injured and even die as a result of quill
penetration. New quills will grow to replace the ones that are
discharged during an attack or drop out when the porcupine shakes
its body. Malayan porcupines have short stocky legs with smooth
soles and four claws on the forelegs, and five on the hind legs. In Thai this
species is known as
men yai phaeng kho yao or just men
yai, i.e. ‘large porcupine’. It strongly resembles the
Indian Porcupine, but has a much longer mane. Also known as East Asian porcupine
and Himalayan Porcupine. See also
men.
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Malayan Tapir
See
Asian Tapir.
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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.
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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. To
indicate the political union between Malaya and Singapore, the first
to letters of Singapore were inserted into the name Malaya to form
Malaysia. 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 now consists of a
federation with
13 member states under one federal government, which are together
represented in the 14 stripes and the 14-pointed star of the national
flag (fig.),
which in Malay is known as Jalur Gemilang, a designation that translates as ‘Stripes
of Excellence’. Malaysia has a population of just over 28 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 natural resources are
tin, petroleum, timber, copper, iron ore, natural gas and bauxite.
See also
Thailand's Neighbours & Beyond.
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malet phak chih (เมล็ดผักชี)
Thai for ‘coriander seed’, a spice used in cuisine
for flavouring. It is one of several
spices used to make phalo powder, an ingredient to make
khai phalo,
for one. See also
phak chih.
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ma-li (มะลิ)
Thai for jasmine, a shrub of the
genus Jasminum. There are many different species, including Arabian
Jasmine (Jasminum sambac), which is known in Thai as ma-li son (มะลิซ้อน).
The Thai varieties have white scented flowers and its flower buds (fig.)
are used as the main item in most
phuang malai
garlands (fig.).
In
Thailand, it is considered a symbol for maternal love and has been
assigned to be the flower of
Wan Mae,
i.e.
Mother Day. Another specific,
newly discovered species of Thai jasmine is named after
King
Bhumipol Adulyadej
(Bhumipon Adunyadet),
i.e. Jasminum bhumibolianum (fig.).
Ma-li is also the first name of
Nang
Ma-li Duangdi,
currently the tallest Thai national.
See also POSTAGE STAMP
(1),
(2) and
(3).
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ma-li farang (มะลิฝรั่ง)
Thai. ‘Western (farang)
jasmine (ma-li)’.
Name for a shrub in the family Apocynaceae, with the scientific
designation Tabernaemontana cumingiana, and known in English by its
generic name Milkwood. It is also called phut farang (พุดฝรั่ง) and
phut tuhm (พุดตูม), and is comparable to
another shrub known as Tabernaemontana corymbosa, a very similar
species of plant in the same family, which is known in Thai as sang
lah (สั่งลา). It originates from India, but
can also be found in many other countries of South, East and
Southeast Asia. It grows to about 2 meters tall and has somewhat
spiny branches with milky sap, which is poisonous if ingested. It
blooms almost year-round, bearing flowers with white petals and a
pale yellowish centre. The flowers are similar in shape to the
flower emblem depicted on the flag of Hong Kong, though that is
actually supposed to be a stylized representation of a Hong Kong
orchid (Bauhinia blakeana), a flower and tree very similar to the
Indian orchid (Bauhinia purpurea -
fig.).
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Malihwaraat (มาลีวราช)
Thai. Name of a wise king in the story
Ramakien, who spoke the truth and
was just. He decreed that
Totsakan
must return
Sida
to
Phra Ram,
but Totsakan refused. In
iconography, he is usually
depicted with a white complexion, eight arms and four faces, and
thus often appears very similar to
Phra Phrom,
i.e. the
Hindu god
Brahma. Often referred to as
thao Malihwaraat and also spelled Maleewaraj.
See also
LIST OF RAMAKIEN CHARACTERS & NAMES.
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Ma-li Duangdi (มะลิ
ดวงดี)
Thai. Name of a lady from
Trat
and of
Mon
origin, who with a length of 212 centimeters is currently the
tallest Thai national.
READ
ON.
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Maliwan (มลิวัน)
Thai. Name
of a city or kingdom in the
Ramakien,
which was ruled by the
demon king
Thao
Chakraphad.
See also
LIST OF RAMAKIEN CHARACTERS & NAMES.
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Mallard
Name for a species of dabbling duck, with the binomial name Anas
platyrhynchos, which is also commonly known as Wild Duck. It is
thought to be the most abundant and wide-ranging duck on the planet.
The adult drake has a bottle green head and neck atop a white
neckband, a chestnut to purplish coloured chest, a grey body, orange
legs and feet, a yellowish-olive bill tipped with black, and a
curled centre tail feather. Adult females have a mottled drab
brown-buff plumage, with a very faint white collar, and a black and
orange bill. Both sexes have iridescent purple-blue wing patches, that are lined with a black and a white bar
at both the
front and hind edges. In males, these patches are best visible during
flight, whereas in females they are sometimes visible on the hind
flanks as they rest. Chicks are brown with yellowish cheeks and
supercilium, a black eye-stripe, buffy-white underparts, and a dark
grey bill. After about two months, juveniles become similar to
females, but darker and with heavily streaked underparts. As they
reach maturity and slowly change to the adult plumage, males will
get a yellowish-olive bill and females a black and orange bill. In
the non-breeding season, adult males will change into eclipse
plumage, becoming less colourful and more female-like again.
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Malunthakeson (มาลุนทเกสร)
Thai name of a monkey-warrior
character from the
Ramakien.
He is an ally
of
Phra Ram
(fig.)
and belongs to the camp of Meuang Khiet Kheun
(เมืองขีดขิน), which is
ruled by
Phali
(fig.).
He
is described as having a pale purplish-indigo fur.
He wears a golden
taab, a
decorative and
protective neckpiece,
as well as
a golden
kabang-style
crown.
He is usually
depicted with his mouth
closed.
He is one of the eighteen
Wahnon Sip-paet Mongkut,
who in his previous
chaht
or
incarnation,
was the deity
Phra Phareuhadsabodih,
the god of Thursday as well as of learning
(fig.).
Also transcribed
Malunthagesorn.
See also
LIST OF RAMAKIEN CHARACTERS & NAMES.
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Malva Nut Tree
See
samrong.
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Ma Mian (马面)
Chinese.
‘Horse-Face’.
Name of a guardian of the Underworld in Chinese mythology.
READ ON.
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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.
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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.
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ma muang himaphan (มะม่วงหิมพานต์)
Thai for
cashew nut.
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ma muang man (มะม่วงมัน)
Thai collective term for all
mangoes eaten when still green and
consequently still hard and sour.
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ma muang nahm dok mai (มะม่วงน้ำดอกไม้)
Thai.
‘Barracuda
mango’. Name for a sweet and soft
mango with
yellow flesh.
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ma muang ok rong (มะม่วงอกร่อง)
Thai name for a popular kind of
mango.
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ma muang raed (มะม่วงแรด)
Thai.
‘Rhino
mango’. A kind of hard
mango with a green skin, which is in season from April
to May, and is grown especially in the province of
Chachengsao,
where it is a local specialty.
The name derives
from the peculiar hook that grows from its side at the top and
resembles a rhinoceros' horn (fig.),
an animal that in Thai is known as raed.
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ma muang maengwan (มะม่วงแมงวัน)
Thai name for the
Rajayatana Tree.
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man
(mẩn)
Vietnamese. Name of a traditional, tubular
style
of female headdress
from northern
Vietnam,
in which the end of a girl's long hair is tied together like a
sausage and worn around the head, somewhat like a turban.
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manao (มะนาว)
1.
Common
Thai term for ‘lemon’, but the word is also used for ‘citron’ and at
times even for ‘lime’. In practice the word is used generally for several species. In
Hinduism lemons
are used as a medium or go-between of the gods, used to
eradicate ominous spirits and ghosts, as well as bad things. As an offer they are made
into garlands called
phuang manao (fig.)
and during the festival of
Vijayadazaami they are seen
everywhere, from decorations on chariots (fig.)
to dangling from hooks that are pierced to spiritualist mediums in
trance (fig.).
Throughout many parts of Southeast Asia, dried slices of lemon are
used as natural deodorizer and in Thailand also as replacement for
urinal cakes.
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2. Thai. Name for a style of
Buddhist monk's
alms bowl, with a
shape commonly used today and usually referred to as
baat song manao (ทรงมะนาว), i.e. ‘lemon-shaped alms
bowl’. This
style of alms bowl has been in use for around 90 years.
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manao fak thong (มะนาวฟักทอง)
Thai. Name for a rare
kind of lemon (manao)
that has the shape and size of a small pumpkin (fak
thong).
For a lemon it is rather large in size and it has a fairly thick and
juicy rind. Its taste is similar to other lemons in general.
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manao hoh (มะนาวโห่)
Thai for
karanda,
besides the full name
manao mai ruh hoh.
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manao kwai (มะนาวควาย)
Thai for ‘lime’ of the species
Citrus medica linn. var. linetta, but the term may
also be used for ‘citron’ and for ‘lemon’. Literally
kwai
manao means ‘buffalo lemon’.
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manao mai ruh hoh (มะนาวไม่รู้โห่)
Thai for
karanda,
in addition to the shorter
manao hoh.
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Manchu (ᠮᠠᠨᠵᡠ)
Manchu. Name of the native
language of the ruling class of the Qing Dynasty in China, and known
in Chinese as Manzu (满族). Manchu characters were used in official
documents and inscriptions alongside Chinese characters (fig.).
The language belongs to the Tungusic language family and its script
is derived from the Mongolian script. Its the writing system was
created in the early 17th century and is a vertical script, written
from top to bottom and left to right. According to official
historical records from the Qing Dynasty, Nurhaci, a military leader
of the Jurchens of Northeast China and founder of what became the
Qing Dynasty, named his tribe,
the Manchus,
after
Manjushri, the
Mahayana
god
of learning and wisdom (fig.).
Despite the decline of the Manchu
language over the centuries, the script remains an important part of
Manchu cultural heritage.
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Manchurian Crane
Common name of a large bird in
the crane family Gruidae, with the scientific name Grus japonensis,
and also commonly called Japanese Crane and Red-crowned Crane. It is
found from China to Japan, and is similar in appearance to the
Common Crane, i.e.
with black-tipped secondaries
and long, drooping tertials, mixed with black plumes, a blackish
head and upper-neck,
with a red patch on the crown, and a broad white band from the
ear-coverts down to the upper neck, but with an overall white
plumage rather than grey. In Thai, it is known as nok krarian
mongkut daeng (นกกระเรียนมงกุฎแดง),
i.e. ‘Red-crowned Crane’.
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mandala (मण्डल)
Sanskrit.
‘Circle’. A complex and mystic diagram symbolizing the universe and
used as an object of
meditation in
Vajrayana Buddhism. They usually comprise one or more circles
(fig.)
divided into geometrical figures and with representations of
buddhas,
deities and their pantheons. In the Tibetan branch of
Vajrayana Buddhism, the mandala may
also be made from coloured sand (fig.),
and is usually destroyed once it has been completed, to symbolize
the Buddhist belief in the transitory nature of material life. In
Tibet, the sand mandala is known as kilkhor and often represents a
‘time-wheel’
or
kalachakra. In Thai, the mandala is sometimes referred to as
monthon.
Besides mystic diagrams, also other religious paintings are created
by mandala artists (fig.),
which are used both for meditation and as decorative art.
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Mandalay Bodaw (မန္တလေးဘိုးတော်)
Burmese.
‘Lord Grandfather of Mandalay’.
One of 37
nats that
belong to the
official pantheon of spirits
worshipped in
Myanmar. In
life, he was the son of a
brahmin and was
killed for not properly supervising
Shwe Hpyin Gyi and
Shwe Hpyin Nge, sons of
Popa Medaw
(fig.),
who were negligent in their duties and were consequently
executed on the orders of
King
Anawrahta (fig.)
for not having placed
bricks near a pagoda, as ordered by the king.
Mandalay Bodaw's
sister was killed together with him for hiding the two
brothers, and thus became the nat
Shingwa.
Mandalay Bodaw is
usually portrayed standing on a pedestal with a sword on his
shoulder and a hand raised while pointing a finger upward.
See also LIST OF BURMESE NATS.
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Mandalay International Airport
Currently, one of three
international airports in
Myanmar, the others
being in Kalaymyo and Yangon. Its terminal is
located some 35 kilometers south
of Mandalay city (fig.).
It has a 4,267 meter long runway, which at its opening in 1999 was
reportedly the longest landing strip in use in Southeast Asia. The
modern terminal building is fitted with traditional Burmese
multi-tiered, spire-like,
pyatthat-style
roofs, creating an
exotic atmosphere.
See
also
PANORAMA PICTURE
and
MAP.
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Mandalay Nandaw (မန္တလေး နန်းတော်)
Burmese. ‘Mandalay
Palace’. Name of the Mandalay
Royal Palace (fig.),
a fortified citadel located to the north of the city center.
READ ON.
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mandapa (मण्डप)
Sanskrit.
‘Pavilion’. In India
an open hall
in front of the entrance to a
Jain or
Hindu sanctuary. In
Khmer temples it is the projecting porch
to the main shrine. In Thailand it is called
mondop, and
consists generally of an open square building with a pyramidal or four arched
roof, used to house distinguished religious objects
or texts.
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Mandara (मन्दर)
Sanskrit. The mountain that the gods used with the demons and
Ananta
to churn the ‘Ocean
of Milk’
(fig.).
It is believed to be a spur or peak of
Mt.
Meru (fig.),
and the abode of
Krishna
as Madhusudana,
i.e. the destroyer of a demon with the name Madhu, who was killed by
Krishna and then buried underneath Mt. Mandara.
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Mandarin
1. A high public or government
official or a scholar of Imperial
China (fig.).
Originally, the word meant simply
‘official’ or ‘functionary’ and derives from the
Sanskrit
word mantrī (मन्त्री), which means ‘secretary’
or ‘counselor’. See also
Mandarin square.
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2.
A loose skinned citrus of
China,
somewhat flat and orangey in colour, and with the binomial name
Citrus reticulata
(fig.).
In Chinese tradition, oranges
are popular fortune fruits given to beloved ones during
Trut Jihn,
i.e.
Chinese New Year. The giving
of mandarins or oranges represents the wish to share ones fortune,
with their colour symbolizing gold, a commodity that Chinese people
typically give to each other during Chinese New Year.
In Thai mandarins ar known as
som
jihn (ส้มจีน), literally ‘Chinese oranges’.
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3. A vernacular of
China,
spoken across most of northern and southwestern China. It was the
administrative language of China during the Ming and Qing dynasties,
and in Thailand it is referred to as
Phasa
Jihn Klahng (จีนกลาง), i.e.
‘Middle Chinese’.
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Mandarin Duck
Name of a species of medium-sized duck, with the scientific name Aix
galericulata. Adult males have a bulky head and striking colours.
Its face is buffish-brown, the forehead dark green, the crown
blackish-blue and the upper part of the nape dark brown. The lower
sides of the face are buffish-brown and appear somewhat streaked,
while the throat and breast are very dark purplish-brown, and the
lower part of the nape and mantle are blackish-blue to dark green.
It has a long whitish supercilium, as well as two vertical white
bars that run from the neck to the lower breast, and a reddish bill.
Furthermore, it has buffish underparts, with a white vent, brown
wings and two orange, upright, sail-like wingtips at the back. Adult females are overall
grayish-brown, with whitish spots on the breast and flanks, a white eyering, and a pale eyestripe. In addition, it has a small white
flank stripe, and a pale tip to its bill. Junveniles are similar to
females, but more brownish and with a paler eyering, whilst their
breast and flank markings are also less distinct. In Thai it is
known as pet maendarin (เป็ดเเมนดาริน).
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Mandarin square
Name for a large, square, embroidered rank badge for civilian officials,
such as scholars,
during the Ming and Qing Dynasties in China.
READ ON.
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mandir (मन्दिर्,
मंदिर)
Sanskrit
for ‘temple’, as in Dev Mandir (देव मन्दिर्), i.e. the
‘Temple of the Gods’, a name for Hindu temples with a traditional
shrine room that houses a pantheon of various deities from
Hinduism. See also
deva.
WATCH
VIDEO.
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Maneeswarar
Tamil. Name
of a
Hindu-Tamil deity, who also referred to
as Maneeswaran and Manishvara. His name is a compound of the word
mani, which means ‘Saint’, and the name ‘Ishvara’,
a title given to
Shiva. As
such, he is considered a form of Shiva and his weapon is accordingly a trident (trisula).
In temples, usually
lemons are placed
upon the prongs. They are a medium or
go-between of the gods, used to eradicate ominous spirits and ghosts, as
well as bad things. Maneeswarar is generally worshiped either as a fierce
deity, or as a peaceful god. Those who worship him in his fierce
form offer animal sacrifices, liquor, and lit cigars or cigarettes,
which are placed in his mouth. Those who worship him in his peaceful
form offer him
roti
and
rice milk. He is often worshipped alongside
Karuppu.
Sometimes transcribed Muneeswarar. See also
mani.
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Man Fatt Lam (万佛林)
Chinese. Name of a
Mahayana
Buddhist temple in
Singapore,
that serves mainly as a funeral and cremation centre.
READ ON.
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Maneki-neko (招き猫)
Japanese.
‘Beckoning Cat’.
According
to legend, the wooden house of an old woman in Tokyo caught fire one
day. Unaware of what was happening, her cat beckoned the old woman
to follow her outside, using her paw. Curious of what the cat was up
to the lady followed outside and was consequently saved from burning
to death. Hence, figurines of a beckoning cat are believed to bring
good luck. Later on, statues of a beckoning
cat that makes a welcoming gesture with one paw, often holding an ancient coin
with the other, appeared. They are said to invite happiness and good fortune, its meaning dependent on its colour. Thus, a white cat invites happiness
whilst a golden cat brings
richness. If its left paw is raised it invites prosperity. It is often found displayed
in shops to attract good business. In Thai called
Maew Kwak. See also
Nang Kwak.
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Mangkala Ubon (มังคลอุบล)
Thai. Name for a species of
water lily,
with the botanical name Nymphaea mangkala ubol and commonly as the
Mangala-ubol Water Lily.
READ ON.
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mangkon (มังกร)
Thai for
dragon.
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Mangkonkan (มังกรกัณฐ์)
Thai name of a giant or
yak
from the
Ramakien
(fig.).
In a previous
incarnation, he was the
buffalo
Torapi (fig.).
After he was slain in a fight by the monkey-king
Phali (fig.),
due to a curse of the god
Idsuan,
he was now reborn as the son of
Phaya
Khon (พญาขร), who
is also referred to as
Phraya
Khon (พระยาขร), and
Nang
Ratchada (รัชฎา). He joined
Indrachit
in battle against
Rama,
when Indrachit shot the
nagabaat,
i.e. the arrow that changed into a
naga
and tied Rama and
Lakshmana
down,
but was
eventually killed himself by an arrow of
Phra Ram.
He has a green (fig.) to greenish-blue complexion and wears a
chadah-style
crown, which is topped with the figure of a naga,
similar to
Wirunhok (fig.).
He
is
one of the 12 giants that stand guard
at the check-in hall of
Bangkok's
International Airport
Suwannaphum
(fig.),
as well as one of the 12
giants, set up in 6 pairs, that guard the entrances in the enclosure
of the Temple of the
Emerald Buddha
(fig.),
i.e.
Wat Phra Kaew
in
Bangkok,
where he is erected in pair with
Wirunhok
(fig.).
He is also one of the giants in the
thepchumnum (fig.)
of the two golden
redented chedis
at the compound, in which 4 monkeys and 16 giants from the Ramakien
support the base of these
pagodas, which were built by
King
Rama I
to house the ashes of his parents, i.e. those of his mother in the
gilded
chedi
on the North, and those of his father in the gilded chedi on the
South. In
Khon,
i.e. Thai traditional dance, the masked dancer may wear a mask with
a golden face with just a few green decorative lines by which this
giant can than be identified as such.
See also
LIST OF RAMAKIEN CHARACTERS & NAMES,
and
TRAVEL PICTURE.
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mangkut (มังคุค)
Thai
for
mangosteen.
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mang ming (หมั่งหมิง)
Thai-Chinese. Chinese method in which unwanted facial hairs are
removed by putting Chinese toilet powder on the face whilst using a set of
strings, that are pinched together to grab the hairs and pull them
out. It is amongst others practiced on the sidewalks of Charoen
Krung Road in Yaowaraht,
Bangkok's
Chinatown.
The method claims to also help prevent acne, but is said to be
rather painful, especially around certain spots, such as the lips,
the hairline and the eyes.
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mango
Name of an evergreen, long-lived, tropical fruiting tree (fig.), that
can grow well
over thirty meters tall and has the Latin botanical name Mangifera indica.
READ ON.
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Mango Baron
Common name for a
butterfly with the scientific
designation Euthalia aconthea
garuda and
native to
Sri
Lanka, India and Southeast
Asia, including
Thailand,
where it is referred to as
phi seua
baron
non
ma muang
(ผีเสื้อบารอนหนอนมะม่วง).
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mangosteen
Evergreen tree
of the genus Garcinia mangostana which grows up to twelve meters with
fruits of the same name in a purple shell. It is known as the
‘queen of fruits’, with
the
durian being the
‘king of fruits’. Its sweet cream-coloured flesh is soft, succulent and made up
of several pieces. At the bottom of the thick rind is a small flowerlike
‘crown’ of which the number of ‘petals’ indicate how many peaces of flesh of fruit are
inside. It is thus possible to tell from the outside how many slices it will
have on the inside. It
is generally believed that eating this fruit gives renewed strength and lowers the
body temperature. Its season is from April to
September. In Thai called
mangkut.
It belongs to the same genus as the
madan
(Garcinia schomburgkiana pierre).
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Mango-stem Borer
A species of beetle in the
family Cerambycidae and with the scientific name Batocera
rufomaculata.
READ ON.
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mangrove
Name of a tropical tree or shrub
growing in coastal wetlands
near brackish and salt water areas of estuaries, including coastlines and shores.
READ ON.
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Mangrove Apple
Species of
mangrove, with the
scientific name Sonneratia alba.
It grows up to 15 meters tall and has thick,
cone-shaped
prickle roots, called pneumatophores, which are used to exclude salt and that allows it to
grow in and near saline water. It has no buttresses roots and its
bark is creamy grey to brown, with slight vertical fissures. The
bark of young trees is covered with a layer of wax, which most
likely serves to protect it against water loss, as well as attacks
by creatures great and small. Its fruit consists of circa 4 centimeters
large, green, leathery berries, with a star-shaped base, that
contain tiny, white seeds. They are are flattened and buoyant, and
when ripe
the fruit is edible and is said to taste like cheese. The rounded,
leathery leaves are also edible and may be eaten either raw or
cooked. Besides this, the tree is used for firewood, though it is
not the preferred mangrove tree for this purpose.
In Thai
it is known as
lamphaen
thalae,
which could be translated as ‘Sea
Sonneratia’. It is one of four species of
Sonneratia
found in Thailand,
the others being Sonneratia
caseolaris, Sonneratia ovate and Sonneratia griffithii.
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Mangrove Catsnake
A mildly poisonous
snake in the family Colubridae and
with the scientific name Boiga dendrophila melanota. It is often
seen in South-East Asia, including in West Malaysia,
Singapore,
Indonesia, Cambodia,
Vietnam and Thailand, and of all Boiga
dendrophila subspecies, this is the one with the largest
distribution area. The body and tail are glossy black with narrow
yellow bars, which sometimes are no more than a few spots and do not
usually meet over the back.
The
Mangrove Catsnake can grow up to about 2.5 meters in
length and may have up to 54 bands or groups of spots.
This snake is very defensive and will hiss and
strike repeatedly when disturbed or provoked. Though rear-fanged, it
can open it's mouth very wide and could sink its fangs into a
person. Once it bites, it will hold on and chew, though its venom is
rarely harmful to humans. Mangrove Catsnakes
are found in
mangrove swamps and along forest streams in humid lowland forests, where they can often be
seen on branches overhanging water. In Thailand they are mostly
found in the South. It is generally referred to as
Mangrove Snake and in Thai it is called
ngu plong
thong, meaning ‘Golden-segment
snake’.
See also WILDLIFE PICTURES.
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Mangrove Pitta
Common name for a small terrestrial bird, with the
scientific name Pitta
megarhyncha.
It is one of
twelve species of Pitta, that occur in Thailand,
and a resident breeder. It is very similar tot the
Blue-winged Pitta,
which only comes to Thailand to breed, yet differs by a thicker and
longer bill, and the near absence of the black line on the crown.
Its natural habitat includes
mangrove forests. In Thai it is called
nok taew laew pah gohng gahng.
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Mangrove Pit Viper
A highly aggressive and fierce, venomous
pit viper. Though dangerous, its bite
is rarely fatal to humans. This nocturnal
snake is found in
mangrove and lowland forests. It has a blackish olive-brown crown with
granular head scales and its body, which is greenish yellow with
dark blotches, is strongly keeled. The abdominal scales are white
with black edges, whilst the subcaudals, i.e. the scales on the
underside of the tail, are mainly black. A light, almost white line
on the first row of scales bordering the abdomen may be present. A
second colour variety is uniformly purplish brown. As with all
pit vipers, it is distinguished by the presence of a heat-sensing
pit organ located between the eye and the nostril on either side of
the head (fig.). Its diet consists
of lizards, birds, rodents and frogs. It has the binomial
name Trimeresurus purpureomaculatus and in Thai it is called
ngu phang
kah. Also known as Shore Pit Viper.
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Mangrove
Terrapin
Common name for a large species of river
turtle
with the scientific designation Batagur baska.
It is one of the largest turtles in the family of Emydidae, reaching
a carapace length of at least 60 centimeters. Its carapace has
smooth scutes, making it perfectly modified for swimming in the
tidal currents of
mangrove
estuaries. Typically, it has four claws on its front
legs. Adult males are somewhat smaller than females, and have
longer, thicker tails. Also known as Giant River Turtle and in Thai
called
tao kra-ahn.
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mangsawirat (มังสวิรัติ)
Thai term for
‘vegetarian’, often used as a synonym for
jae,
which literally means ‘fasting’, yet traditionally refers to a
period of time when one refrains from eating meat, and hence becomes
vegetarian. See also
Vegetarian Festival.
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Mangu (曼谷)
Chinese. ‘Large valley’ or ‘beautiful valley’. Name for
Bangkok. See also
Big Mango.
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Ma Ngwe Taung (မငွေတောင်)
Burmese. ‘Miss
Silver Mountain’.
Name of a female so-called outside
nat,
i.e. a nat
that
does not belong to the official pantheon
of 37
nats
worshipped in
Myanmar.
She is described
as the spirit of a Hindu woman of Burmese Indian descent, who was
seduced by the nat
Min Kyawzwa (fig.) when both were still humans.
She was eventually abandoned by him and pined for him so much that
her brother became angry and pushed her off a cliff near Monywa. As
a nat she now helps women abandoned by husbands or lovers. An annual
festival is held in her honour, in which devotees would bring
offerings, though as she was a Hindu, beef offerings are strictly
forbidden. She is also known as simply Ngwe Taung.
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mani
(मणि, มณี)
Sanskrit. ‘Gem’ or ‘jewel’.
Name for flat stones, stone plates, rocks
and pebbles from Tibet that have mantras, prayers or sacred
script written on them. Mani stones are piled
up and are considered very holy, hence they should never be picked
up or collected. Mani walls at Buddhist locations are built of stones with sacred inscriptions.
The largest pile of mani stones is located in Tibet and has over two
billion stones. The idea is that
how
bigger the pile gets the more benefit it will bring, a
principle reminiscent of that with
Buddha images of which it is believed
that the
bigger they are or the
more there are gathered together,
the more energy they radiate.
Buddhist
prayer wheels are
also known as mani wheels (fig.).
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Mani (มานิ)
Name of an ethnic minority group
of Negrito people found in the southern Thai provinces.
READ
ON.
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Manibhadra (मनिभद्र)
Sanskrit.
Protector of travellers and ruler of
the
yakshas.
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Mani Mekhala (มณีเมขลา)
See
Mekhala.
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manioc
Common name for a small plant
(fig.) of the genus Manihot, mainly
cultivated in
the province of
Kanchanaburi for its thick root from which
tapioca is
harvested (fig.).
It is
also known as
cassava
and in Thai called
mansampalang and
mansamrohng.
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man jihn (มันจีน)
Thai. ‘Chinese tuber’. A kind of edible root,
also known as man thet (มันเทศ), which is mainly sold on markets,
especially Chinese ones, such as along
Yaowaraht
Road in
Bangkok's
Chinatown. It
is a kind of sweet potato that looks
like a elongated potato but with a reddish-purple skin. On the
outside, it looks similar to another root called man muang (มันม่วง),
but the former has a reddish-purple skin with yellow flesh, while
the flesh of ma muang is purple. Both varieties are cultivars of a
plant with the same binomial name, i.e. Ipomoea batatas. However,
darker sweet potatoes are also referred to as yam and dark purple
tubers, i.e. the roots of a plant with the
botanical
names Dioscorea alata
and Dioscorea rubella,
as
purple yam (fig.).
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Manjushri
(मंजुश्री)
Sanskrit. The god of learning and wisdom, a
bodhisattva of
Mahayana Buddhism.
The name is a compound combining manju (मञ्जु), meaning
‘gentle’, and
sri
(श्री), i.e.
‘glory’.
His
attribute is
a scroll or book, which represents the
Prajnaparamita, whilst his mount is a
lion, and his consort
Sarasvati,
the wife of
Brahma in
Hinduism.
He is sometimes depicted wielding a flaming sword in his right hand,
symbolizing his realization of wisdom, which cuts through ignorance
and wrong views, whilst the scroll or book represents his attainment of
ultimate wisdom and
Enlightenment. In art, especially in
Chinese and sometimes in Thai
iconography, he is also
depicted riding a lion and holding a
ruyi
in the form of a
lotus (fig.).
In
China,
he is known as ‘the bodhisattva of keen awareness’ and called
Wen Shu (fig.), which means
‘Unique Culture’, and in Tibetan art, he is sometimes
depicted in a wrathful form, usually with multiple arms (fig.),
and in his ferocious manifestation as
Yamantaka (fig.).
He is one of the
Eight Great Bodhisattvas
(fig.).
Also spelled Manjusri and Manchusri,
and in Thai
known as
Phra
Manchusri
Photisat
(พระมัญชุศรีโพธิสัตว์
-
fig.). Although under dispute, some
sources say that the northeastern Chinese tribe, that eventually
became the last Imperial Dynasty of China, i.e. the
Manchu
Dynasty, which is also known as the Qing Dynasty, was named after Manchusri.
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Manmatha (मन्मथ)
Sanskrit.
‘Churner or agitator [of the mind]’. An epithet of
Kama, the god
of love. See also
Madana.
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manohara (मनोहर)
Sanskrit for ‘enchanting’.
Manohra, the
name of the longest
existing dance drama
in Thailand, is derived
from it.
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Manohra (มโนห์รา)
1. Thai. Longest existing dance drama in Thailand with similar themes to the
Ramakien.
READ ON.
回
2. Daughter of the King of the
kinnons,
who eventually marries
Phra Suthon.
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Manorah (มโนราห์)
Thai. Another spelling for
Manohra.
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Man Phoorithattoh (มั่น ภูริทตโต)
Thai. Name of a revered Buddhist
monk, who is usually referred to as
Phra Ajaan Man, i.e. ‘Determined
Teacher Monk’. He was born in
Ubon Ratchathani
on 20 January 1870 AD and passed away on 11 November 1949 in
Sakon Nakhon.
He preferred a solitary life in the forest and in caves, and is
credited with establishing the
Thai Forest Tradition, in which
practitioners dwell in so-called forest temples called
wat pah.
He was very
persistent and became known as the greatest meditation teacher in
Isaan.
Hence, he was a very sought after personality for advice on
Enlightenment
and
meditation. Being a
bhikku from the Isaan region, the largest statue of
Luang Poo
Man in the world is today found in
Nakhon Ratchasima (fig.
-
map),
i.e.
the Gate to
Isaan
(fig.
-
map).
The name Phoorithattoh drives from Phoorithatta (ภูริทตต), which
means ‘Dispenser of Wisdom’.
See also
TRAVEL PICTURE and POSTAGE STAMP.
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mansampalang (มันสำปะหลัง)
Thai name for
manioc, the
plant
from which root
cassava or
tapioca is made.
Also
mansamrohng.
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mansamrohng (มันสำโรง)
Thai name for
manioc,
the plant from which root
cassava or
tapioca is made.
Also
mansampalang.
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mantis shrimp
See
kang.
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mantra (मन्त्र)
Sanskrit.
‘Mystical syllables’. A mystical incantation or religious chant. It
has a magical intention when used by Hindus. A stimulating phonetic symbol that evokes and revives the
deity being worshipped. Its sound is more important than its meaning.
One of the most commonly seen and heard incantations is the six
syllable mantra
Aum mani
padma hum. In Thai
pronounced
mon. See also
om.
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Mantrayana (मन्त्रयान)
See
Vajrayana.
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manussa (မနုဿ)
Pali-Burmese term for
‘human’.
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manussaloka (မနုဿလောက)
Pali-Burmese. ‘Human world’,
i.e. one of the
six lower
celestial worlds in Buddhism, that make up the
kamaloka,
i.e. the world of the five senses. The
term is a compound of the words manussa and
loka, and the Thai word manut (มนุช),
which means ‘human’, derives of the Pali word manussa.
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Manuthiha (မနုဿီဟ)
Pali-Burmese. ‘Man-lion’.
Name of
a mythological, sphinx-like
creature, with a body that is half man and half lion, found in
Myanmar.
It is often
found as sculptural art in temples, depicted on the corners of
zedi.
According to legend, it was created by Buddhist monks to protect
newborn royalty. It
is similar to
Phaya Purisat
(fig.),
a mythological creature in Thai lore, depicted as a
half-lion,
half-giant-angel or half-yak-and-thep, and
─being an celestial
being─ typically also with wings.
Additionally,
Manuthiha
also resembles
Narasimha, yet differs in this that the latter
has the body of a man with the head of a lion, whereas in Manuthiha
the head and front body are those of a man and the back that of a
lion. It could rather be seen as the Burmese equivalent of the Thai
Thepnorasi
(fig.),
but sitting rather than standing or walking upright. Statues of
Manuthiha can also be found in Thailand (fig.),
especially in towns close to the border with
Myanmar, e.g.
Sangkhlaburi,
Mae Hong Son,
Mae Saai, etc. Pronunciation is Manu Thi Ha, yet it is also referred
to as Manussiha, a compound term that consists of the words
manussa,
meaning ‘human’;
and
siha,
meaning ‘lion’. See also
Phaya Purisat.
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Manutsayanaak Manop (มนุษยนาคมานพ)
Thai. ‘Human
naga of the people’ or ‘he who is a
naga among men’. Royal name at birth of a prince, who went on to
become the tenth
Supreme Patriarch
of Thailand, in office from 1910 to 1921 AD. He was the 47th child
of King
Mongkhut, i.e.
Rama IV
(fig.).
As
Phrasangkaraat
he was given the
clerical
name
Wachirayahnawarohrot. Due to his royal
descent, this patriarch may in Thai be referred to as
Phrasangkaraat
Chao, rather
than the usual
Phrasangkaraat,
which is used for patriarchs who were born as commoners.
See also POSTAGE STAMPS.
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mao bi (毛笔)
Chinese. ‘Hairy pen’ or ‘furry writing brush’. Name for an ink brush
used in
Chinese calligraphy and painting (fig.).
They are normally made from real animal hair, such as goat’s hair,
rabbit hair or the tail hairs of a weasel, and with a stalk from
bamboo, although other materials, such as baby hair and stalks made
from
jade,
ivory,
sandalwood
or other
precious materials, are also used for more luxurious brushes.
Synthetic materials are not used. In English it is called Chinese
writing brush or ink brush and it is part of the
wen
fang si bao (fig.).
When not in use, the
brushes are hung to dry on a special rack called a
bijia (fig.).
See also TRAVEL PICTURES.
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maphlab (มะพลับ)
A Thai name for
persimmon.
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ma-poo (มะปู่)
Thai. Short for
makheua
poo.
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maprahng (มะปราง)
Thai. Name for a
plum-like tropical fruit tree native to Southeast Asia and with the scientific
botanical name
Bouea
macrophylla,
commonly
known as
gandaria.
The sweet fruits are edible and have a somewhat hard, yet thin yellowish skin. Its fruiting season is from March
to April. When young, also the leaves of the tree can be eaten and
may be used in salads.
There are
two similar varieties, i.e.
mapring
(Bouea oppositifolia),
known by
the common names kundang and remenia;
and
mayong
(Bouea burmanica
-
fig.),
commonly known as marian plum. There is yet another species with the
binomial name Bouea microphylla, which in Thai is also referred to
as mapring. However, since Bouea microphylla shows some differences
from Bouea oppositifolia, it has been reinstated as a distinct
species, and while the two species are morphologically close, the
former differs in its smaller leaves and fruits, as well as its
inflorescence position. All varieties are related to the
mango tree
and are hence in English often indiscriminately referred to as plum
mango (fig.) or mango plum.
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maprao (มะพร้าว)
Thai
for
coconut.
Also transcribed maphrao.
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mapring (มะปริง)
A variety of the
maprahng,
with the botanical name
Bouea oppositifolia and
known by the
common names kundang and remenia. The Thai name is also used for
another species with the binomial name Bouea microphylla. Since
Bouea microphylla shows some differences from Bouea oppositifolia,
it has been reinstated as a distinct species, and while the two
species are morphologically close, the former differs in its smaller
leaves and fruits, as well as its inflorescence position. Like the
other genera it is also commonly referred to by the umbrella name
plum mango
(fig.).
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maqbara
(مقبرا,
मक़बरा)
Arabic-Hindu.
‘Place of burial’. A term used either for a
Muslim tomb (fig.),
or for a chamber or compartment within a larger mausoleum, to refer
to the exact location of the grave. The term derives from the word
qabr, which means ‘grave’. Though the term in general refers to the
graves of all Muslims, it is especially used to refer to the graves
of exemplary Muslim figures who dedicated their life in service to
Islam.
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maqsura (مقصورة)
Arabic.
‘Closed-off space’. The arched façade of a mosque, Also
transcribed maqsurah.
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ma-ra (มะระ)
See
bitter gourd.
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Mara
(मार)
Sanskrit. ‘Destroyer, tempter’. Name of an important god that rules over the
eleven levels of the
World of Desire, derived from the
Sanskrit root mri of the word
mriti, meaning ‘death’, and thus the god of desire and death. He is the personification of evil and one of the five devils that tried to tempt the
Buddha just before his
Enlightenment. Although Mara tried to hinder him by sending him certain
distractions
Siddhartha
Gautama seated in
meditation
under the
bodhi tree in
Bodh Gaya refused to leave
until he had found true understanding. He is usually portrayed in a fierce form
with several arms, and in India he is found in the
pratyalidha
asana
(fig.).
In both Thailand and in
Myanmar, he is often
portrayed with a sword trying to stop
the
Siddhartha
and
his
horse
Kanthaka
during the
Great Departure
(fig.).
In Thai pronounced
Maan.
See also
mriti and
amrita.
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marapajon (มารผจญ)
Thai.
‘Battle with
Mara’. Thai term that refers to
the scene during
maravijaya.
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maravichaya
Another transliteration for
maravijaya.
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maravijaya (मारविजया, มารวิชัย)
Sanskrit-Pali-Thai.
‘Victory over
Mara’. A name for the most common
mudra in Thai-Buddhist
iconography, also known as
bhumisparsa. It symbolizes the
episode from the
Buddha's legendary life story when
he was seated in
meditation under a fig tree in
Bodh Gaya and vowed not to leave
from there until he had gained
Enlightenment. Mara,
the god of desire and death, tried to hinder him by sending a number of
distractions and temptations, including some young girls. Upon this the Buddha
touched the earth with his right hand calling for the goddess of earth
Mae Phra Thoranee (fig.).
She came to his aid by wringing water from her long hair thus washing Mara
and his army of demons away, a scene in Thailand known as
marapajon (fig.).
In this way the Buddha was saved from the temptations of desire and called upon the
earth goddess to bear witness of his accumulated merits from former lives. The Buddha
made this mudra seated in the
half lotus position. Occasionally this
episode is portrayed with a
pahng nahg prok posture (fig.). Also
maravichaya.
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Marbled Cat
Common name of a small wild cat with an arboreal life-style, which
is found in South and Southeast Asia. Similar in size to a domestic
cat, it is easily distinguished by its long and densely furred tail,
which may be as long as or longer than its body, as well as its
large feet. It has a thick fur, that varies in background colour
from dark grey-brown to red-brown, and which is patterned with dark
spots on the forehead and crown, that merge into narrow longitudinal
stripes on the neck, and irregular stripes on the back.
Additionally, the back and flanks are marked with dark, irregular
dark-edged marks, whilst the legs and underparts are patterned with
black blotches. The long tail has black spots proximally and black
rings distally. The Marble Cat has the
scientific designation Pardofelis marmorata and is listed as
endangered, with an estimated population of less than 10,000.
As such, it occurs on a Thai postage stamp issued in 1975 as part of
a set on protected wild animals (fig.),
and again in 2011, as part
of a set on wild cats (fig.) in an effort to promote awareness for
this vulnerable animal, as well as for wildlife conservation in
general. The Marble Cat
is said to be closely related to the
Asian Golden Cat (fig.).
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Marble Temple
See
Wat Benjamabophit.
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mareuk (มฤค)
Thai for a male
deer.
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mareukathaiwan (มฤคทายวัน)
Thai name
for
Mrigadava.
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mareuki (มฤคี)
Thai for a female
deer.
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Mariamman (மாரியம்மன்)
Tamil.
‘Mother Mari’, with amman meaning ‘mother’ and the word mari meaning ‘cloud’ or ‘clouds’, ‘rain’ and ‘shower’.
Name
for an
incarnation
of the goddess
Kali
in South India, where she is considered
to be the goddess of rain. Her mount is the
lion.
Worldwide, there are
many temples
dedicated to this Hindu deity, most of them of Tamil origin.
She is also referred to as
Sri Mariamman,
Maha
Mariamman and
Sri
Maha
Mariamman.
Sometimes
transliterated Mariyamman.
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Marian Plum
Common name for the
mayong, a
fruit tree with the botanical name
Bouea burmanica
(fig.).
See
also
maprahng.
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Mariht (มารีศ)
Thai. Name of a giant or
yak
from the
Ramakien.
He is the son of
Kaaknasoon
and has a white
complexion. He was ordered to spy on
Nang
Sida
(fig.)
and in order to accomplish this goal, he changed himself into a
golden deer, referred to in Thai as
Kwahng Thong (fig.).
When Sida saw the golden deer, she wished to posses it and asked
Phra Ram
(fig.)
to catch it for her. However, Phra Ram realized the deer to be a
demon in disguise and hence shot and killed it with his arrow. Also
transcribed Mareet and Mahrit.
See also
LIST OF RAMAKIEN CHARACTERS & NAMES.
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marihuana
See
gancha.
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Marina Bay
Name of a vibrant and
iconic district located in the heart of Singapore.
READ
ON.
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Marina Bay Sands
Name of an iconic
integrated resort in
Singapore
that is known for its distinctive architecture and luxurious
amenities. The
building is a resort that houses over 2,500 luxurious hotel rooms
and suites with modern designs, making it one of the largest hotels
in Singapore. Besides
a luxury hotel, it also
features a convention center, a casino, and a high-end shopping mall.
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Marshal of the Central Altar
A title given to
Nezha,
the
Taoist
child-deity, which in Chinese is
Zhong Tan Yuan Shua,
literally ‘First Commander of the Central Alter’.
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Marsh Crocodile
See
jorakae.
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marsh mint
See
saranae.
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ma-rum (มะรุม)
Thai designation for a tree with the botanical
name Moringa oleifera and commonly known as Horseradish Tree or just Moringa. It has extremely high nutritional value and
virtually every part of it can be used, but it are the pods that are
the most healthy, containing all the essential amino acids, as well
as many vitamins and other nutrients. The green, immature pods can
be eaten raw or prepared, whereas the mature pods are usually fried.
They also yield an edible oil, which has a nutritional value
comparable to that of olive oil and besides being clear, sweet and
odourless, it is also said to never becomes rancid. In addition, the
tree's leaves can be eaten as greens or used for seasoning, the
flowers -which are rich in potassium and calcium- are edible but
need to be fried or cooked, whilst its root is used as a substitute
for horseradish, and the bark for tanning. Besides all of this, the
tree also has several medicinal uses and the seeds, especially the
seed-cake that remains after the oil has been extracted, have the
ability to purify water. Not surprisingly, this tree is sometimes
described as nutritional dynamite.
Like the Cassia fistula (rachaphreuk),
it is also nicknamed Drumstick Tree.
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Maruts (मरुत्)
Sanskrit.
Vedic storm gods made by the
rishi
Kashyapa for the goddess Diti, the mother of the
asuras, who had asked him for a son
powerful enough to destroy
Indra,
as a revenge for killing the asuras. Her embryo, however, got cut into pieces by Indra who entered her womb with his thunderbolt, and their number increased
somewhere between 21 and 180, depending on the myths that narrate their origin.
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masayid (مَسْجِدٌ, มัสยิด)
Arabic-Thai. ‘Place of prostration’. A
mosque. Also spelt masjid.
Sometimes transliterated masyid.
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Masayid Kreu Se (มัสยิดกรือเซะ)
Name of a
mosque in
Pattani,
built by Lim To Khieng, a Chinese immigrant who married a local girl
and converted to
Islam. His sister
Lim Ko Niau however sailed
from
China on a
sampan to try and sway her brother to forsake
Islam
and return to his homeland. In a
negative response he demonstrated his faith and started the construction of the
masayid in 1578. His
sister then put a curse on the mosque, saying it would never be completed. After
a final failed attempt to persuade her brother she eventually hanged herself from
a nearby
cashew nut tree and from grief her brother was unable to finish mosque which to this day
remains uncompleted. In April 2004 over a hundred alleged
Muslim separatist
rebels were killed here by Thai Army troops after they had attacked local police and
fled inside the mosque, resisting arrest.
See MAP.
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Mashi Khana Wih Mahla Phaya Te Kyaung Taw (မရှိခဏဝိမလ
ဘရသေ့ကျောင်းသို့)
Burmese. Full name of a temple monument in
Inwa,
located adjacent and to the
east of
Lawkataraphu Phaya Kyee (fig.),
as well as to the west of the western city gate (fig.) of
Ava.
It features two
zedi of which the
pinnacle is gilded while the
base is white. At the corners, these
pagodas
are guarded by
mythological
lions
that are known as
chinthe. In the western
side of the temple, adjacent to the main hall, is a platform with large
Buddha image
seated on a
naga,
while performing a
varada
mudra
with his right hand
(fig.).
The main
hall itself is has small
stupa-like
edifices on its roof and in the front, along the road, is a stall with
water pots from which any thirsty passerby is allowed to drink freely.
See MAP.
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Masked Palm Civet
A species of civet native to the Indian Subcontinent,
Southeast Asia and China, where this mainly arboreal mammal is found in tropical rainforest and temperate deciduous forest. Its fur is
grayish beige to orange-brown. Unlike most other civets, the Masked Palm Civet
has no spots or stripes on its body, though it has dark feet, dark ears and dark
spots on the face, which are reminiscent of a mask (fig.). Though omnivorous, this
nocturnal predator feeds mainly on fruit, but additionally it also feeds on
small vertebrates, such as squirrels and birds, as well as on insects. Following
the April 2003 outbreak of SARS in Asia, the virus causing the Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome was in May 2003 isolated in several Masked Palm Civets in
China,
placing the animal under suspicion of having been a likely vector of the SARS
virus. As a result, around 10,000 Masked Palm Civets were culled in Guangdong
Province, though the virus was later also found in other animals. The Masked Palm Civet
is also
called Himalayan Palm Civet and its Binomial name is Paguma larvata. In Thai it
is known as
ih-hen kreua.
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Masong (ม้าทรง)
Thai. Term used in Thailand for a Taoist
spirit medium. The term derives from
mah,
the Thai word for
‘horse’,
and
song,
which means
‘riding’.
The latter is
rajasap,
a specialized vocabulary used when speaking about or to sacred
people or things. In
songmah,
which translates to
‘riding
a horse’,
the term reflects how these individuals serve as vessels for
spirits, much like a rider on a horse. Typically, only unmarried
individuals without families, regardless of gender, can become
Masong. Before becoming full-fledged mediums in the festival, Masong
undergo a series of protective rituals at the temple to prepare them
for intense practices like flagellation and self-mutilation. The
Masong tradition bears similarities to the Tang-ki (童乩) practice,
which is also prevalent in Chinese communities in
Singapore
and
Malaysia.
Tang-ki is the
Hokkien
word for Tongji, meaning
‘youth
diviner’.
These practitioners, commonly known as spirit mediums, are believed
to be chosen by a specific shen (神), which is a Chinese deity or
spirit. As spirit mediums, they act as conduits for divine
communication. This function aligns them with the Masong, but they
differ from a
shaman.
In Chinese culture, a shaman, known as Wu (巫), is seen as someone
who can exert control over the spirit world. In contrast, a Tongji,
or spirit medium, is viewed as someone who is entirely under the
influence of spiritual forces. During rituals, Masong enter a
trance-like state, in which they are believed to be possessed by
spirits of deities or deceased ancestors. While under possession,
they perform various activities, many of which involve intense
physical feats, such as piercing their bodies with sharp objects,
walking on fire, climbing bladed ladders, standing on firecrackers,
and other displays related to their communication with deities. The
Masong often exhibit distinctive behavior during these trances, like
shaking their heads vigorously and appearing disconnected from their
surroundings. During special occasions, whilst most devotees wear
white trousers—typically loose-fitting fisherman pants—, the male
Masong will in addition often wear a colourful apron, whereas the
female Masong may wear a similar outfit or a kimono style dress.
These outfits usually have colours and patterns that symbolize
sacredness and their connection to specific deities. The Masong also
stand out from regular devotees because they go around barefoot,
even outside the shrine's main grounds. Additionally, they may carry
various attributes, typically weapons like dragon whips, axes, and
swords, along with square handheld banners called command flags,
that are either black or yellow in colour and bear Chinese
characters and symbols, often a trigram. To exit their state of
trance, the Masong approach the altar dedicated to their deity and
perform a dramatic ritual. They strike the altar and then seemingly
faint, at which point a helper catches them. Another attendant then
whispers some incantations and slaps the Masong on the thigh, arm or
chest, in order to revive them from their temporary state of
unconsciousness.
WATCH VIDEO (1) and
(2), and
VIDEO (E).
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massage
See
traditional massage.
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massaman (มัสมั่น)
Thai. Name of a mild
yet rich curry with influences from Persian cuisine, typically made
with chicken or beef, potatoes, peanuts, and aromatic spices like
cinnamon and
cardamom. Also known as
kaeng massaman.
See
also POSTAGE STAMP.
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Master of Healing
See
Bhaisajyaguru.
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masyid (มัสยิด)
See
masayid.
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Matanapatha (มัธนะพาธา)
Name of a drama in verse, written in the traditional
Chan
form, by
King
Vajiravudh. The story involves a powerful
angel named Suthet
or Sudeshna
(สุเทษณ์), who is intensively in love with the
female angel Mathana or Madana (มัทนา), who ignores him.
Infatuated, he harbours a grudge against her and turns her into a
rose on earth. However, on every full moon (fig.) she will become human and
suffer the pain inflicted by her love. Only when she finds true love will she be able to maintain her human
form. Created by King
Rama VI
in 1923, the play ‒known in
English as the Legend of the Rose (fig.)‒
was praised by the Literature Club as well-written, mainly because
it is composed of verse patterns which require strict use of
alternating short and long vowel sounds, and renders the play
unique. In 1996, a scene from the story was published on a Thai
postage stamp as
part of
a set on famous
classical Thai literary works (fig.). Compare with
Qi Qiao Jie and see also
Shin Mway Loon nae Min Nandar
and
kulaab.
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Matangi (मातङ्गी)
Sanskrit. Name of one of the
Mahavidyas, ten Tantric goddesses and a ferocious aspect of the
Hindu goddess Devi, and considered to be the Tantric form of
Sarasvati,
i.e.
Surasvati
(fig.).
Akin to the latter, she is also
the goddess of arts and
learning, and likewise,
i.e. in her form as
Raja-Matangi,
depicted playing the veena (fig.),
i.e. a
sitar-like
instrument. In
order to differentiate the two, Raja-Matangi is usually accompanied
by a parrot (fig.).
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Matchanu (มัจฉานุ)
See
Madchanu.
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math
(मठ)
A
Hindu and
Jain
monastery, usually more hierarchical, formal and
rule-based than an
ashram. Also transcribed matha and sometimes mutt.
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mathayom (มัธยม)
Thai for high school. See
education.
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Mathura (मथुरा)
1.
Hindi. One of the most sacred cities of
Hinduism,
situated on the west bank of the Yamuna river and dating back to 600 BC. The
town is associated with the birth of
Krishna and his exploits, and with several dynasties including the
Gupta dynasty. In the 7th century AD it was an important Buddhist centre, as well as a
commercial and cultural meeting place, but the city was sacked in 1017 and the
Buddhist temples were destroyed.
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2.
Hindi. An art style from Mathura.
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mating wheel
Name for the sometimes
heart-shaped wheel formation in the mating process of
dragonflies
and
damselflies,
in which the male grips the female behind its head with pincers at
the end of its abdomen to which the female responds with bending up
her abdomen to the male genitalia on the frontal underside of its
abdomen and form the wheel position. The male's grip can last for
anything between a few seconds to an hour, and they often stay
connected flying around in tandem, until the female has laid her
eggs. See
malaeng poh.
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matmi (มัดหมี่)
Thai. A term from the textile industry in Laos and Thailand indicating a weaving
process in
which a typical pattern is obtained by tying off small bundles (‘mat’) of yarn
prior to dyeing thus preventing the dye from penetrating. A
well-known, ancient matmi design on
silk cloth is called
pah mai saket
and comes from
Roi Et
(fig.).
This weaving process is also known by the name
ikat
and sometimes transliterated mudmee.
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Matrikas (मातृका, มาตฤกา)
See
Matris.
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Matris (मातृ)
Sanskrit.
‘Mothers’. The divine
mothers. The term originally refers to a class of mother goddesses, in the Hindu religion
said to be seven in number, though some times an additional eighth
goddess is mentioned, whom originated in
the remote past and are connected to the forces of nature. Later they appear as
the female energies (shakti)
of the great gods from whom they emerged and became
personified powers. They are
attendants of the warrior
goddess
Durga,
fearsome in nature, and are especially worshiped in
Tantrism.
The seven prominent Matris are: 1.
Vaishnavi,
the ferocious form of
Lakshmi
and shakti of Vishnu; 2. Brahmani, the female energy of
Brahma;
3.
Mahesvari
(fig.),
who emerged from
Mahesvara, a form of
Shiva;
4.
Indrani, the female form of Indra; 5. Kaumari the shakti Skanda;
6.
Varahi
(fig.),
the shakti of the
boar
Varaha (fig.),
i.e. the third
avatar
of
Vishnu
and hence a form
Prithivi,
depicted with the head of a sow;
and 7.
Chamunda,
who emerged from
Devi (fig.);
whereas the additional Matris are: Narasimhi, who emerged from
Narasimha (fig.);
and
Vinayaki, the elephant-headed goddess who emerged from
Ganesha (fig.). Also called Mataras and
Matrikas, and
typically when depicted together they are also referred to as
Saptamatrika, i.e. the ‘Seven Mothers’, or Ashtamatrika,
i.e. ‘Eight Mothers’, when an
additional goddess is included.
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Matsu (妈祖)
Another spelling for
Mazu.
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Matsya (मत्स्य)
Sanskrit.
‘Fish’. Refers to
Vishnu's
first
avatara, in
the form of a fish, which is represented either as a great fish or as half-man half-fish.
It symbolizes the existence that emerges from the waters of non-existence.
Vishnu took this
avatar after Shankasura, an
asura, i.e. a demon at
Satya
yuga, i.e. the time of the
beginning, stole the
Vedas from
Brahma and swallowed them, running
off and hiding inside the waters of the ocean, thus making it
impossible for Brahma to create world. Vishnu consequently killed
the demon (fig.)
and returned the Vedas to Brahma, though some texts say he gave them
to Satyavrata, who was later renamed Manu, i.e. the first ever human
in world, of whom a later legend relates that he saved in a boat all
the medicinal plants of the world, as well as some animals, during a
great inundation, a story reminiscent of Noah's ark. During his avatar as Matsya,
Lakshmi or
Sri, Vishnu's consort or
shakti incarnated with him
in the form of a female fish, i.e. half-woman half-fish (fig.),
akin to
Suphanamatcha
(fig.).
Sometimes transliterated Matsaya.
See also
Madchanu,
Sareungka Matsaya, and
Mazu.
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ma tuan (麻团)
Mandarin-Chinese. ‘Sesame balls’. A type of crisp fried and chewy pastry, made from
sticky rice
flour and coated with sesame seeds. Due to the expansion of the
dough, the pastry is hollow on the inside, and sometimes this cavity
is filled with a filling, such as bean paste or
lotus
paste. There
are two basic types, one coated with light sesame seeds, the other
with a mixture of light and dark sesame seeds. Outwardly they
strongly resemble the Thai sweet
kanom nga
(fig.),
but their texture is much harder to chew. In English often
referred to as sesame seeds balls, and in Mandarin also called jian
dui (煎堆), which literally means ‘fried mass’.
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matuhm (มะตูม)
Thai name for the bale (bael) tree of the genus
Aegle marmelos, which yields a fruit called
wood-apple, golden apple, bengal quince, or bale
(bael) fruit. Dried slices of this fruit are soaked in water to make an amber
coloured health-enhancing beverage rich in vitamins and called nahm matuhm in
Thai.
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Matulih (มาตุลี)
Pali-Thai name of
Indra's
charioteer. He appears in the
Nemiraja
Jataka,
where he is ordered to take
Nemiraja in Indra's chariot to
view heaven and hell. He is depicted riding Indra's chariot pulled
by two horses as part of the logo of the Thai
Department of Land Transport
(fig.), known in Thai as
Krommakaan Khonsong Tahng Bok. He
also appears on a Thai postage stamp related to the Nemiraja story,
issued in 1996
to
commemorate the annual
Makha Bucha
Day (fig.).
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Matulee (มาตุลี)
See
Matulih.
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Maung (မောင်, หฺม่อง)
Burmese-Thai.
‘Brother’. A Burmese title of courtesy equivalent
to ‘mister’, sometimes used in Thailand.
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Maung Minbyu (မောင်မင်းဖြူ)
Burmese.
‘Brother
Minbyu’.
One of 37
nats that
belong to the
official pantheon of spirits
worshipped in
Myanmar.
In life, he was Crown Prince Minyekyawswa, a son of King Minkhaung I
of
Ava,
and whose birth name was Minbyu, also spelled Min Phyu. However,
according to another, perhaps less likely version based on the
similarity of names, Crown Prince Minyekyawswa later became the nat
Min Kyawzwa (fig.).
The Crown Prince
died in 1417 of wounds received on the battlefield. His mother,
Queen Shin Mi-Nauk, was also enlisted in the official pantheon of
spirits as the female nat
Anauk Mibaya.
See also LIST OF BURMESE NATS.
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Maung Minshin (မောင်မင်းရှင်)
Burmese.
‘Brother
Minbyu’.
Name of a
spirit
that
belongs to the official pantheon
of 37
nats worshipped in
Myanmar.
During his life,
he was known as
Shin Byu, brother of
Shin Nyo,
who later became the nat
Taungmagyi. Both
brothers served under King Duttabaung of Prome. According to legend,
the king became so fearful of the brothers' strength that he forced
them to fight each other, to death. They are the sons of
Maung Tint De
(fig.),
the extremely strong son of a blacksmith, who was burned to death by
the King of
Tagaung for similar —yet unfounded— fears that he might usurp the
throne, and after his death became the gold-faced
spirit
Min Mahagiri (fig.).
According to another version the brothers are described as the sons
of
Naga Medaw
(fig.).
See also LIST OF BURMESE NATS.
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Maung Po Tu (မောင်ဘိုးတူ)
Burmese.
‘Father-like Brother’. One of 37
nats that
belong to the
official pantheon of spirits
worshipped in
Myanmar.
In life, Maung Po Tu was a
tea
trader in the reign of King
Minkhaung I of
Ava,
and was killed by a
tiger
on his way to
Shan
State.
After his death, he became
worshipped as the spirit who is
the guardian of traders and
their businesses. Referring to his violent death, he is in
iconography
usually portrayed
seated on a tiger.
See also LIST OF BURMESE NATS.
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Maung Tint De (မောင်တင့်တယ်)
Burmese.
‘Brother Handsome’. The name at birth of
Min Mahagiri
(fig.),
one of the 37
nats that
belong to the
official pantheon of spirits
worshipped in
Myanmar.
Pronunciation
Maung Tinthé.
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Maurya (मौर्य)
1.
Hindi. Dynasty from 324 to 187
BC, founded by the Chandragupta in Patna, India.
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2.
Hindi. Art form from the period of the Indian Maurya dynasty.
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Mawang (马王)
Chinese.
‘Horse-royals’ or ‘horse-kings’. Name
for a group of
Chinese deities
worshipped since antiquity as the protectors of horses, especially
in the Ming Dynasty, together with similar deities, known as the
Mazu
(fig.) and
Shuicao (fig.).
Horses are believed to bring power and prosperity, as in the past
they were the possession of powerful
rulers and
generals. Hence, today, statuettes of horses are often found in the
offices of many a Chinese manager or businessman.
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ma-weng khreua (มะแว้งเครือ)
Thai name for a herbal thorny
creeper, with the botanical name Solanum trilobatum.
READ ON.
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maya
(माया)
Sanskrit.
‘Illusion,
magic, phenomenal reality’. Creative power, personified as a female who is made
for the purpose to beguile. Individuals have the illusion to be in control, but
in fact everything is determined by maya. See also
Maha
Maya.
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Maya Devi Temple
Name of a Buddhist temple at
Lumbini, located on a small islet situated in a sacred pond, inside a park near
Kapilavatthu
in present-day southern Nepal. The temple is built on the exact spot where Prince
Siddhartha, i.e. the historical
Buddha-to-be,
was born.
READ ON.
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Mayfly
See
malaeng chi pa-khao.
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mayom (มะยม)
Thai name for the Star Gooseberry, an evergreen tree growing up to nine meters
with the scientific names Phyllanthus acidus and Phyllanthus
distichus. It has nearly
spherical, yellowish light green berries that are quite smooth and
hard on appearance, with vertical furrows, more or less in the form
of a star. The tree is suitable for several medicinal purposes, including the treatment
of fevers accompanied by a skin disease, e.g. the measles. In
Sanskrit the fruit is called amla, a word related to
amalaka, a term used for a star
gooseberry-like circular decorative ribbed
ornament at the top of a northern style Hindu temple (fig.).
Other designations include wild plum, Malay gooseberry, country
gooseberry, Indian gooseberry, etc.
See also
THEMATIC STREET LIGHT
and
POSTAGE STAMP.
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mayong (มะยง)
A variety of the
maprahng
(fig.),
with the botanical name
Bouea burmanica.
It is very similar in appearance, but slightly bigger in size,
i.e. close to a chicken egg, and
with a yellowish-orange, somewhat darker skin. When ripe, the fruits'
taste is still somewhat sweet-and-sour, rather than sweet. Yet, ripe mayong have no resin in the fruit, whereas maprahng do.
Also called mayong chit khai gai (มะยงชิดไข่ไก่),
meaning ‘mayong close to a chicken egg’, or in brief mayong chit (มะยงชิด).
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Mayoon (มายูร)
Thai-Pali. Name of a
monkey-warrior
from the city of Meuang Chomphoo (เมืองชมพู),
that appears in the
Ramakien.
He
has a pale purple
fur
and
wears a
kabang-style
crown.
He is one of the
eighteen
Wahnon Sip-paet Mongkut, and an
avatar
of
Virupaksa,
who is also known as
Varuna and in
China
as
Guang Mu Tian
(fig.),
i.e. one of
the Chinese
Four Heavenly Kings and
the
lokapala of
the
West.
See also
LIST OF RAMAKIEN CHARACTERS & NAMES.
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mayura (मायूर)
Sanskrit for ‘peacock’.
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Mazu (马祖)
Chinese.
‘Horse-ancestor’. Name
for a group of
Chinese deities
worshipped since antiquity as the protectors of horses, especially
in the Ming Dynasty, together with similar deities, known as the
Mawang (fig.), i.e. ‘horse-royals’ or
‘horse-kings’, and
Shuicao (fig.). The Mazu are all depicted with four arms, holding swords
and other attributes,
and all have a
vertical
third eye on their face.
Unlike the Mawang and Shuicao,
the Mazu also wear a diadem-like crown, adorned with the head of a horse. Horses are believed to bring
power and prosperity, as in the past they were the possession of
powerful
rulers and generals. Hence, today, statuettes of
horses are often found in the offices of many a Chinese manager or
businessman.
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Mazu (妈祖)
Chinese.
‘Mother-ancestor’. Name
for the goddess of the sea, who is believed to protect fishermen and
sailors.
READ
ON.
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Mecca (مكة)
Arabic. The most important place of pilgrimage of
Islam situated in western Saudi-Arabia and the place of birth of the prophet
Muhammad.
It is the direction to which all
Muslims turn to pray.
Also spelled Makkah and in full known as Makkah Al Mukarramah.
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medallion
Architectural term for a framed circular, oval or half
circular centre part with decorative figures and motifs. Often seen on façades.
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Medaw (တောင်)
Burmese.
‘Royal Mother’, sometimes
translated as ‘Queen-Mother’. The term may be used as a title for
the widow of a king and mother of the succeeding monarch, but is
also used to refer to the mother of a monk or novice, or the woman
sponsor for his ordination. Pronunciation medo.
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Medaw Shwezaga (မယ်တော်ရွှေစကား)
Burmese.
‘Royal Mother of Golden Words’.
One of 37
nats that
belong to the
official pantheon of spirits
worshipped in
Myanmar. In
life, she was a mother who died of heartbreak over the sorrowful
plight of her son. In
iconography,
she is hence often portrayed holding her hand over her heart. See
also
Medaw
and
LIST OF BURMESE NATS.
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Medicine Buddha
See
Bhaisajyaguru.
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meditation
See
samahti.
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mehndi (मेहँदी)
Hindi term for
henna
skin decorations found in India and Pakistan,
and in some places with large Indian populations, such as
Singapore.
It is usually applied on
the hands and feet of girls and women during special occasions, such
as festivals and weddings. However, like a painted or temporary
tattoo
(fig.),
it may nowadays in some places be applied as a fashionable or trendy
adornment (fig.).
The henna, a product of the henna plant (fig.), can either be painted onto the skin with a brush, or it
may be printed using a stamp with an image or pattern, that is hand
carved from wood and known as henna stamp or mehndi stamp (fig.).
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Mei Ran Gong (美髯公)
Chinese. ‘Lord with the
Beautiful Beard’. A title given to
Kuan U
and in
iconography
depicted with the red-faced General being portrayed stroking
his beard with one hand and holding a book in the other.
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Mekhala (เมขลา)
Thai. The goddess of lightning and,
especially in
Khmer
mythology, also
the goddess of the waters and
sea.
READ ON.
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Mekhong
(แม่โขง)
See
Mae Khong.
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Melodious Laughingthrush
Another name for the
Chinese Hwamei.
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melon pear
Common name for a fruit with the scientific name Solanum muricatum.
It originates from South America, but is widely distributed and
often found on markets in
China,
where it is known as ren sheng guo (人生果), which freely translated
means
‘fruit of life’, though
it is often misspelled as ren sheng guo (人參果) and consequently
translated as
‘ginseng
fruit’. Its form and size
may be oval, somewhat similar to that of an elongated tomato, whilst
the structure and taste of the yellowish flesh are reminiscent of
those of the
persimmon
(fig.),
though they are sometimes described to resemble a pear or
cantaloupe, hence the name. Like the persimmon, its skin is thin and
rather tough and may be yellowish in colour, similar to that of the
sahlih or Chinese sand pear
(fig.)
and some kinds of sweet
mango (fig.),
or yellowish with brownish streaks (fig.). However, its form may also be
more bulbous. If the skin of the latter variety also has a streaked
pattern, it is somewhat reminiscent of the
crisp eggplant (fig.),
which –together with the tomato– actually is a close relative. Also
known as pepino dulce (sweet pepino) or simply pepino.
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melon tree
See
malako.
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Memorial Bridge
Popular name for the
Phra Phutta Yotfa
Bridge (fig.),
that connects
Bangkok's Phra
Nakhon district
with
the
Thonburi
side, across the
Chao Phraya River (fig.).
READ ON.
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men (เม่น)
Thai for ‘porcupine’, a rodent with head that reminds to that of a
beaver or a capybara, but with a body and tail covered with erectile
spines, used to defend itself from predators. There are only a
few subspecies that occur in South and Southeast Asia, with those
endemic to Thailand being the
Malayan Porcupine (fig.) and the
Asiatic Brush-tailed Porcupine,
both belonging to the family of Hystricidae, i.e. Hystrix brachyura
and Hystrix macrourus. Its English name
is related to the words ‘pork’ and ‘spine’.
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Mendaka (मेंदक)
Sanskrit.
Name of a prominent figure in early Buddhist texts, often highlighted as an
exemplary lay follower of the
Buddha
due to his wealth, generosity, and moral integrity. Originating from the ancient
city of Bhaddekaratta (ภัททิยนคร), Mendaka's story illustrates the intersection
of material success and spiritual devotion within Buddhist narratives. Mendaka
is often depicted with a magical goat, often called the Kamathan (กามะทัน) goat,
which possesses the miraculous ability to produce gold coins whenever it is
stroked or touched by Mendaka. The goat hence symbolizes unending prosperity and
abundance. According to Buddhist scripture, Mendaka’s wealth and prosperity were
the karmic fruits of past meritorious deeds, notably his support of previous
buddhas. This support
included contributions to the construction of grand structures like a pavilion
adorned with gold, silver, and precious stones to house the Buddha’s teachings,
underscoring his dedication to facilitating the dissemination of spiritual
knowledge. Additionally, Mendaka’s family, including his wife and children, are
portrayed as spiritually advanced individuals, ready to attain
Sotapanna. Mendaka’s narrative
serves as a paradigm of Buddhist values, particularly
dana or
generosity, which is central to his role within the community. His story
emphasizes that wealth, when utilized with ethical intent and for the benefit of
others, aligns with Buddhist principles of right action and compassion.
Furthermore, his life underscores the Buddhist teaching on karmic causality,
showing that virtuous actions in past lives contribute to both spiritual and
material prosperity in future existences. In Thai, he is referred to as
Menthaka
Setthi, i.e. ‘Wealthy Mendaka’, and
occasionally alternatively Menthakatsa Setthi (เมนฑะกัสสะเศรษฐี).
See also
setthi
and
WATCH VIDEO.
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Meng Po (孟婆)
Chinese. ‘Grandmother Meng’. The Lady of
Forgetfulness in Chinese mythology, who serves in
Diyu,
the realm of the dead (fig.), where it is her task to ensure that the
souls, who are ready to be reincarnated, do not remember their
previous life or their atonement in hell. To this end Meng Po
gathers various herbs from ponds and streams, from which she brews a
tea
known as the
Five-flavoured
Tea of Forgetfulness, which is given to
each soul to drink, causing instant and permanent loss of memory (fig.).
Though, it is said that sporadically some souls are able to avoid
drinking the tea or that its effect is incomplete, resulting in past
life memories.
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Mengrai (เม็งราย)
Thai. Name of the son of King
Lao Meng (fig.) and
Queen Kham Khai, who is also known
as
Nang
Ua Ming Jom Meuang (fig.),
and the 25th King of the Lawachakaraat (ลวะจักราช)
Dynasty, who became the founder and king of
Chiang Rai (fig.) and
later on also of
Chiang Mai,
and the first king of a new dynasty named after him, i.e. the
Mengrai Dynasty.
READ ON.
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men hang phuang (เม่นหางพวง)
Thai name for the
Asiatic Brush-tailed Porcupine.
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men kan (门槛)
Chinese.
‘Threshold’ or ‘door sill’. In
traditional buildings in East Asia and Southeast Asia, such as
palaces, temples and traditional homes, the usually wooden doors
typically have a high or raised threshold.
The reason given for this seems to differ regionally, as well as to whom one speaks
to, as do the rules if one is supposed to
step on it or over it, and the explanation as to with which leg one
has to enter first. Reasons given include: an architectural
necessity; to hold back rising flood waters; too keep out
snakes;
to keep out the spirits of the
deceased, since they can't step over the high thresholds due to
their stiff legs;
to demand respect, i.e. that when stepping over it one has to look
down in
order to see where to step and thus automatically bows by lowering
the head in respect of the
person whose place one enters;
that it is the dwelling place of the guardian spirit; and so on. In
Thailand, a threshold is called
Thoranih pratu,
literally ‘Thoranih's
door’,
an indication that it for Thais rather seems to mean the dwelling of
the goddess of the earth, though some say it is another
guardian
spirit, and hence one is supposed to not step onto it, but rather
over the sill when entering or leaving a traditional building. See
also
animism.
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Menthaka
Setthi (เมณฑกเศรษฐี)
Thai. ‘Wealthy Mendaka’. Thai name
for
Mendaka,
a
prominent figure
in early Buddhist text (fig.).
In Thai, he is occasionally referred to alternatively as Menthakatsa Setthi (เมนฑะกัสสะเศรษฐี).
See also
setthi
and
WATCH VIDEO.
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men
thalae (เม่นทะเล)
Thai. ‘Sea porcupine’. Generic name for a
sea urchin.
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Me Nu Oak-Kyaung (မယ်နုအုတ်ကျောင်း)
Burmese.
‘Me Nu Brick Monastery’. Name of
a
Buddhist monastery in
Inwa
(fig.),
located along the
Irrawaddy River
(fig.)
and in English usually referred to as Maha Aungmye Bonzan or Bon San
Monastery. It was built in 1822 AD by Nan Madaw Me Nu, the Chief
Queen of King Bagyidaw, the 7th king of the Konbaung Dynasty, who
ruled from 1819 until his abdication in 1837, and whom in 1823 moved
the capital from Amarapura back to
Ava. It was built as the residence for
the royal abbots
Nyaunggan Sayadaw U Po and U Bok,
and is named after the Queen who donated it. The building was
damaged in an earthquake in 1838, yet was repaired in 1873 by Sinphyumashin, the daughter of Queen Me Nu and herself a Queen of
King
Mindon Min
(fig.).
Buddhist monasteries were usually built from wood and therefore got
easily destroyed by fire. This masonry structure, however, was planned for a
longer life with an architecture that only simulates the design of
wooden monasteries.
See MAP.
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men yai phaeng kho yao (เม่นใหญ่แผงคอยาว)
Thai. ‘Long-maned large porcupine’. Name for the
Malayan Porcupine.
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Merbatu
Malayan name for the Sea Beam,
a large evergreen tree with the botanical name Maranthes corymbosa, that can
grow up to more than 40m in height, with a dense, heavy, dark green crown and a
pale grey bark that is flaky but becomes smooth in older trees. Flowers are
greenish white, sweet smelling and occur in clusters. Fruits are about 3cm and
oblong in shape, turning from green to brown, slight hairy, and containing 2
seeds. This tropical tree is common throughout the Solomon Islands, New Guinea,
Santa Cruz Islands, The Philippines and Indonesia, and is naturally distributed
in Malaysia and Singapore, with two of them found at the lower slopes of Fort
Canning Hill (fig.),
where they stand tall amid an ever changing landscape and are hence known as
Singapore's Heritage Trees. In Thailand, it its known as
chi khaat phen (ชีขาดเพล), chi ot phen (ชีอดเพล),
and daeng nah (แดงนา).
WATCH VIDEO (1) and
(2).
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Merlion
Name of a mythical creature with
the head of a lion and the body of a
fish (fig.),
and due to
Singapore's
maritime location and
name which means
‘Lion
City’, the official mascot
of the republic. A statue of it stands at
Marina Bay and has become
a popular
landmark of Singapore. A depiction of
Merlion also features on the reverse side of one
Singapore Dollar (fig.)
coins of the third series issued in 2013,
together with a lion-head outline on the top left of the coins, that also
features on the designs of the four other denominations in that series.
See also TRAVEL PICTURES (1),
(2) and
(3), and
WATCH VIDEO.
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mermaid
Name for a legendary creature with a woman's head and torso,
and a fish's tail (fig.).
The word is derived from mere, meaning ‘sea’, and maid, archaic for ‘girl’ or ‘young woman’. They often occur in Southeast Asian legends. In the
Ramayana,
Suphanamatcha, the daughter of
Totsakan,
is a mermaid. In Thai called
ngeuak or
nang ngeuak.
See also POSTAGE STAMPS
(1),
(2),
(3)
and
(4),
THEMATIC STREET LIGHT, as well
as
TRAVEL PICTURES (1) and
(2).
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Meru (मेरु,
เมรุ, មេរុ)
1. Sanskrit-Thai-Khmer. Mythological and sacred golden mountain, the
centre of the universe in
both
Hindu and Buddhist cosmology. At its pinnacle is
Tavatimsa
heaven, the abode of the god
Indra and the 33 gods.
It is located in the
Himalayas and from its summit the
Ganga river flows to earth, divided into four streams each directed towards the
four cardinal points. In architecture generally represented as a
quincunx,
but also in the (usually colourful) pyramidal frustum-shaped
rooftops of Hindu temples, that are typically decorated with images
of the gods and goddesses that dwell on
Mt. Meru (fig.).
Besides being symbolically represented in many religious buildings of
Hinduism
and
Buddhism,
some structures are actually literally name
Mt. Meru, such as
Myinmo Taung (fig.),
brick
tower in
Inwa,
which name is
Burmese for ‘Mount Meru’
(map
-
fig.). During the churning of the
Ocean of Milk by the gods and demons Mt.
Meru was placed
upside-down in the ocean, whilst
Vishnu
incarnated as a tortoise —his second
avatar— to
support the mountain with its shell, thus preventing it from sinking in the
soft mud of the sea floor (fig.). Usually
Mt. Meru, but also called Phra
Meru or
Sumeru. Compare with
Krailaat.
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2. Thai-Khmer
term
for a ‘crematorium [for high dignitaries]’, named after Mt. Meru, the abode of the
Hindu gods and with the same Thai spelling, though in case of a
crematorium, the term is pronounced Mehn, and often with the prefix
Phra,
i.e. Phra Mehn, sometimes transcribed Phramane. Whereas
most temples have their own crematorium (fig.),
for royalty one is build specially for each royal death,
traditionally on
Sanam Luang
(fig.), in front of the
Grand Palace. After the funeral rites the royal crematoria are
decommissioned and dismantled, as they are highly personalized with
insignia and symbols of the deceased (fig.), as well as having a permanent
one would be a continuous reminder of death, which might adversely
affect ones
karma. See also
param phao sop
and
koht,
and
WATCH VIDEO.
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Meru Brahmathat
English name for
Meru Phrommathat.
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Meru Phrommathat (เมรุพรหมทัต)
Thai. Name of a now toppled
brick
chedi
situated on a high mound inside
Phimai's
ancient city wall,
in
Nakhon Ratchasima
province.
The date of its construction is not precisely known, but it is
assumed to date back to the late
Ayutthaya
period, i.e. the 18th century AD. According to the local folktale
Thao Pajit-Nang Oraphim, it was the
cremation ground for a legendary ruler
Thao
Phrommathat, from which it got its name. In English, it is usually
referred to as
Meru Brahmathat.
See also
Meru and
MAP.
回
Metallic Caerulean
Common name of a small-sized butterfly in the family of Lycaenidae, with the scientific name Jamides alecto.
Above its wings are whitish blue, while on the underside they
are a pale dull
greyish-brown with white and dark streaks across the entire
hindwings and on the upper half of the forewings. On the hindwings
it has a black tail tipped with some white. On both the
underside and upperside of the hindwings, it has two prominent black
dots, one small and one larger, which on the underside are embedded
in a wider orange smudge, reminiscent of eyespots.
See also WILDLIFE PICTURES.
回
Meteorological Department
See
krom utuniyom withayah.
回
Metrai (เมตไตรย)
Thai name for
Maitreya. Also transcribed
Metraiy.
回
Metraiy (เมตไตรย)
Thai name for
Maitreya. Also transcribed
Metrai.
回
Metropolitan Electricity Authority
See
kaan fai fah nakhon luang.
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metta (เมตตา)
Thai term for ‘merciful’,
‘gracious’, ‘loving-kindness’, and ‘kind’. It is related to the Pali name
Metteya
and is one of the aspects or faces of
Brahma (fig.),
the other three being
mudita,
karuna, and
upekkha.
See also
Phra Phrom Sih Nah.
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Metteya
Pali name for
Maitreya,
and which is related to the Thai term
metta,
i.e. ‘merciful’, ‘gracious’, and
‘kind’. Compare with
karuna.
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meuang (เมือง, ເມືອງ)
1. Thai-Lao. A free state, principality, land or city state. Also spelt muang.
回
2. Thai-Lao popular name for rural and urban districts,
or the capital city of a province, i.e.
amphur
meuang. Also spelt muang.
回
3. Thai-Lao popular name for a country, as in Meuang Thai, Thailand.
Also spelt muang.
回
4. Thai. Name of a canal in
Ayutthaya, to the north of the city island of
Phra Nakhon Sri Ayutthaya,
that connects
the
Lopburi River in the east
with the
Chao Phraya
River in the west,
consequently making the city of Ayutthaya into island. Also spelt muang.
回
Meuang Boraan
(เมืองโบราณ)
1. Thai.
‘Ancient City’. Name of an open-air museum in
Samut Prakan,
covering an area of 320 acres, located along
Khlong Seua Tai (fig.).
It consists of a contrived
domain or land (meuang),
with statues from history and mythology, traditional houses and
historical (boraan)
monuments from all over Thailand.
It reportedly has over one hundred attractions
and the domain's
shape is
thoughtfully designed to more or less mirror the contours of the
nation's borders (fig.).
See MAP
and
TRAVEL PICTURE.
回
2. Thai. ‘Ancient City’. Name of a site with the
vestiges of an ancient oval-shaped town in
Pattani,
which was one of the oldest communities in southern Thailand,
believed to have been the location of the early
kingdom of
Langka
Suka, which roughly stretched from
present-day
Songkhla in the South to
Ratchaburi in the North, and existed between the 2nd and
the 14th century AD.
回
Mexican Marigold
See
dao reuang.
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me-ze (မယ်ဇယ်)
Burmese name of a fast-growing
(semi-)evergreen tree that grows up to 20 meters high, and which is found
in the plains and forests of
Myanmar, especially in the Mandalay region,
i.e. around Taungthaman
Lake (fig.), as well as
to the north of
Mandalay. It is also found in central and north India, and has the botanical names Madhuca latifolia and Bassia
latifolia. This tree in the family Sapotaceae bears tiny flowers that
in Myanmar are collected and dried by the
locals, after they have fallen from the tree. Their dried shape is
somewhat reminiscent of that of maize or corn kernels, and they are
eaten as a snack (fig.).
Due to their ample nectar, they have a rather sweet taste, as well
as a somewhat sticky texture. They are said to have beneficial value
for people who suffer from high blood pressure and favourable for
diabetics. Also transliterated meze or
meza, and its pronunciation is maezae. In India, it is known as
mahua or mahuwa.
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mian (冕)
Chinese. An imperial crown in the form of a
horizontal board, somewhat similar to an elongated graduate cap, with hanging decorations, i.e. a flat top with jade
or other beads hanging from the front and at the back, and long
cords with tassels on the sides, a style that
dates back to the very first emperor,
Qin Shi Huang Ti (fig.).
The mian is a ritual crown (fig.) and was worn at grand ceremonies to offer
sacrifices, when praying in ancestral temples, on holy days, etc.
It is also referred to as mian guan (冕冠) and also
known as the Veil of Stars, symbolizing the divine power of China's
Emperors.
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miang (เมี่ยง)
1. Thai. Name of a savory wrapped in leaves,
somewhat like an hors d’oeuvre.
回
2. Thai.
‘To complement’, ‘to
make perfect’,
and ‘to
add in a way that enhances or improves’.
The term occurs in the names
Chiang Miang
and
Siang Miang.
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miangkham (เมี่ยงคำ)
Thai. ‘A bite or mouthful of
miang’.
Name of a sweet consisting of roasted
peanuts, slivers of grated
coconut, sliced ginger and red onion,
pieces of green
mango
and a glutinous paste
made from
palm sugar. Sometimes also lemon, dried shrimps and
chilies
may be added. The ingredients are wrapped in an edible leaf called
bai
chaphlu
(fig.) and wedged on a satay-stick. It is a specialty favoured by the people from
Central Thailand and
Phitsanulok
and is eaten around the beginning of the rainy season as in that
time of year the bai
chaphlu leaves come
out and their softness and flavour are best.
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miangwahn (เมี่ยงหวาน)
Thai. ‘Sweet
miang’. Name of a sweet wrapped in leaves.
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Miao (แม้ว)
The name for the
Hmong,
and another spelling for
Maew.
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miao (庙)
Chinese. General term for ‘temple’, but in
Chinese folk religion, in particular one that enshrines nature gods
and patron gods, against
ci,
a temple that enshrines ancestry gods, i.e. human beings
apotheosized as gods.
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miao minge (庙名额)
Simplified Chinese.
‘Temple name inscribed board’.
READ ON.
回
Microchirita tubulosa
See
yahd sa-ahng.
回
Middle Path
In
Buddhism,
the path of no extremes, avoiding emptiness and an acceptance of
things as they are. Also called ‘Middle Way’ and ‘Middle
Course’.
回
Mien (เมี่ยน)
Yao.
‘People’. A Yao-Thai name for
Iu Mien.
MORE ON THIS.
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mih krob (หมี่กรอบ)
1.
Thai. ‘Crunchy
noodles’. Name for a dish of
fried
rice vermicelli in a sweet and
slightly spicy sauce. It is often served in northern style
khantoke
dinners. Sometimes spelled mee krob.
回
2.
Thai. ‘Crunchy noodles’.
Name for fried egg
noodles, which are served on
top of boiled egg
noodles in the northern
style dish
khao soi (fig.).
Also
spelled mee krob.
回
3.
Thai. ‘Crunchy noodles’.
Name for a dish of fried
rice
vermicelli mixed with meat and other savoury ingredients. This
dish was first introduced to the court and in full it is called
mih krob chao wang (หมี่กรอบชาววัง), meaning ‘crunchy
noodles of the court attendants’ or ‘crunchy
noodles of the court people’. Compare with
khao chae chao wang.
Also
spelled mee krob.
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mihrab (ألمحراب)
Arabic. A prayer
niche or arched recess in one of
the inner walls of a
mosque,
indicating the direction of
Mecca and
to which worshipers turn to pray, or an image of it on a prayer rug (fig.).
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mih sua (หมี่ซั่ว)
Thai. Name of a kind of
thin, yellowish-white egg
noodle, famed for its
softness.
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miht aai krok (มีดอ้ายครก, มีดไอ้ครก)
Thai. Name for a kind of
southern-style, curved knife. It is also referred to as miht neb (มีดเหน็บ),
i.e.
‘tuck knife’, as it
typically worn tucked in a
pahkaomah,
or carried as a weapon behind the belt, reminiscent of the
kris
(fig.).
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miht moh (มีดหมอ)
Thai. A spirit knife, i.e. a kind of sacred ceremonial dagger used
to protect against evil spirits and carried symbolically
by moh
phi,
i.e. ‘shamans’
or ‘exorcists’. They may also use it to warn off the spirit of a
deceased person, pointing the knife at the human corpse while
chanting or citing some incantation. Since the knife is used
figuratively, as a kind of
amulet, it also comes in very small sizes.
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Mi Le Fo (弥勒佛)
Chinese. ‘Full rein in
buddha’. Another name for
Budai,
Huan Xi Fo or
Fu Gui Fo
(富贵佛
-
fig.),
the god of happiness and wealth, who is
also known as the Happy Buddha,
Smiling
Buddha, the Loving One and the Friendly One. Known to the Chinese as the
‘Happy Buddha’
(fig.)
or ‘Laughing Buddha’, he is considered to be
Maitreya, i.e. the buddha-to-be,
and his statue is usually placed at the entrance hall of Chinese-Taoist
temples, looking joyously towards the entrance, seated a
back to back
with a standing image of
Wei Tuo (fig.),
and flanked by the
Four Heavenly Kings
(fig.). See also
Angaja
and
TRAVEL PICTURE.
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Milinda Panha (มิลินทปัญหา)
Thai. ‘Questions of Milinda’ or ‘Milinda's problems’. Name
for an ancient Buddhist text that records a dialogue on Buddhism between the
Indo-Greek king Milinda (Menander I) and the Buddhist sage
Nagasena
(fig.),
dating back somewhere between the first and second century BC. King Menander I
(ca. 165-130 BC), king of of the city of Sagala in northwestern India, is the
first historical Westerner documented to have converted to Buddhism.
回
Military
See
kong thap.
回
Military Parade of the Royal
Guards
Annual Military Parade of
the Royal Guards at the Royal Plaza
in
Bangkok on December 4th. In English usually referred to as
Trooping
the Colour (which in Thai is
Phittih Sabaan Tong), but by the Thais
rather called
Phittih Suansanam Thahaan Rachawanlop.
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milk
See
nahm nom.
回
milk fruit
Name for the fruit of a tropical tree in the family
Sapotaceae and with the botanical names Chrysophyllum cainito and Achras cainito.
The tree's shiny oval leaves are green above and golden-brown on the underside,
whilst the fruit has a green or purple skin (fig.). The flesh of fruit is whitish, edible, sweet, and has
anti-oxidant properties. It can be eaten in slices (fig.),
or squeezed into pulp while in the skin, which is then sucked-up directly from
the hole where its stem once sat. In
Vietnamese, it is called vu sua
and in Thai look nahm nom (ลูกน้ำนม),
though in
Isaan
it is also known as bak yahng
(บักยาง) and
mahk
yahng (หมากยาง). Whereas mahk refers to the
betel palm
(ton
mahk),
due to the milk fruit's
apparent similarity to the
betel nut
(fig.),
yahng refers to
the
rubber tree
(ton yahng
-
fig.),
due to the milk fruit's rubbery skin and its latex-like juice
(fig.).
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Milk
Tree
Common name for an evergreen tree,
that is also commonly known as Ceylon Iron Wood, and Wedge-leaved Ape Flower,
and with the botanical designation Manilkara hexandra. It is native to much of
South Asia and mainland northwestern Southeast Asia, including Thailand, where
it is commonly known by the names ked/ket (เกด) and rajayatana (ราชายตนะ), and
the provincial flower of
Prachuap Khirikhan.
Its name appears in
literature, in the story
Khun Chang Khun Paen,
in the
Ramakien,
as well as in the history of the Buddha, as the tree under
which the
Buddha
rested
in the 7th week after his
Enlightenment. The wood of this tree is hard, durable and heavy. Its
fruit is edible and it bears white, bisexual flowers.
See POSTAGE STAMP.
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Milky Stork
Common name for a type of stork with the scientific name Mycteria cinerea.
READ ON.
回
Milky
Way
See
Thahng Chang Pheuak
and
nahm nom.
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millepede
See
millipede.
回
millet
See
khao fahng.
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millipede
Name for a small crawling invertebrate arthropod with a
rounded, long
segmented wormlike body with two pairs of legs on each segment.
READ ON.
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minakon (มีนกร)
Thai. A synonym for
pramong,
meaning ‘fishery’ or ‘fisherman’, and which may also be
transliterated minagorn. The term occurs also in the name
Minakon
Topiary
Garden, as this garden (map
-
fig.)
is located on the compound of
the
Nong Kai
Freshwater Fisheries Research and Development Center,
in the
amphur
Sri Chiang Mai (fig.).
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Minakshi (मीनाक्षी, மீனாட்சி)
Sanskrit-Tamil.
‘Fish-eyed’.
Name of an
avatar
of the
Hindu
goddess
Parvati,
Shiva's
consort. She was created by
Indra as
an heir for the
kingdom of a childless king. She was born as an
ayonija, i.e. not born from the
womb, literally ‘produced, made or born without a
yoni’.
In
iconography,
she is usually depicted with a parrot. Also transliterated Meenakshi.
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minaret
Tall, usually round spire belonging to a
mosque,
frequently adorned with an ornament in the form of one or more,
often onion-shaped, spheres with on top a crescent, the symbol of
Islam. The
minaret is either a free standing structure or attached to the
mosque, but always much taller than the rest of the building. It is
used five times a day for the azaan, the calling to prayer. The term
derives from Arabic and the root
of the word minaret is manara, which translates as ‘lighthouse’ and
refers to some of the older mosques whose minarets originally served
as watchtowers illuminated by torches.
With a height of 72.5 meters, Qutub Minar in the Indian capital Delhi is the
highest tower in India and the world's tallest brick minaret (map
-
fig.). In Thai called
ho asaan
(azaan tower).
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Mindon Min
(မင်းတုန်းမင်း)
Burmese. Name one of the most popular and revered monarchs of
Burma,
who ruled Upper Burma from 1853 to 1878 AD, modernizing it and defending it from
British encroachments after the annexation of Lower Burma by the British in
1852. In 1857, he founded the city of Mandalay (fig.),
which was to become the last royal capital of Burma. In 1868, he created the
world's largest book, a version of the Tipitaka, inscribed onto 729 marble
steles
(fig.),
each enshrined in a small
freestanding
stupa
at
Kuthodaw
Pagoda (fig.),
at the
foot of Mandalay Hill. In
iconography,
this ruler is often portrayed wearing a golden
salwe
(fig.).
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Mineral and Rock Museum
Museum in
Bangkok
located on
Rama VI Road, adjacent to the
Department of Mineral Resources, and which is hence also referred to as the
Mineral Resources Museum. It consists
of three sections of presentations, i.e. geology, mineral resources, and special
exhibits. The geology section features showcases, such as rock, earth, and
fossils, found in Thailand, while the mineral resources section features mining
in Thailand. The special exhibits section displays a variety of different
presentations on many related topics, and changes about every three to six
months. Though established in around 1924, initially as an information centre of
mineral resources and geology found in Thailand, the museum first exhibited in
1937. In Thai known as Phiphithaphan Rae Lae Hin (พิพิธภัณฑ์แร่และหิน).
See
also POSTAGE STAMPS and
MAP.
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mingalaba (မင်္ဂလာပါ)
Burmese greeting that
literally means ‘be blessed’, but which is commonly translated as ‘hello’. It is
pronounced twice with a long vowel a, i.e. in the middle and at the end, and is
also transcribed mingalarbar, maingalarbar, mingalapa, mingalarpar, maingalarpar,
or similar, the r being added to indicate that the vowel is pronounced long. The
term is a compound that is derived from the
Pali words
minga, which derives from mangalam and means ‘auspicious’ or ‘blessing’, and the
word la, which derives from labha and means ‘to attain’ or ‘to receive’. When
combined, it essentially means ‘may you receive blessings’ or ‘may you be
auspicious’, and is hence a greeting that expresses well wishes towards the
person being greeted.
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Mingala Zedi (မင်္ဂလာစေတီ)
Burmese. ‘Blessed
Pagoda’.
Name of brick
zedi
or stupa
in
Bagan.
READ ON.
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ming bi (冥币)
Chinese. ‘Obscure currency’ or ‘hell money’. Name for a
special form of
joss paper
called
jin zhi
and takes the form of
hell
banknotes, a
currency for afterlife usage.
READ ON.
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Mingun Sayadaw (မင်းကွန်းဆရာတော်)
Burmese.
Honorific name for
a Burmese Buddhist monk, who was
born as Maung Khin and is fully known as Mingun Sayadaw U
Vicittasarabivamsa.
READ
ON.
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Min Gyi (မင်းကြီး)
Burmese. ‘King’, ‘Elder
King’ or ‘Great King’. Another appellation used for
Shwe Hpyin Gyi.
Pronunciation Min Dzi.
回
Ministry
of Commerce
See
Krasuang Phanit.
回
Ministry of Information and Communication
Technology
See
Krasuang Theknohlohyih Sahnsonthet Lae Kahn Seusahn.
回
Ministry of Interior
See
Mahatthai.
回
Ministry of Defence
See
Krasuang Kalaahome.
回
Ministry of Transport
See
Krasuang Khamanakhom.
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Min Kyawzwa (မင်းကျော်စွာ)
Burmese.
‘Great King Kyaw’.
Name of a
spirit
that
belongs to the official pantheon
of 37
nats
worshipped in
Myanmar.
He is described as
a composite representation of multiple historical personalities,
with one version putting him as a son of the 10th Century King
Theinhko of
Pagan and who
was murdered by his brother, while another version puts him as an
adviser to the 12th Century King Alaungsithu of Pagan (fig.) and who died
of alcohol abuse. Perhaps because of the similarity in names, another version puts him as Crown Prince Minyekyawswa of
Ava, who died of wounds received on the
battlefield and whose mother Queen Shin Mi-Nauk became herself the
nat
Anauk Mibaya.
However, this version would contradict with the nat
Maung Minbyu,
who is also described as the nat representation of Crown Prince
Minyekyawswa. Yet another version puts him as a son of the Lord of Pyay and Kuni Devi, who besides an able rider reportedly also was a
drunkard and
cock fighting
gambler, who was
allegedly killed by his victims who turned violent. Hence Min
Kyawzwa is considered the guardian of drunkards and gamblers. His
hometown is said to be Pakhan near Pakokku in Magway Region, where
he has a shrine devoted to him and a festival in his honour is held
annually in March. Bottles of liquor are the main offerings to this
nat, who is often depicted riding a horse. He is also known as
U Min Gyaw and
Ko Gyi Kyaw. See also
Ma Ngwe Taung
and
LIST OF BURMESE NATS.
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Min Le (မင်းလေး)
Burmese. Another appellation
used for
Shwe Hpyin Nge.
Also transliterated Min Lay.
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Min Mahagiri (မင်းမဟာဂီရိ)
Burmese.
‘King of the Great Mountain’. A
nat whose
name derives
from the
Pali
words
maha
and kiri,
with the latter being related to the term for mountains as used in
southern Thailand, i.e. khiri (คีรี).
Min Mahagiri was born the son of a blacksmith and given the birth
name
Maung Tint De
(fig.).
He was purportedly extremely strong, without difficulty able to
break the tusk of an
elephant.
His incredible strength worried the King of Tagaung, lest he
might usurp his throne. As a consequence, the
blacksmith's son went into hiding. In order to trick him out of his
hiding place, the king
married Maung Tint De's sister
Hnamadawgyi
(fig.) or —according to
another report—
Shwe Nabay
(fig.),
who
is also known as
Naga Medaw
(fig.), and persuaded her to ask her brother to come out of hiding, in order
that the king could give him a high office. However, as soon as Maung Tint De came out of hiding, he was arrested on the king's
orders and burned alive, tied to a Michelia tree. Trying to save
him, his
sister leapt into the fire and died with him. Both returned as evil nats to reside in the Michelia
champaca
(jampah) tree, every so often feasting on people passing by. Hence,
the king ordered the tree cut down and cast into the Irrawaddy
River. The trunk floated to
Pagan
(fig.),
where it stranded. The nats offered to watch over the city if they
were given a place to dwell and Thinligyaung, the king of Pagan,
consequently had them enshrined on either side of the city's
Tharabha Gate, whilst he ordered the trunk be cut in two and each
part carved with human features. Those were carried to Mount Popa (fig.)
and from that day forward Maung Tint De became known as Min Mahagiri.
He is one of the 37 nats that
belong to the
official pantheon of spirits
revered in
Myanmar, and
is worshipped by adherents
hanging a decorated and perfumed
coconut
inside their
houses, while visitors and pilgrims to Mt. Popa will offer bottled
Michelia flowers (fig.)
that are kept fresh in water and can be purchased from shopkeepers
on the way up. He is usually
depicted with a golden complexion, wearing the minister's headdress
(fig.),
i.e. a golden crown adorned with
leaves and a red middle shaped like an elongated bowler hat, but
open at the back, whilst
holding one of his attributes, i.e. a palm fan that is attached
horizontally to a long stick. Like his sister
Hnamadawgyi, he is sometimes
nicknamed
Shwe Mje Hna,
i.e.
‘Gold
Face’ (fig.). His had two, equally fierce and strong sons, i.e.
Shin Nyo (fig.)
and
Shin Byu (fig.), who were forced to fight
each other to death by the King Duttabaung of Prome, out of an
unfounded fear of the brothers' strength. They later became the nats
Taungmagyi
and
Maung Minshin.
See also LIST OF BURMESE NATS
and
TRAVEL PICTURES.
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Min Nandar (မင်းနန္ဒာ)
Burmese. Name of a legendary
Kinnara
Prince in
Myanmar,
usually described as the local equivalent of the male protagonist
in the western romance Romeo and Juliet, his female counterpart
being the
Kinnari
Princess
Shin Mway Loon.
Min Nandar was a handsome
prince, the only son of the King of Dagon and much loved by the
people and the King. He was given a magic cane by
Thagyamin
(fig.),
the king of
the
nats, which
he could use to summon all
living
animals,
both those on land and the creatures living in the water, including
Nga Moe Yeik, the giant
Crocodile
King
(fig.), which plays a key role in the
story of
Shin Mway Loon nae Min Nandar
(fig.).
Pronunciation is Min
Nandah or Min Nanda.
MORE ON THIS.
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Minochantha Phaya (မင်းအိုချမ်းသာဘုရား)
Burmese.
‘You Wealthy Old Age
Pagoda’
or ‘You Old Age of Peace Pagoda’.
Name of
a temple and a group of historical
stupas
in
Bagan.
The temple was
commissioned around ca. 1112 AD by King
Kyansittha
(fig.),
approximately a year before his death and as a meritorious deed in
an attempt to prolong his days after the king had fallen seriously
ill. It was purportedly built to enshrine
nine
relics of the
Buddha
which the king had been sent by a
Ceylonese king as a tribute. The
main complex is built on a raised platform with a newer small wooden
shrine. The group consists of several
stupas many
guarded by
chinthe.
One of the stupas is decorated with
stucco
bas-reliefs
of
balu.
See also
MAP and
PANORAMA
PICTURE.
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Min Sithu (မင်းစည်သူ)
Burmese.
‘King of Sithu’.
Name of a
spirit
that
belongs to the official pantheon
of 37
nats
worshipped in
Myanmar.
During his life, he was the 12th Century King Sithu I, i.e.
Alaungsithu (fig.)
of
Pagan, the
last of the three most renowned
kings of Pagan, after King
Anawrahta (fig.)
and King Kyansittha (fig.),
and who was assassinated by his own son Prince Narathu in 1167 AD,
at
Shwegugyi Phaya (fig.).
In
iconography,
this nat is
usually portrayed wearing royal garments and sitting on a
throne-like pedestal in a pose reminiscent to the
royal relaxation-position.
Due to his numerous pious deeds, he has also been associated with
Maitreya.
See also LIST OF BURMESE NATS.
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mint
See
saranae.
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Mintara (မင်းတရား)
Burmese.
‘King Tara’, short for the name and title of
14th Century King Tarabya of
Ava, but since
Tara also translates as ‘Justice’ or ‘Law’, and Mintara hence
as ‘King of Law’, the name is reminiscent of the
Pali
term
dhammaracha,
i.e. a ‘righteous
monarch’. He is one of 37
nats that
belong to the
official pantheon of spirits
worshipped in
Myanmar.
According to the
legend, during his life as King
Tarabya of
Ava, he met a fairy in the forest, had
sex with her, and went insane when the fairy disappeared. While
being in this state, Nga Nauk Hsan, the governor of Tagaung,
murdered the king. In
iconography,
this nat is
usually portrayed wearing royal garments and holding a crooked
fan
made of palm leaves.
See also LIST OF BURMESE NATS.
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Mintha Maungshin (မင်းသား မောင်ရှင်)
Burmese.
‘Prince
Novice
Monk’
or ‘Prince Brother
Shin’.
Name of a
spirit
that
belongs to the official pantheon
of 37
nats
worshipped in
Myanmar. In
life, he was the
eldest son of Min Shin Saw and a grandson of the 12th Century
King Sithu I, i.e. Alaungsithu of
Pagan,
who was assassinated by his son and consequently became the nat
Min Sithu. While he was still a
samanera,
i.e. a
Buddhist
novice,
he fell off a swing and died. In
iconography,
this nat may be portrayed in a seated pose, wearing a
chadah-style
crown and playing the
Burmese harp
(fig.).
Compare with the nat
Shindaw.
See also
shin thamanei
and
LIST OF BURMESE NATS.
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Minye Aungdin (မင်းရဲအောင်တင်)
Burmese. Name of a
spirit
that
belongs to the official pantheon
of 37
nats
worshipped in
Myanmar. In
life, he was the son
in law of King Thalun, the eighth king of Toungo, who reigned from
1584 to 1648 AD, as he was married to this king's daughter Princess
Shwe Sin Tu with his consort
Shan
Queen Khin Thet
Hnin of Mone. He died from an excess use of alcohol and
opium.
In
iconography,
this nat may be portrayed in a seated pose, with a topknot and
holding a
Burmese harp
(fig.).
See also LIST OF BURMESE NATS.
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Misara Panyi (มิสารปันหยี)
Another name for
Inao
(fig.),
i.e. the protagonist of the Javanese-Thai story of the same name, in
his disguise as a forest bandit (fig.). The name Panyi is the same as in
Koh Panyi (fig.),
an island
in
Phang Nga
Bay, which is home to
the
Chao Le,
i.e. Islamic
sea gypsies
that originate from Java, as the legend does.
Also spelled Misahra Panyee.
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Misiem Yip-In-Soi (มิเซียม ยิบอินซอย)
Thai. Name of a prominent Thai painter and sculptor (1906–1988), who
was one of Thailand's leading artists. She began her career as a
painter rather late, at the age 42, and later studied sculpture
under the acclaimed Italian-Thai artist
Silpa Bhirasri
(fig.).
The landscaped garden of
Doi Tung
Royal Villa (fig.) in
Chiang Rai
Province, the
former residence of the
late Princess
Sri Nagarindra
(fig.),
features a statue of her hand, which the Princess Mother named
Kwahm Toh Neuang (ความต่อเนื่อง
-
fig.), i.e. ‘Continuity’. Her name is
also commonly transliterated Misiem Yipintsoi.
WATCH VIDEO.
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Mithila (मिथिला)
Sanskrit-Thai. Name
of a city or kingdom often described in the
jataka,
i.e. life stories of the previous
incarnations of the
Buddha,
which are known in
Thai as
chadok,
including in the
Nemiraat Chadok,
the
Mahosot Chadok,
and the
Mahajanaka.
The name of the city also occurs in the
Ramakien,
ruled
over by
the hermit
king
Chanok Jakrawat
(fig.).
See also
LIST OF RAMAKIEN CHARACTERS & NAMES,
and
MORE ON THIS.
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Mitra (मित्र, มิตร)
Sanskrit-Thai. ‘Friend’ or ‘companion’.
Name of
one of the
Adityas and the associate of
Varuna.
He is the equivalent of the Iranian sun god Mithra, whose cult was
also popular in the Roman Empire.
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Mlabri (มลาบรี)
Name of a small ethnic hill tribe minority group
found in Thailand and Laos, and of whom it is estimated that there
are only a few hundred people left, though they are closely related
to the much larger group of the
Khmu.
They are a nomadic people of hunter-gatherers with a primitive
lifestyle and they never tend to stay in any given place for very
long. Hence, they live in simple
bamboo huts thatched with leaves.
Due to their speedy nomadic lifestyle, of which it is said that they abandon
their homes as soon as the leaves turn yellow, they are nicknamed
Phi Tong Leuang,
i.e. ‘Ghosts of the Yellow Leaves’.
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Mnong/M'nong (M'nông)
Vietnamese. Name of an ethnic
minority group, that lives in the Central Highlands of southern
Vietnam and that has an estimated population of around 100,000. They
live in concentration in the southern part of Dak Lak Province, and
parts of Lam Dong and Binh Phuoc Provinces. A number of Mnong also
live in the eastern Cambodian province of Mondulkiri. Traditionally,
they dwell in
Longhouses
on stilts (fig.). Their language
belongs to the
Mon-Khmer
group.
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mochi (餅)
Japanese
for
‘sticky rice
cake’, a small round cake-like pastry made from glutinous
rice, usually flat
like a hockey puck, or dome-shaped,
and which in Thai is known as
kanom moji
(fig.).
One remarkable, jelly-like kind of cake, which looks like a large drop of water, is
called Mizu Mochi (水餅), literally ‘Water Mochi’, yet it is usually
referred to as Raindrop Cake. It is also known as Mizu Shingen Mochi
(水信玄餅), named after Takeda Shingen
(武田信玄), a famous historical feudal warlord, and as Mizu Suishyo Mochi (水晶餅), i.e. ‘[Water] Crystal
Rice
Cake’. It is
typically served with brown sugar syrup or black honey, black or
white
sesame
seeds, or roasted
soybean
powder.
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mod (มอด)
Another name
for
duang nguang.
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Mode Amatyakul (โหมด อมาตยกุล)
See
Moht Amatyakun.
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mod khao san (มอดข้าวสาร)
Another name
for
duang nguang khao.
Also transcribed mot khao sahn. See also
mod
and
khao san.
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Mogallana (โมคคัลลานะ)
Pali-Thai.
One of the main disciples of the
Buddha, and
one of the
Ten Principal Disciples.
He is
more often than not represented
in a pair with
Sariputta (fig.).
Of all the Buddha's disciples, he was the most accomplished in
supernatural powers. According to legend these included
mind-reading, speaking with ghosts and the deceased, walking through
walls and on water, flying through the air, moving with the speed of
light, and out-of-body conveyances into the various realms of
existence. He was killed brutally when travelling, according to some
stoned to death by religious cultists, according to others by
robbers. In either way he refused to protect himself, thus accepting
his
karma. In
Burma
he is usually portrayed as a seated wooden sculpture, decorated with
lacquer and sometimes with eyes made of glass.
In Thailand more likely seen in a
phranommeua
standing pose, in front of Buddha images. Also
transcribed Maudgalyayana and Moggallana.
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mogul
European name for the ancient mogul
emperors of the
Mughal dynasty in Hindustan. Also
great mogul.
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moh (หม้อ)
Thai for
‘pot’.
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Mohanikay (មហានិកាយ)
Khmer for
Mahanikaai.
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moh fai (หม้อไฟ)
Thai.
‘Fire pot’. An
earthen or more often an aluminum pot with a chimney in the middle for serving
soup-like foods whilst being kept hot. Below is an opening where a fire is kept
burning whilst the soup is contained in a basin around the funnel. The popular
dish ‘tom yam’ is usually served in this manner.
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mohinga (မုန့်ဟင်းခါး)
Burmese.
Name of a dish that consists of a
fish
soup served with
rice
noodles,
and which is by many considered to be the national dish of
Myanmar.
There are different varieties and though also variable the main
ingredients usually include a fish broth, coriander,
garlic,
spring onions, crisp fried onions, lemongrass, a piece of the stem
of a
banana plant,
ginger,
fish paste,
fish sauce
(fig.),
lime,
a paste made of
dried
chilies fried
in oil similar to the Thai
nahm phrik phao
(fig.),
and crisp fried fritters, often with chickpeas or
mung beans.
Also transliterated mont hin khar, mun hang hka, and mon hin kha,
among others.
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Mohinih (मोहिनी)
Sanskrit. ‘Enchanting woman’ or ‘fascinating woman’. Name of the
only female
avatar of
Vishnu, from the myth in which he
disguises himself as a beautiful woman in order to distract
Shiva from a dangerously
deep meditation. The name comes from the root moha (मोह),
which besides ‘to enchant’, also means ‘infatuation’, and she is
sometimes referred to as ‘delusion personified’, as her main modus
operandi is to entice all those she encounters.
Also Mohini.
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mohk man (โมกมัน)
Thai. Name for a species of tree
with the botanical designation Wrightia arborea, which shiny wood has an
ivory colour and is used to carve fine artifacts, such as dolls,
known as ivory wood dolls and in Thai called
tukkatah mohk man.
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mohng (โหม่ง)
Thai. Name for a type of
gong made of bronze, with a thick rim and a protuberance in its
centre, which is sometimes surrounded by a series of smaller
protuberances. It is usually painted black,
whilst the centre is generally decorated with a floral,
kranok
or other motif in a
golden colour
(fig.). It can be played by
hitting it on the centre's protuberance using a soft-end mallet or
by rubbing it with the hand, in which case it will produce a deep reverberating sound.
Smaller gongs of this type are used as a percussion
instrument in musical ensembles, such as
the
pih phaat
(fig.)
and with bands that accompany
zat pwe
performances (fig.),
often to set the rhythm. It is played
either hanging from one hand, whilst holding the mallet and beating
the mohng with the other, or
arranged in a frame, sometimes as a set of several gongs (fig.). Larger
mohng are
often found at Buddhist temples, usually at the entrance of the
ubosot.
When worshippers leave the ubosot, they beat the gong three –or
alternatively nine–
times, in order to notify to the
thevada
(angels) that they have
finished making
tamboon
at the ubosot, yet then
again some worshippers beat the gong on arrival, thus notifying the
thevada of their arrival at the
bot
in order to make tamboon.
Whereas the number three in Buddhism often represents the
Three Jewels,
the
number
nine
(i.e. 3 x 3), is considered to be a lucky number. Although
the term mohng is pronounced
with a
low
tone,
it is somehow reminiscent of the Thai term chua mohng (ชั่วโมง),
which
is pronounced
with a mid-tone
and means
‘hour’, and does raise the question if this type of gong was in the
past perhaps used to indicate time. Sometimes referred to as kong
mohng. Certain
types of gong are also used in Buddhist ceremonies (fig.).
See also
kong,
WATCH VIDEO and
TRAVEL PICTURE (1),
(2),
(3) and
(4).
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mo hom (ม่อฮ่อม)
See
seua mo hom.
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moh puranakata (หม้อปูรณฆฏะ)
See
puranakata.
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Moht Amatyakun (โหมด อมาตยกุล)
Thai. Name of Thailand's first
student of photography, first Thai photographer, a mechanic, student of
alloying, and the supervisor of the first Mint,
the later
Royal Thai Mint.
READ ON.
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moji (โมจิ)
See
kanom moji.
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Moken (มอเกน, มอแกน)
Thai. Name of
an ethnic minority group of
about 7,000 people living in southern Thailand and Myanmar.
READ
ON.
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Mokhasak (โมกขศักดิ์)
Thai. Name of a magical
spear with four blades that
appears in the epic
Ramakien.
It belongs to
Phra Phrom
(fig.)
and was used by
Kumphakan (fig.)
to struck down
Phra Lak
(fig.).
However, on requesting Phra Phrom to use the spear, it turned out
that it had become quite rusty and thus before using it, Kumphakan
needed to perform a spear-sharpening ceremony. In order not to be
disturbed, he ordered a pavilion set up at the bank of a river near
Mount Meru,
i.e. Mt.
Sumeru.
When Phra Ram learned of this, he knew that after the ceremony
Kumphakan would become invincible.
Phiphek
(fig.),
aware of Kumphakan's
meticulousness with cleanliness, came up with a plan in which
Hanuman
(fig.)
and
Ongkhot
(fig.)
transformed themselves into the corpse of a rotting dog and a
crow
pecking at it,
whilst floating by on the river where the ceremony took place. This
successfully disturbed the ceremony, which was called off half-way
through, but it did not prevent the
spear from eventually wounding
Phra Lak and striking him unconscious. Because of its powers, the
spear could not be removed, unless the spell was broken. However,
Phra Lak would not die until he was touched by the sunlight. Hence,
to gain time,
Phra Ahtit,
the god of the sun (fig.),
was asked to slow down the seven horses that pull his chariot, but
this request could not be granted as it would disrupt the natural
flow of things, yet Phra Ahtit agreed to temporary hide himself
behind the clouds. This allowed Phra Ram enough time to send Hanuman
to collect the required herbs and water from a specific river in
Ayutthaya,
that would break the spell. After those were applied to the wound,
the spell was immediately broken and the spear could be removed,
instantly reviving Phra Lak, without the trace of even a scar.
See also
LIST OF RAMAKIEN CHARACTERS & NAMES.
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moksha (मोक्ष)
Sanskrit.
‘Liberation, perfection’. In both
Hinduism and
Buddhism, the term refers to the liberation from
karma and freedom from the endless chain of time, death and rebirth.
In Thai known as mokkha (โมกข). See also
Ovada Patimokkha
and
nirvana.
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mo lam (หมอลำ)
Thai. ‘Expert singer’ or
‘expert song’.
A singer, as well as a style of music from
Laos and
Northeast Thailand.
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molih (โมฬี)
Thai.
‘Tuft of hair’, as in
tat molih.
The custom can betraced
back to the
brahmins
(brahman
priests),
who grow a small tuft of hair
at
the back of their head, in the
bindu
chakra (‘circle
of drops’),
a part where it is
believed that a fluid is produced which can become either
amrita, the
elixir of immortality,
or the poison of death.
See also
krajuk,
kwan,
poi,
juk,
pomjuk and
kle.
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molong
Penan.
Term for a principle practiced by the
Penan
people of Borneo, and which means
‘to
preserve’.
It reflects their innate sense of sustainability and responsibility
for the forest on which they as hunters and gatherers depend for
their livelihoods, and which
means to never
take more than is necessary. This respect for nature is an important
part of the Penan people's cultural identity and a stark contrast to
their greatest threat,
i.e. deforestation and the destruction of the Sarawak rainforest
through commercial logging. See also
sepparoot.
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mom (มอม)
Northern Thai term for a
makara (fig.).
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momchao (หม่อมเจ้า)
Thai title for the grandson of a king. For
a granddaughter the title
momchaoying
is used.
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momchaoying (หม่อมเจ้าหญิง)
Thai title for the granddaughter of a
king. For a grandson the title
momchao
is used.
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momluang (หม่อมหลวง)
Thai title for the son of a
momratchawong. For a daughter of a momratchawong the title
momluangying
is used.
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momluangying (หม่อมหลวงหญิง)
Thai title for the daughter of a
momratchawong. For a son of a momratchawong the title
momluang
is used.
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momratchawong (หม่อมราชวงศ์)
Thai title for the son of a
momchao. For a daughter of a momchao the title
momratchawongying
is used.
Also transcribed Momrajawongse
and abbreviated with the initials M.R., though in Thai 3 initials
are used, i.e. M.R.W. (ม.ร.ว.).
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momratchawongying (หม่อมราชวงศ์หญิง)
Thai title for the daughter of a
momchao. For a son of a momchao the title
momratchawong
is used.
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mon (มนตร์, มนต์)
Thai for
mantra.
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Mon
(มอญ, မွန်)
Thai-Burmese-Mon. Descendants of the
Mon-Khmer race, now an ethnic group in
southern Burma with limited numbers in Thailand, mainly refugees (fig.). They were part of the
Dvaravati empire in Central Thailand between the 6th and 11th centuries AD.
They originally come from
Pegu (Hongsawadih),
their capital before annexation by
Burma
and which in Pali is known as Hamsavati, a name related to their
national symbol, the
sacred goose
Hamsa. See also
Raman
and
Koh Kret.
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mondap
Another pronunciation for
mondop,
in Sanskrit known as
mandapa.
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mondop (มณฑป)
Thai. A generally open, square building with four arches and a pyramidal roof
(fig.),
with receded walls built well beyond the pillars of the arches, thus
creating a roofed platform along the side of the building, which is used to house revered religious objects or manuscripts, or as an open hall in
front of the entrance of a
sanctuary (fig.). Also pronounced mondap, and derived from the
Sanskrit word
mandapa.
See also THEMATIC STREET LIGHT.
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Money Cowry
Common name for a small sea snail in the family Cypraeidae.
READ ON.
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money tree
A
banana trunk, small tree or branch with little or no leaves, called
ton phah pah, and used as an original
way to collect money.
This ‘tree’ is carried through the local community and anyone who wants to make
a donation (tamboon) can attach a banknote to a branch of the tree
or put it in between two sticks typically decorated with coloured
cellophane or paper, that are pricked onto the banana trunk. When the tree is full or on a
specified date, the tree is taken to the
local temple in a procession (fig.) and offered to
the monks. Sometimes a money tree is placed at a business or in the
temple itself, allowing devotees to make donations right there. This
happening was initially practiced during the
kathin or
thod
kathin ceremony,
but nowadays more often also on other occasions.
Alternatively, a
phum phah pah,
i.e. an egg-shaped arrangement called
phum
made up of folded bank
notes is sometimes used as another way to donate money in this kind
of Buddhsit ceremony.
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mongkhon (มงคล)
1. Thai.
‘Auspicious’ or ‘garland’. A festoon of white yarn used during wedding ceremonies. Two
are made connected by a
sai sin and are placed on the heads of the bride and groom, and held by
a witnesses. It
symbolizes the pact of marriage. Also called mongkhonfaed (มงคลแฝด) and
mongkhonchak (มงคลจักร). It derives from the Sanskrit word mangala (मंगल)
and is sometimes transcribed mongkhol or mongkon.
See also
Ashtamangala
and
pan chang.
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2. Thai. ‘Auspicious’ or ‘garland’. Name for a
loop-shaped headband (fig.)
that
muay thai
boxers wear on their head during the
ram muay (fig.)
and
wai kruh
(fig.)
just prior to a fight, to keep them free from danger. In the past
boxers had to wear this circlet at all times during the fight, but
at present that is no longer required. The tradition of wearing a
mongkhon comes from the past when soldiers used to wear a kind of
headband
on their forehead when going to
battle. Sometimes transcribed mongkhol or mongkon.
See also
prachiad.
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mongkhonlasut (มงคลสูตร)
Thai. White string or
sai sin leading to a bowl of holy
water which is held by monks chanting
mantras, or which is
linked with the important Buddha images in a
bot.
Also called mongkhonsut.
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Mongkhut (มองคุท)
Thai-Western name of the fourth monarch of the
Chakri
Dynasty,
with the crown title of
Rama IV
and who in Thai is known as
Chom Klao.
MORE ON THIS.
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Mongkut (มองคุท)
Thai-Western transliteration commonly used for the fourth monarch of the
Chakri
Dynasty,
with the crown title
Rama IV. In Thai,
he is known as
Chom Klao
and though the transliteration Mongkut is in English text most
frequently used, the name is in fact also and more properly
transliterated
Mongkhut.
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Mongkut (มงกุฎ)
Thai. Name of the son of
Phra Ram and
Sida, who was born in a
forest. After Phra Ram rescued
Nang
Sida
from the demon King
Totsakan
in the epic story
Ramakien,
they returned to
Ayutthaya,
where Phra Ram ruled as king and Nang Sida became pregnant. However,
their happiness was disrupted when Nang Sida was tricked into
drawing an image of Totsakan angering Phra Ram. Suspecting her of
infidelity, he ordered her execution.
Phra Lak,
unable to kill her, let her escape into the forest, where she took
refuge with a hermit and gave birth to Phra Mongkut. One day, when
she went for a walk and asked the hermit to look after her child,
the hermit began meditating. During this time, Nang Sida returned
and took her son with her.
On awakening from his
meditation the
hermit
believed he had lost Phra Mongkut and
quickly created a magic amulet to replicate the child, before Nang
Sida would return. And though she returned in time with her son,
instead of stopping him, she persuaded the hermit to complete the
spell, resulting in a second son, Phra Lob. Both boys grew up under
the hermit's guidance, mastering warrior skills and magic arrows. He later fought with Phra Ram, not realizing it was his father, until he
learned that their weapons couldn't harm one another. Phra Mongkut
was captured and nearly executed by Phra Ram, unaware he was his
son. Rescued by Phra Lob, the brothers confronted Phra Ram, who,
recognizing them, sought out Nang Sida to reconcile, which
eventually resulted in their remarriage. Like his father, Phra
Monkut is in murals depicted with a
green or sometimes white complexion, usually together with his clone
brother
Phra Lob (fig.).
See also
LIST OF RAMAKIEN CHARACTERS & NAMES.
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mongkut (มงกุฎ)
1.
Thai for ‘crown’. Also
makut,
which derives from the Sanskrit word
mukuta.
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2. Thai.
‘Crown’. Ornamental
finial or spire on
the top of a
stupa, tower or dome.
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Mongkutklao (มงกุฎเกล้า)
Thai name for
Rama
VI, the sixth monarch from the
Chakri
dynasty.
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mongkut rachakumaan (มงกุฎราชกุมาร)
Thai. The heir to the throne. Also
radjataayaat.
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mongoose
A
small, about 51 to 67 centimeters long, carnivorous, civet-like mammal
(fig.), of which there exist several
species in various parts of the world. The species found in the wild
in South and Southeast Asia is commonly known as Small Asian
Mongoose, as well as Indian Mongoose, Small Indian Mongoose, or Javan Mongoose, and has the scientific name Herpestes javanicus. In
oriental mythology, especially in Tibetan Buddhism, mongooses are
often described as creators of wealth. As such, they are referred to
as treasure mongooses and sometimes found as the
attribute
of certain wealth gods, such as
Jambhala,
i.e. wealth gods in
Mahayana Buddhism, that include
Kubera (fig.) and
Vaisravana, who dispense riches and are
sometimes depicted holding a mongoose that disgorges
precious
jewels from its mouth, in
the left hand (fig.). The wealth bestowing mongoose is also an
attribute of the
arahat Bakula, to symbolize his
generosity. Other wealth gods, such as he informal wealth god
Liu Hai (fig.),
may be depicted with a mongoose at their
side (fig.),
often whilst holding
Chinese gold ingots
(fig.)
and stringed
fang kong qian
coins
(fig.).
The origin of the treasure mongoose (fig.) is probably related to the
Central Asian custom of using a purse or treasure bag made from
mongoose skin. In Thailand, where the mammal is by some hunted and
eaten (fig.),
it is called
phangphon.
or phangphon thammada, i.e. ‘mongoose’
and ‘common mongoose’, respectively.
In addition, there also exists another species called Crab-eating
Mongoose (Herpestes
urva),
which in Thai is called phangphon
kin
poo
(พังพอนกินปู).
Whereas the Small Asian Mongoose
is diurnal, the latter species is nocturnal and an excellent
swimmer, that spends a fair amount of time in or near water, where
it feeds on crabs, but also eats other aquatic animals, insects, and
small mammals. With a length of about 36 to 52 centimeters, it is
somewhat shorter than the Small Asian Mongoose and is mostly greyish
in colour, with a broad white stripe on its neck, that extends from
the cheeks to its chest.
See also
Cai Shen
and
Nakula.
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mon ing (หมอนอิง)
Thai.
‘Lean-on-cushion’. Another name for
mon khwahn.
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monitor lizard
Name
of an over two meters long, semi-aquatic, tropical reptile with a rough hide, a
forked tongue and sharp, curved claws (fig.), making them able climbers
(fig.)
and some foreign species, such as the
Emerald Tree Monitor (fig.),
are almost completely arboreal (fig.).
They belong to the
family Varanidae, of which there are many different species, including
the Indonesian
Komodo Dragon, the largest living lizards on the
planet, that can grow up to 3.1 meters long and weigh as much as 166
kilograms (fig.).
Species commonly found in Thailand include the
Water Monitor (Varanus
salvator -
fig.), of which there are several subspecies,
such as the
Black
Water Monitor (Varanus salvator komaini -
fig.), and the Bengal
Monitor or Common Indian Monitor (Varanus bengalensis -
fig.), as well as other species,
such as the
Rough-necked Monitor (Varanus rudicollis -
fig.). Monitor lizards use
their
snake-like tongue to detect taste by smelling scent particles
in the air, i.e. evaporated molecules, and for navigation in the
dark. To interpret the scent particles they posses a sensitive organ
on the roof of their mouth, called the vomeronasal organ or
Jacobson's organ, and which allows them to determine which direction
a scent is coming from and which can pick up scents for over a
kilometer away. By sticking out its tongue, scent particles will
stick to it and when retracting it, the tongue will brush against
the cavity with the Jacobson's organ. By regularly sticking its
tongue in and out the scent particles are taken in time after time
again and after analyses by the brain recall a certain memory,
whether of carrion, food or prey, or of the breath of an enemy,
enabling the animal to react more alert. Their nostrils are for
breathing only, not for smelling, and towards the back of their head
are two large holes for hearing (fig.). They are
carnivores to the full, feeding mainly on carrion
but also on fish (fig.), crabs, insects, mollusks, eggs, snakes and even other lizards and garbage. Since they are cold
blooded creatures they make more efficient use of food allowing them
to
get by with less. Because, unlike warm blooded animals, they don't
need to burn fuel all the time to keep their body temperature
constant. When they feel threatened they start hissing, open their
mouth and inflate their throat. They are
commonly seen all over Southeast Asia especially in habitats near
fresh water, as well as brackish and salt water (fig.),
where they proof to be excellent swimmers,
driving themselves through an undulating motion of the tail that also
acts as a rudder whilst
keeping the limbs to the side of their body (fig.).
A good place to observe them is near canals and more conveniently in
the ponds of
Bangkok's
Lumphini Park
and the park of Dusit Zoo
(fig.).
Also called water lizard and in Thai
takuad and
hia
or
tua
ngun
tua
thong, depending on the variety.
See also
TRAVEL PICTURE,
WILDLIFE PICTURES (1),
(2),
(3),
(4),
VIDEO (1),
(2),
(3)
and
(4), and
VIDEO (E).
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monk
See
Phra,
Phra pikku,
bhikku,
bhiksu,
Phrasong and
Phrasong Ong Chao.
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monkey
The
ninth animal of the
Chinese zodiac (fig.).
It represents playfulness, imaginative, curiousness, humor and wit,
but the monkey is also sneaky.
The monkey
appears in many mythological stories of Asia, such as the
Ramayana or
Ramakien
(fig.),
Journey to the West,
the
Four Harmonious Friends
(fig.),
etc. Many of these stories' protagonists are monkeys, like
Hanuman
(fig.)
and
Sun Wukong
(fig.),
to name just a few. The monkey also features on many a Thai postage
stamp, including the Zodiac Year of the Monkey Postage Stamp issued
in 2004 (fig.)
and the
Songkraan Day Postage Stamp
issued in 1992 (fig.).
In Thai known as
ling,
as well as by the
Pali
term
wahnon, of
which the latter is generally
used
when referring to the
monkey-warriors
of the
Ramakien
(fig.),
besides the terms
kapi,
kabi,
kabih,
kabin (กบิล)
and
kabin (กบินทร์).
See also
LIST OF RAMAKIEN CHARACTERS & NAMES.
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Monkey Grasshopper
Common name for a species of short-horned grasshopper, with the
scientific designation Erianthes, and known in Thai as
takkataen lang ngo, meaning
‘crooked-back grasshopper’ and referring to its curved
abdomen. It has brown eyes and wings, and its head, body and legs
are yellowish-green, spotted and barred with black, and in some
places with a little pale blue shine. See also
takkataen.
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Monkey King
See
Sun Wukong.
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Monkey Ladder Vine
A kind of
S-shaped
liana, with the scientific
botanical designation Bauhinia scandens. It consists of a long, woody
vine, flattened and ribbon-like, in the form of a chain made up of
connecting S-curves.
It is rooted in the soil at
ground level and uses trees, as well as other sorts of vertical
support, to climb up to the forest canopy (fig.) in order to gain access to
sunlight.
WATCH
VIDEO.
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monkeypod
See
makhaamthet.
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monkfruit
See
luohan guo.
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mon khit (หมอนขิต)
Thai. ‘Khit pillow’. Name for a rectangular pillow, made with
pah khit,
i.e. an ancient type of
hand-woven cloth from
Isaan. Ocassionally khit cloth is also
used for triangular cushions known as
mon khwahn and
mon ing, which may
then also be referred to as mon khit (fig.).
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Mon-Khmen (มอญเขมร)
Thai for
Mon-Khmer.
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Mon-Khmer
Race
that existed in Southeast Asia before the
Thai arrived from South
China. The modern
Mon are descendants of this race. See also
Khmer. In Thai
Mon-Khmen.
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mon khwahn (หมอนขวาน)
Thai.
‘Axe cushion’. A
traditional, stuffed floor cushion, consisting of a triangular
backrest and sometimes with a stuffed floor mat attached (fig.), giving it
the shape of an axe, hence the name. It is mainly used as a support
for the back and is typically made using
kapok
as a
filling (fig.).
It is an
OTOP
product
from
Yasothon
province. It is also called
mon ing,
which translates as
‘lean-on-cushion’.
If made with
pah khit,
it may also be called
mon khit, the genearl name
for any cushion made with that specific kind of fabric.
See POSTAGE
STAMP (1),
(2)
and
(3).
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Monk's
Spade
English name for a Chinese martial arts weapon,
that consists of a double-headed staff,
with a crescent-moon blade at one end and a spade at the
other.
READ ON.
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Monocellate Cobra
See
ngu hao.
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Monocled Cobra
See
ngu hao.
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monosodium glutamate
Name for an ingredient,
i.e. the sodium salt of glutamic acid, widely used in Thai and
Asian cuisine as a flavour enhancer, especially on savory foods, often described
as the umami flavour.
READ ON.
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Mon Pyine (မွန်ပြည်နယ်)
Burmese-Mon.
‘Mon
State’,
i.e. an administrative division of
Myanmar,
inhabited by the
Mon
people.
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monsoon (มรสุม)
English-Thai term for the annual
reoccurring seasonal wind that prevails in the region of South and
Southeast Asia.
READ ON.
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montha (มณฑา)
Thai name for the
Egg Magnolia.
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Montho (มณโฑ)
Sanskrit-Thai
name meaning ‘frog’. It is the name of the principal wife of
Totsakan who a
reusi
created from a frog.
She used to live near the
ashram of four hermits who fed her with milk. One day, she
saw a
naga secrete
her poison into the milk pail, intending to kill the four hermits.
Since she couldn't speak and thus couldn't warn anyone, Montho
sacrificed her own life by jumping into the milk and drinking it
until she died, thus saving the lives of the others. However,
curious on what had happened the hermits revived Montho and
questioned her. After learning the facts they changed her into a
beautiful woman and took her up to heaven to worship the goddess
Uma. Later on the god
Idsuan
gave her to Totsakan as a gift for bringing Mount
Krailaat back
to its original position. Consequently, she had to leave her husband
Bali
who was a
monkey and soldier in the army of
Rama, and
of whom she was pregnant. Her foetus was
thus cut from her womb and placed in that of a goat before she returned to stay with Totsakan.
The child born was named
Ongkhot.
See also the story of the three-legged frog
kaangkok sawan.
MORE ON THIS.
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monthon (มณฑล)
1. Thai. ‘Precinct’. Name for a former administrative unit, presided over by
a royal commissioner
or intendant,
in Thai known as a samuha
thetsaphibahn
(สมุหเทศาภิบาล), a position now abolished. They
were created as a part of the thetsaphibahn (เทศาภิบาล), literally
‘control over territory’, an administrative system introduced by
Prince Damrong (ดำรง), a son of King
Mongkut
and
half-brother of King
Chulalongkorn.
The system of monthon was officially adopted in 1897, though due to
the lack of suitable educated officials, as well as the resistance
of some of the traditional local leaders, it took until around 1910
before the system was completely implemented in the whole country.
In 1915 there were 19 monthon, containing 72
jangwat.
However, due to economic problems several monthon were merged in
1925, whilst the monthon of
Phetchabun was already dissolved in
1915. In 1932 another four monthon were abolished and in 1932, when
Thailand transformed from an absolute monarchy into a constitutional
monarchy, the
whole system of monthon was eventually done away with completely.
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2. Thai. ‘Circle’
or ‘mandala’
(fig.),
as in
Phra Phutta Monthon.
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Monument to the Expeditionary Force
Name of a war memorial to the
north of and adjacent to
Sanam Luang
in
Bangkok,
and which is also known as the Thai
World War Volunteers Memorial.
READ ON.
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moo (หมู)
Thai for
‘pork’.
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moo ban (หมู่บ้าน)
Thai for village’,
literally ‘group of houses’, also transcribed
mu ban.
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moo daed diyaw (หมูแดดเดียว)
Thai. ‘Sundried pork’. A
dish or snack
made of thin, usually elongated strips of
pork (moo) cut lengthwise,
that have been dried in the sun (daed) for a day (wan diyaw) and
then deep-fried.
According to ones liking, the pork may be covered with
sesame
seeds. This dish is usually
served with
sot sri racha,
i.e. a thick hot
dipping sauce, and eaten
with
sticky
rice. Its appearance
somewhat resembles that of
moo krathiam
(fig.).
Also transliterated mu daed deaw.
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moo daeng (หมูแดง)
Thai. ‘Red pork’. A style of barbequed or roasted pork marinated with red
pork seasoning, a seasoning comparable to Japanese teriyaki, equally
made on a basis of soy sauce. Red pork seasoning consists of soy
sauce powder, sugar, salt, spices and natural colours, without any
preservatives. The pork is sliced and used as an ingredient in
several dishes, such as
bamih (fig.)
moo daeng (fig.), egg noodles with sliced red pork (fig.) and
Chinese mustard cabbage, in Thai called
phak
kwahng tung;
khao moo daeng, cooked
rice topped with sliced red
pork, an hard boiled egg, a red sauce made of light soy sauce, brown
sugar, ketchup and sesame seeds, and usually served with sliced
cucumber; Hong Kong style fried rice (fried rice mixed with dried
slices of red pork), etc.
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moo foi (หมูฝอย)
Thai. ‘Pork fibres’. Name for thin, fibres of crisp fried, shredded
pork meat, somewhat similar to flossy pork, which in Thai is called
moo yong
(fig.).
Once fried, it is usually flavoured, often with palm sugar or salt,
depending on the required taste. If sugar is added, it is also
referred to as moo foi wahn (หมูฝอยหวาน), i.e.
‘sweet pork fibres’.
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Moo Koh Angthong
(หมู่เกาะอ่างทอง)
Thai. ‘Gold Basin Group of Islands’
or ‘Gold Basin Archipelago’. Name of a National
Marine Park in
Surat Thani
province.
READ ON.
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moo kratha (หมูกระทะ)
Thai. Name of a popular dish that consists of sliced pork
(moo),
though also other meat can be used, that is grilled in a
pan called a
kratha, typically over a portable
brazier. The concept resembles a
mixture of the Korean barbecue in which meat is grilled,
and the Mongolian
barbecue in which meat
(usually beef) is stir
fried.
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moo krathiam (หมูกระเทียม)
Thai. ‘Garlic
pork’. Either a dish or a
snack made of thin, usually
elongated strips of pork
cut lengthwise, fried with
garlic. As a dish it is mostly eaten with
rice, as a snack it is typically eaten with
sticky
rice. Its appearance
somewhat resembles that of
moo daed diyaw
(fig.).
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moo manao (หมูมะนาว)
Thai. ‘Pork lemon’. Name
of a dish.
READ ON.
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Moon (มูล)
Name of Thailand's second largest river,
after the
Mae Khong.
It is situated in northeastern Thailand and is around 750
kilometers long. It originates in the
amphur
Pak Thongchai in the province of
Nakhon Ratchasima
(map),
where it is called Hub Pla Kang for the first ten kilometers. It
flows further eastwards through the provinces of
Buriram,
Surin,
Roi Et
and
Sri Saket
and eventually ends in the Mae Khong river, in the amphur Kohng
Chiam, in
Ubon Ratchathani
province (map),
where it is referred to as Mae
Nahm Song Sih (แม่น้ำสองสี), ‘Two-coloured River’, due to the difference in
colour between the two before they finally merge completely and the
colour of the one dilutes totally in the other.
See
MAP.
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Moon Bridge
Term for a Chinese-style arched
pedestrian bridge (fig.)
that crosses water and of which the curve is in the form of a
semicircle. The reflection of this half-circle in the water
underneath can form a perfect full circle (fig.),
resembling a full moon (fig.),
hence he name. In addition, a circle in Chinese
iconography
represents
heaven and is a symbol for perpetuity, without a beginning nor an
end, whereas curved
lines, found in both the bridge and its arch, are in
feng shui
believed to ward off evil
spirits. Moon bridges are
associated with oriental-style
gardens, as well as with traditional villages along waterways (fig.),
especially in
China,
where the bridge originated. It was initially designed to allow
pedestrians to cross canals. Some Moon Bridges,
such as the
Jade
Belt Bridge that spans a section of the
Black
Dragon
Pool in Lijiang's Jade Spring Park (fig.),
have
multiple semicircles.
See also
Moon Gate and
Zigzag Bridge.
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mooncake
Name of a
Chinese-style pastry, that is traditionally
eaten during
Zhong
Qiu Jie, i.e. the
Mid-Autumn Festival, but usually is available year-round.
There are many variations and most are filled with a paste of lotus
seeds or beans, often
mung beans, and sometimes with egg yolk in its centre, while the
pastry crust may vary from soft or crunchy.
The small cakes are traditionally round in shape to resemble the
full moon
(fig.),
though other shapes, such as flower and square shapes, now do exist, and the top usually has a motif
or Chinese character
stamped on it, either in red colour, similar to
kanom pia,
i.e. Chinese cakes or Chinese puffs
(fig.),
or as an embossment made with a special
bas-relief
mould, known as a mooncake mould (fig.).
In Thai, known as
kanom wai phrajan,
literally ‘moon revering candy’.
When
mung beans are used, it may also be referred to as Chinese mung bean
cake.
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Moon Coral
Thai.
Name of a type of
Brain Coral,
with the scientific designation Favia pallida.
READ
ON.
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moo neung khai khem (หมูนึ่งไข่เค็ม)
Thai.
‘Steamed pork with salted egg’.
Name of a dish that consists of minced pork (moo), topped or filled -though not
mixed- with the yolk of a salted egg (khai
khem), and then steamed. Sometimes
also sliced
shiitake mushrooms
are added. It is typically eaten over
rice
(fig.).
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Moon Gate
Architectural term for a circular doorway in a traditional Chinese
garden wall, used as a pedestrian passageway. Spiritually, the
circular shape represents heaven, a thought in line with the concept
of
feng shui, which
claims that
curved lines ward off evil spirits. Conversely, a square shape
symbolizes earth and the Moon Gate usually has a square section at
the bottom (fig.).
In Chinese, the Moon Gate is known as
yue liang
men, which literally translates as ‘luminous moon gate’.
See also
fang kong qian
(fig.)
and
Moon Bridge.
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moonlaniti kep sop (มูลนิธิเก็บศพ)
Thai. ‘Foundation [that] collects corpses’. Generic name for any
charitable organization that dispatches its mostly volunteer members
as first responders to an accident or murder scene, and that collects and
transports the bodies of the dead to the morgue. Despite the name,
they also act as a volunteer ambulance service, transporting injured
victims to a hospital. The volunteers are generally unpaid but believe
that this form of community service is
a honorable way of
tamboon
in which the good
karma
gained is returned to themselves and their families. They were nicknamed
the body snatchers as in the past they have been accused of theft,
stealing valuables from the victims, as well as asking for
commissions from hospitals that receive the victims. Police got involved and over
time they cleaned up their act. However, they often still get
involved in quarrels with rivaling charities about the right as to
whom is to transport the victims. Competitive foundations usually listen in to
police radios and quickly rush to the scene of an accident or murder
and the team arriving first claims this right, yet if several
different teams arrive
simultaneously, disputes are not uncommon. Three well-known such
volunteer ambulance services are: Ruamkatanyu (ร่วมกตัญญู
-
fig.),
Siamruamjai (สยามรวมใจ), and Poh Tek Teung (ป่อเต็กตึ๊ง), which is
usually transliterated Poh Teck Tung.
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Moonlanithi Thian Fah (มูลนิธิเทียนฟ้า)
Thai.
‘Foundation of Heavenly Grace’. Name of Thailand's first ever
registered charity foundation, founded in 1902 and located in the
heart of
Bangkok's
Chinatown.
On its premises is
Sahn Chao
Phra Mae Kwan Im,
the
Kuan Yin
Shrine, a revered sanctuary dedicated to
Kuan Yin
(fig.),
the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy and Compassion.
The name Thian Fah (เทียนฟ้า) is a Thai transliteration and
adaptation of the Chinese characters Tiān Huá (天华). In Chinese, 天 (Tiān)
means ‘heaven’ or ‘sky’, while 华 (Huá) can be translated as
‘splendid’ or ‘magnificent’. Together, 天华 evokes a sense of
‘celestial beauty’ or ‘heavenly magnificence’. In Thai, both Tiān
(天) and ฟ้า (Fah) signify ‘heaven’ or ‘sky’, reinforcing this
meaning and emphasizing divine beauty. Within the context of the
Thian Fah Foundation, the name reflects the organization's mission
as a sanctuary of compassion and healing, blessed with heavenly
grace. The Chinese character Tiān (天) serves as the foundation's
logo and is prominently displayed at the entrance gate of the
temple. As one of Thailand’s oldest charitable organizations, it was
originally established to provide medical care and support to those
in need. At the heart of the shrine is a centuries-old statue of
Kuan Yin, intricately carved from wood and brought from
China.
The revered statue, depicted in the blessing-giving posture, is the
shrine's principal deity and people often come here to pray for
relief from illness and to seek good health. Crafted from
sandalwood,
the statue showcases the artistic style of the Tang Dynasty, though
it is believed to have been created during the Song Dynasty,
approximately 800 to 900 years ago. In 1958, it was brought from
China and has remained enshrined here ever since. The foundation
pursues its charitable mission by operating an on-site hospital that
provides free medical services and supports community welfare
programs. This ensures that healthcare is accessible to
underprivileged individuals, regardless of their financial
situation. Additionally, the foundation runs various support
programs aimed at improving the quality of life for local residents,
including assistance for low-income families, the elderly, and
individuals with disabilities. It also organizes charitable
activities to raise funds and resources, promoting the values of
mercy and compassion associated with Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy.
Through these initiatives, the Thian Fah Foundation aims to embody
kindness and make a meaningful impact on the community it serves.
WATCH VIDEO
and
VIDEO (EN).
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moonstone
1. Architectural term
for a hemispherical ornamented stone or carving at the foot of staircases or entrances
to important
buildings. Often decorated
with animals, flowers and birds.
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2. Semiprecious stone, a gem.
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moo pah (หมูป่า)
Thai. ‘Wild pig’. See
Wild Boar.
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Moorish Idol
A species of triangular-shaped
marine fish, with disc-like bodies and with the scientific name
Zanclus cornutus. They are black with contrasting white bands and a
white face, with additional yellow blushing on the anterior white
bars and an orange spot lined with a black edge near the basal top
of the tubular snout. Its dorsal fin
is white and elongated. In Thai, it is known as pla norih thewaroop
(ปลาโนรีเทวรูป).
See
also POSTAGE STAMPS.
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moo sawan (หมูสวรรค์)
Thai. ‘Heavenly pork’. A snack made of deep-fried slices of
pork, which have been rubbed in a mixture of sugar and soy sauce,
laid aside for a while to soak, and then sun dried for a couple of
hours to lose any excess fluids.
It is typically eaten with
sticky
rice. A
similar snack made with beef instead of pork is called neau sawan (เนื้อสวรรค์)
and has a darker colour.
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moo yang (หมูย่าง)
Thai. ‘Grilled pork’. Charcoal grilled pork, served in thin
slices, with a dipping sauce similar to that of
nahm tok, but usually with less ingredients,
made only from
fish sauce,
tamarind vinegar, lime juice, and pulverized, roasted
sticky
rice (khao niauw
kua). This dish originates from
Isaan and is traditionally eaten with
sticky rice. 回
moo yo (หมูยอ)
Thai. ‘Lauded pork’. Name for a popular, sausage-like meat product.
It is manufactured using rawcooked technology, by finely chopping
all ingredients with
ice.
It is composed of mostly pork, mixed with some sugar,
fish sauce,
common salt, pepper, and flour is used as a filler. Characteristic
for moo yo are its grey to whitish colour and the presence of air
bubbles, which are produced during the cooking, due to the high
content of flour that is used.
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moo yong (หมูหยอง)
Thai. ‘Pig [or pork hairs] that stand erect through fear’.
Designation for dehydrated, finely shredded pork meat, also known as
flossy pork. There are many varieties, mostly soft though also
crispy, as well as salty and more sweet. It is usually flavoured
with some sugar, salt, and either
fish sauce or light soy sauce, as
well as dark soy sauce. It is used as an ingredient in a variety of
dishes, but is also eaten as filling on a sandwich (fig.). Moo yong is an
OTOP
product of
Singburi. A similar recipe made with fish is
known as
pla yong.
Compare also with
moo foi.
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morakot (มรกต)
Thai.
‘Emerald’. Oriental gemstone varying in colour from light to dark green. See also
Phra Kaew Morakot.
回
morning glory
See
phak bung.
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Mosaic Plant
Common name for an aquatic floating perennial plant, with the
scientific name Ludwigia sedioides. It consists of rounded,
rosette-like clusters of mainly green -and on the outside of the
cluster, some brownish red- diamond-shaped leaves, that float on the
water surface, and which are connected by submerged, brownish red,
root-like stems. In the
blooming season it has small, yellow, cup-shaped flowers. In the
wild it is found in wet, swampy areas, but in Thailand it is chiefly
an ornamental water plant, found in garden ponds, although its
floating leave clusters are reminiscent of those of the water
chestnut, which is known in Thai as
krajab, a name
similar to the Thai name for the Mosaic Plant.
It is also known by the
common name False Loosestrife and in Thai called
krajab
kaew (กระจับแก้ว) or krajab
yipun (กระจับญี่ปุ่น),
which translates as
‘crystal krajab’
and
‘Japanese krajab’,
respectively.
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Moses-in-the-Cradle
See
waan kaab hoy.
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mosque
Muslim temple or house of worship.
Thailand has around 2,900 mosques, the largest one being the
Pattani Central Mosque (map
-
fig.), which
earned itself a spot (map
-
fig.)
in Mini
Siam
in North
Pattaya
(fig.).
Most mosques have very recognizable Muslim architecture, such as
arched gables known as
maqsura (fig.),
an onion dome, and one or more towers called
minarets (fig.). Also called
masayid,
literally ‘place of prostration’. See also
Islam
and
THEMATIC STREET LIGHT.
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mot (มด)
Thai for ‘ant(s)’.
There are about 12,000 known ant species worldwide and also Thailand
has its fair share, with in 1997 circa 700 species identified and
counting.
READ ON.
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Motaka (मोदक)
Sanskrit. A sweet desert made of flour mixed with sugar and
coconut and
rolled into small balls. It is the favorite food of the Hindu god
Ganesha, and he is often
portrayed with it. Motaka also
symbolizes great wisdom, the wisdom of Ganesha. Also Modaka.
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Moth Orchid
Common name for any
kind of
orchid
in the genus
Phalaenopsis.
READ ON.
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mother-of-pearl
Inlay
made of the inner shell of mussels, oysters, and other shells. When
light is shed on it it will give a beautiful optical reflection, as
is also seen in pearls. In Thailand, this art developed in
Ayutthaya, in the middle of the 14th century AD, and was
initially inlayed against a background of black
lacquer.
It is applied to both small and large objects, such as the doors of the
bot of
Wat Phra Kaew in
Bangkok
for one,
and with furniture in oriental style
(fig.).
In Thai
hoi muk, and objects inlaid with
mother-of-pearl are called
kreuang muk.
It is also referred to as nacre.
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Mottled Emigrant
Common name for a butterfly, with the scientific designation
Catopsilia pyranthe. The upper-wings of
males are chalky yellowish-white, sometimes slightly tinted with
green and with or without a dark spot on the forewing,
that varies in size. The underwings are of a similar colour, often
with brownish circular marks and small brownish spots. Females are similar, but the forewings
of the upper-wings always
have a brownish circular mark, that varies in size between
individuals. The underside of hind-wings usually have a series of brownish
circular marks, habitually filled with white and often also with
some smaller completely brownish spots.
See also WILDLIFE PICTURES.
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mot yihaw (มอธเหยี่ยว)
General Thai name for hawk moths, i.e. moths of the family
Sphingidae. With a wingspan of anywhere between 3.5 to 15
centimeters, they are considered medium to large in size. Their
wings are narrow and their abdomens streamlined, allowing them to
fly fast, with certain species allegedly reaching speeds of over 50
kilometers per hour, making them some of the fastest flying insects
in the world. A few species, such as the
Hummingbird
Hawk
Moth
(fig.), are also able to hover in midair and
have the capability to move swiftly from side to side whilst
hovering, a quality that both allows for added intake of food, but
also one that burns up more energy. This side-slipping ability, akin
to that of hummingbirds and usually practiced during feeding, is
referred to as swing-hovering (fig.). Thailand has 176 species of Sphingidae, which is more than
any other country of a comparable area. Occasionally, also called maeng yihaw (แมงเหยี่ยว).
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Mountain Bamboo-partridge
Name for a species of bird in the Phasianidae family, with the
binomial name Bambusicola fytchii, which commemorates Albert Fytche,
between 1867 and 1871 the British Chief Commissioner of
Burma. It is found in South, East and
Southeast Asia, including
China,
India, Bangladesh,
Myanmar,
Laos,
Vietnam, and
Thailand,
where it is known as
nok kratah pah phai,
i.e. ‘bamboo forest
partridge’ or ‘wild bamboo partridge’. It is long-tailed and has a
body size of about 35 centimeters, with a chestnut-streaked neck and
breast, and large black markings below. The flight feathers are
distinctly chestnut, the
short, slightly downward curved bill, as well as the legs and feet,
are grayish. It has a beige head, with a chestnut crown, a pale
supercilium, and a post-ocular stripe, which is blackish in males
and brown in females.
Its natural habitats are
bamboo forest, grass, scrub and secondary growth. Its call is a
high-pitched, explosive chattering, which slows and then fades away.
It is one of two species in the genus
Bambusicola, the other one being the
Chinese Bamboo-partridge (fig.).
Also spelled Mountain Bamboo Partridge.
See also
Chinese Francolin
(fig.).
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Mountain
Peacock-pheasant
Name for a medium-sized pheasant, with the binomial name
Polyplectron inopinatum. Males measure up to 65 centimeters and are
very chestnut above, with small bluish ocelli, and blackish below,
and a whitish-speckled head and neck. They have a long
tail, that consists of twenty tail feathers, of which some are
marked with large, greenish-blue ocelli. Furthermore, males have two spurs
on the legs. Both sexes are similar, but females and juveniles are
duller and smaller than males, measuring up to 45 centimeters, have
brown-black ocelli on the upperparts, no spurs on the legs, and a
tail that consists of only eighteen feathers. The Mountain
Peacock-pheasant is distributed and endemic to the mountain forests
of the central Malay Peninsula. It is also known as Rothschild's
Peacock-pheasant and Mirror Pheasant. In Thai it is called
nok waen
phu khao.
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Mountain Red-bellied
Squirrel
Name for a species of rodent in the Sciuridae family, with the
scientific name Callosciurus erythraeus. It is found in South, East
and Southeast Asia, including in Thailand, where it is called
kra-rohk thong daeng (กระรอกท้องแดง), literally ‘red-bellied squirrel’.
With an adult length of about 20 centimeters, this squirrel is
medium-sized. Sexes are alike, with grayish brown upperparts and an
auburn belly. Its ankles have extreme rotational capability and it
has strong claws, which are excellent for digging and ensure a firm
grip on tree branches and trunks (fig.). It has large, protruding eyes,
that because of their location, allow it to see behind, overhead and
underneath without turning its head. Mountain Red-bellied Squirrels
feed mainly in the trees, on a herbivorous diet that consists of
leaves, tree bark, fruit, seeds, nuts, acorns and cones, but
occasionally also on insects. There are some subspecies, including Callosciurus erythraeus roberti and Callosciurus erythraeus styani.
It is also commonly known as Pallas's Squirrel (fig.).
See also TRAVEL
PICTURE and
WILDLIFE PICTURE.
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Mount Meru
See
Meru
and
Myinmo Taung
(fig.).
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Mrigadava (मृगदाव)
Sanskrit. ‘Deer park’ Former name of
Sarnath where the
Buddha gave his first sermon, thus
setting in motion the
Wheel of Law.
In Thai
mareukathaiwan,
after a male
deer
called a
mareuk.
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mriti
(मृति)
Sanskrit for
‘death’. The name of
Mara (fig.), the god of
death and desire, is derived from its root mri. See also
amrita.
回
MSG
Abbreviation for
monosodium glutamate.
回
Mt. Meru
See
Meru.
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muak hoo krataai (หมวกหูกระต่าย)
Thai. ‘Rabbit-ears hat’. Name of a traditional
brimless navy hat with earflaps, as worn by some crew of the
Royal Barges
during the
Royal Barge Procession.
They exist in different colours, i.e. a certain base colour
trimmed with another
colour.
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Muak Lek Arboretum
Name of a botanical
garden with entrance in
Saraburi
and located in the
district Muak Lek (มวกเหล็ก), the eastern part of the park is
actually on the territory
of
Nakhon Ratchasima. The name is also used
for a small river that runs through the arboretum, with cascading
rapids that turn into a small waterfall, which is also of the same
name. Whereas muak lek literally translates as ‘helmet’, it is
reportedly also the local name for the Toothed-Leaf Red Creeper, a
large woody climber with the botanical name Ventilago denticulata
and that has various medicinal properties. The arboretum covers an
area of 115
rai
and was established in 1954 as a source of natural environment
conservation and rare valuable forest plants in the Dong Phaya Yen (ดงพญาเย็น)
National Forest Reserve, which has an area of approximately 300 rai.
There are two suspension bridges that cross the Muak Lek River.
Nowadays, Muak Lek Arboretum is a place that aims to educate about
important perennial plants and trees found in Thailand, including
plants and trees with economic value and importance in various
fields, e.g. in literature and in Buddhism, medicinal plants, and
rare valuable plants. In Thai, it is known as Suan Rukkachaht Muak
Lek (สวนรุกขชาติมวกเหล็ก).
WATCH VIDEO.
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muan daeng (มวนแดง)
Thai. ‘Red
bug’.
Generic name for insects of the order Hemiptera, which includes the
Red Cotton Bug, a species of bug in the family Pyrrhocoridae (Cotton Stainers), that feeds on cotton and which
often gets crushed along with the cotton when it is harvested,
causing stains that are difficult to remove. This makes them a pest
to an economic crop and led to their nicknames red stainers and
cotton stainers. See also
muan mayao.
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muan maengpong nahm (มวนแมงป่องน้ำ)
Thai name for the
Water Scorpion.
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muan mayao (มวนมะเยา)
Thai generic name for a large group of insects,
of which most members have a reddish-orange
bodies, black antennae, red or black-and-red legs, black eyes and black markings on
their backs. There are several different species and subspecies, in
different sizes and with different markings, and scientific names
include Macroceroea grandis and Lohita
grandis. In English, it is commonly referred to by the name Long-bodied Bug.
Depending on the variety, it may either belong to the family Pyrrhocoridae
(Cotton Stainers) or Largidae (Bordered Plant Bugs), both in the order Hemiptera.
Members of the first breed get their name from the fact that they
feed on cotton and often get crushed along with the cotton when it
is harvested, thus causing stains, whereas members of the second
group get their epithet from the fact that
many have contrasting coloured edges to their elytra (fig.).
Members with red bodies are in Thai also generally referred to as
muan daeng (fig.).
These bugs often occur together in large numbers. Males of either
species are somewhat larger in size than females and when mating,
the male partner may keep
on walking, dragging the copulated female along on its way. She
stays attached throughout the process, even as the male is crawling
over obstacles and climbing uphill (fig.).
See also WILDLIFE PICTURES (1)
and
(2).
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muan seuhn (ม่วนซื่น)
Thai-Isaan
term for
sanook,
i.e. ‘entertaining, amusing, pleasant, enjoyable, to have a good
time, to be vivacious and to enjoy’ as an adjective, and
‘entertainment, amusement, pleasure, enjoyment, a good time, fun and
joy’
as a noun.
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mua roi nuoc (múa rối nước)
Vietnamese. ‘Puppets dancing on water’. Name for water puppetry, a
unique form of theater, in which wooden, lacquered puppets perform
in and over water, handled by puppeteers from behind a
bamboo
roll-down screen, using long submerged rods that support the
puppets, making them appear to be moving over the water.
Puppets are typically made from
jackfruit
wood and include both human figures (fig.) and animals, as well as
historical and mythological characters (fig.), whereas music from a traditional orchestra,
consisting of vocals,
dan bau,
drums, flutes, wooden bells, cymbals and gongs, accompanies the
play.
WATCH VDO (1)
and
(2).
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muay khaak cheuak (มวยคาดเชือก)
Thai. ‘Rope-girded
boxing’. Another name for
muay
boraan
(fig.),
i.e. the traditional and original form of
Thai boxing and predecessor of
modern
muay thai (fig.).
READ ON.
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muay thai (มวยไทย)
Thai boxing style in which it is allowed to use
hands, elbows, knees and feet.
It is played in a boxing ring called
wetih muay (fig.)
and there are five rounds of
three minutes,
with two minutes between rounds.
Before a bout the
nak muay performs a
ram muay
(fig.)
and
wai kruh
(fig.),
wearing a
mongkhon (fig.)
on his head and a
prachiad
(fig.)
on his biceps. An official
match is
usually accompanied with the loud crescendo
of a traditional
orchestra.
Traditionally, the
colours of the boxing shorts (fig.)
should be either predominantly red or predominantly
blue, a custom that derives from the past when in Thai martial arts, one side
was dressed in red and the other in blue (fig.).
Usually the red. Nevertheless, this custom is nowadays somewhat diluted, especially
in informal games. In competition, red may refer to the challenger
and blue to the defender. In addition, the main colour
may have a border, stripes or a
text in white, thus forming the National Tricolour (fig.)
and reminiscent of the
National Football Team of Thailand, which wears overall red jerseys,
shorts and socks (with some white and sometimes a little blue) when
playing home, and overall blue (with some white and sometimes a
little red) when
playing away from home. Muay thai originates from an earlier form of
boxing known as muay
boraan
(fig.),
as well as
muay khaak cheuak (fig.).
Since 2012, 6 February is named as
Wan Muay Thai. Along with
Rachadamneun
Boxing
Stadium on Rachadamneun Road in
Pomprap Sattruphai district,
Lumphini Boxing Stadium, formerly located near
Lumphini Park (fig.)
on
Rama IV
Road in Phatumwan district, but since 2014 relocated to the Royal
Thai Army Sports Centre on
Ram
Intra
Road in
Bangkok's
northern Bang Khen district
(map
-
fig.),
are the leading arenas in Bangkok used for muay thai competitions. Also
called kickboxing or Thai
boxing.
See also
mae mai,
as well as
POSTAGE STAMPS
(1),
(2),
(3),
(4)
and
(5).
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mu ban (หมู่บ้าน)
Thai. ‘Group of houses’.
Term for ‘village’. Several mu ban make a
tambon,
a rural administrative sub-district of an
amphur.
Thailand has a total of
69,866 villages. Pronunciation
‘moo bahn’. Also spelled
moo ban.
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Mucalinda Zeditaw (မုစလိန္ဒာ
စေတီတော်)
Burmese.
‘Muchalinda's
Zedi’
or
‘Muchalinda
Pagoda’.
Name of a Buddhist temple
on the outskirts
of
Bago.
READ ON.
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Muchalinda
(मुचलिन्द, มุจลินทร์,
မုစလိန္ဒာ)
1. Sanskrit-Thai, Burmese. Name of the
Naga King, a giant
snake-like
creature,
who protected the meditating
Buddha against heavy rainfall by
making a shelter with his multi-headed hood, while coiling his body around him
for protection. Other versions however say that he coiled his body under the
Buddha thus lifting him above the flood waters. This scene happened during the
sixth week after
Siddhartha's
Enlightenment,
when he was meditating under a
Taengwood Tree.
The scene is occasionally depicted with a Buddha making a
bhumisparsa-mudra
(fig.).
Also transliterated
Mucalinda and in Thai pronounced Muchalin, which is also transcribed Mujalin.
In Myanmar,
Mucalinda Lake at the
Buddha Park in Dekkhinathiri Township of Nay Pyi Taw Territory is
named after
this King of the Nagas, whilst
Mucalinda Zeditaw,
a Buddhist
pagoda
on the outskirts of
Bago
(fig.),
which is modeled after the larger
Hsinbyume Pagoda in Mingun (fig.),
is both
named
and designed after
Mucalinda.
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2. A tree in Buddhist mythology that grows near a lake of
the same name.
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3. A lake in Buddhist mythology.
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Mucuna bennetti
Latin. Scientific name for a most spectacular
climbing twine that produces a brilliant pendent flower composed of numerous
corollas in the shape of sickles. The fine hairs from the calyx cause itching.
It usually suspends from the high branches of a tree. Commonly known as
Red Jade Vine,
Flame of the Forest, and New Guinea Creeper.
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mudita (มุทิตา)
Thai term for
‘sympathetic joy’ and one of the aspects or faces of
Brahma (fig.),
the other three being
metta,
karuna, and
upekkha.
See also
Phra Phrom Sih Nah.
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mudra (मुद्रा)
Sanskrit.
Literally ‘seal’ and ‘print’, but usually translated as ‘hand
position’. Used in both
iconography and
real-life, e.g. by Hindu
sadhu
(fig.),
as well as in Thai
Khon
(fig.),
where by means of a complex combination of mudra's and other movements of the
body represent different
situations, thoughts and feelings in the story. Each hand position in combination with the position of the body,
referred to as
ram tha, has an exact
specified meaning,
akin to sign language, whereas in Buddhist iconography this meaning is rather symbolic, used to
represent certain legendary scenes or situations in the
Buddha's life.
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mudskipper
Name
of a semi-amphibious animal that can survive for short periods out
of the water and yet spends most of its lifetime on land where it
skips across inter-tidal mud flats using its fins
and tail. This bizarre living fossil can best be described as a
walking fish. It is distinct from other fish in that way that it is able to
breathe when it is out of the water. Once on land its gill (the respiratory
organ in a fish) begins to dry out and stick together. However, in a special cavity behind its ears it
can store seawater; as it
rotates its bulging eyes pressure is applied to this cavity which re-oxygenates the
stored water and restores the gill to its normal function (fig.).
Mudskippers live
in shore-mud areas and are omnipresent
mangrove dwellers. In Thai called
pla tihn.
WATCH VIDEO (1)
and
(2).
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Mughal (मुग़ल, مغول)
Hindi-Persian.
Islamic dynasty
founded in North India by Babur, who came originally from Central Asia. The
dynasty ruled from 1525 AD until its final overthrow by the British in 1857.
Their rulers, also called
great moguls, were illustrious patrons of the arts.
Also called
Mogul
and in Persian-Arabic, the term Mughal also translates as
‘Mongol’, thus
referring to the fact that the name derives from Moghulistan, the
original homelands of the Timurids in the steppes of Central Asia,
which translates as ‘Land
of Mongols’.
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Muhammad (محمد)
Arabic.
‘Praised one’. Founder and prophet
of
Islam,
born in
Mecca in 570 AD and died in 632 AD. He brought the
Koran to the
Muslims,
established the monotheistic faith in Arabia and unified the many ancient tribes
into a single polity. Also Mohammed and fully known as Muhammad
ibn Abdullah.
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Muk (มุก)
Thai. ‘Pearl’.
The hardened mineral found in molluscs. It is
an abbreviated form of similar terms, such as
hoi muk, khai muk (ไข่มุก) and
mukda (มุกดา), as in
Mukdahan, all with the
same meaning. It is a popular Thai nickname. See also
Sri Sunthon.
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Mukdahan (มุกดาหาร)
Thai.
‘Divided pearl’. The name of a Thai
jangwat
or province (map),
as well as of its capital city in
Isaan.
READ ON.
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mukhalinga (मुखलिङ्ग)
Sanskrit. ‘Linga with a face’.
A linga with a face added to its surface. See
also
ekamukhalinga.
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mukuta (मुकुट)
Sanskrit.
‘Crown’ or ‘diadem’. Term that refers to the
decorative, often large tiara-like headdress (fig.), worn like a diadem
and frequently seen in Southeast Asian art.
Mukuta is the root for the Thai word
makut, also meaning ‘crown’.
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mulberry
Name for a genus of deciduous trees, which
has several species, including
White Mulberry
(Morus alba), that bears berries
that are white to pink and red, to even dark purple in wild species,
and which leaves
are used to feed
silkworms (fig.).
In
Sri Saket this species' green leaves are made
into crackers, a local
OTOP
product. In Thai it is called ton mon (ต้นหม่อน).
See also
paper mulberry tree.
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mummified monk
Term for the
mummification of the remains of certain Buddhist monks who are
sometimes referred to as
flesh body
bodhisattvas,
and often worshipped as
a kind of
full body relic.
These monks' mummifications are usually the result of
accidental or intentional self-mummification, in the latter case
sometimes said to be achieved by the sophisticated practices of
meditation or asceticism, rather than the result of mummification
with chemicals. Though mummies are rather rare in Thailand, those
uncorrupted bodies of monks that do exist, are often put on display
in glass caskets,
as a reminder of the transience of human existence,
such as made clear in
the text on a
plaque at the foot of a casket of a mummified monk in
Mae Hong Son,
that reads: adiht rao pen meuan tahn anahkot tahn ja pen meuan rao (อดีต
เราเป็นเหมือนท่าน อนาคต ท่านจะเป็นเหมือนเรา), which translates:
‘in
the past I was like you (i.e. alive); in the future you will be like
me (i.e. dead)’.
Other mummified monks on display in Thailand are
Luang Pho Daeng
(fig.)
at
Wat Khunaram on
Koh
Samui,
and
Luang Poo Thiang
(fig.)
at
Wat Muang Chum
in
Kanchanaburi.
However, rather than being put on display, a mummified monk in China
was discovered hidden inside a Buddha statue,
whilst others were found covered with clay or salt, the latter
probably in an deliberate effort to preserve the body.
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Munda (मुण्ड)
Sanskrit. Name of a lesser
asura in the
service of
Sumbha
and
Nisumbha, who
was slain by
Devi for trying to abduct her.
After Munda and the demon
Chanda,
had encountered the
goddess
Devi, they were
overwhelmed by her beauty and reported this back to Sumbha and
Nisumbha. Hence, Munda and Chanda were sent out to abduct her, yet
both were destroyed by Devi. See also
Chamunda.
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mung bean
Name of an edible legume
cultivated in South, East and Southeast Asia. The small beans grow
in long narrow pods with a dark khaki-brownish black colour. They
are the fruits of an annual vine that bears yellow flowers. The
beans' skins vary in colour from green to khaki-brown, yet once the
skin is removed they are yellow and usually split, i.e. fall apart
in two halves. In Thai, the small beans of this plant are called
tua khiaw,
literally ‘green beans’.
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munih (มุนี)
Thai-Pali tern for a ‘wise man’,
a ‘sage’, a ‘hermit’, an ‘ascetic’, or a ‘holy man’, akin to
the term
reusi.
It is sometimes used as a suffix in names of certain hermits, e.g.
Phra Paratamuni
or
Phra Nahtamunih.
See also
Phra Dabot.
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Muong (Mường)
Vietnamese. Name an ethnic
minority group in
Vietnam,
which with a total population of around
1,450,000, is the third largest of the country's 53 minority groups,
and inhabit the mountainous region of northern Vietnam.
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Murathathorn (มุรธาธร)
Thai. ‘To keep hold of
the forehead’.
Name of the government agency that is in charge of the personal
protection of the king, and which consists of His Majesty's
principal private secretary and a department secretary.
During the reign of King
Rama V,
it also oversaw the
Royal Guards,
whom were headed by
Prince
Naret Worarit
(fig.)
and had their
thimdahb and
barracks located within
the compound of the
Grand Palace
(map
-
fig.). As an
official ministry, it is fully known as Krasuang Murathathorn (กระทรวงมุรธาธร).
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Murayama Jewel Beetle
A species of metallic wood-borer beetle in
the family Buprestidae and with the scientific name Chrysochroa maruyamai.
READ ON.
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Murugan (मुरुगन)
Another name for
Karttikeya,
the
Hindu
god of war and
Shiva's
second
son.
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Museum of Contemporary Art
Full and official
English name for a
museum in
Bangkok's
Chatuchak
district.
READ ON.
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Museum of Dentistry
Informal name for the
Waht Witthayawat
(fig.)
Museum in
Bangkok, which name is also
transcribed Vach Vidyavaddhana, and that is located on
the campus of
Chulalongkorn
University.
READ ON.
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Museum of Sciences and
Planetarium
A
museum and centre for demonstrating and disseminating
knowledge in sciences and astrology. It has regular periodic events, including
exhibitions, movies, lectures and discussions in subject matters related to
sciences. The museum compound has six buildings, as well as several
open-air features and a planetarium for solar system studies. Other
subjects include science and technology (fig.),
aquatic life (fig.),
nature and environment, and health science. It is
situated on Sukhumvit Road in
Bangkok, near Ekkamai. In Thai called
Phiphithaphan Witthayahsaht Lae Thong Fah Jamlong.
Also called National Science Centre for Education, in Thai Soon Witthayahsaht Pheua
Kaan Seuksah Haeng Chaht (ศูนย์วิทยาศาสตร์เพื่อการศึกษาแห่งชาติ),
or concisely Museum of Sciences.
See MAP.
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Museum Siam
See
Discovery Museum.
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Mushroom Coral
A genus of hard coral
with the scientific designation Danafungia.
READ ON.
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Muslim
(مُسْلِم)
Arabic.
‘Of
Islam’. Follower of
the Islamic religion. Its root is related to the word Islam. There are an estimated 2.47 million Muslims living in Thailand,
mainly in the southern provinces. Though with some cultural differences per
country or region in which they live, Muslims follow
a strict dress code, which in general includes
the wearing of loose
clothing known as thobes (fig.), that -apart from the hands and face- must
cover the entire body and does not reveal its shape. The dress code
also includes covering the head, which men and boys in Thailand do
by wearing a traditional kufi-like hat
called
kapioh (fig.),
and women and
girls a headscarf named
khimar
(fig.).
In daily life however, many Thai Muslims wear only the headdress
in public and reserve the thobes for special occasions, whilst some
male Muslims may not wear any of the prescribed dress at all. Other
rules observed by Muslims include eating halal food, i.e. food that
is ‘lawful’ and thus permissible according to Islamic law, as well
as abstaining from certain things or actions that are deemed haraam, i.e. ‘forbidden’, such as adultery,
keeping or touching dogs (which are considered to be unclean), and the consumption of
certain foodstuffs or products, such as pork and alcohol. Also Moslem.
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Mussaenda philippica
Latin. Scientific name for an evergreen shrub that
originates from the Philippines and of which two varieties exist, the Queen
Sirikit
mussaenda and the Dona aurora. They may grow up to 4 meters and may have corymbs
of either pink-rose-peach or white sepals, each enclosing a corolla of five
small, yellow petals.
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Mussur (มูเซอ,
มูเซอร์,
မုဆိုး)
Thai-Burmese.
‘Hunter’. Another name for
Lahu.
MORE ON THIS.
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Mussur Dam
(มูเซอดำ, มูเซอร์ดำ)
Thai. Another name for
Black
Lahu.
MORE ON THIS.
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mu canh chuan (mũ cánh chuồn)
Vietnamese. ‘Wing-fly hat’. Vietnamese equivalent of the
Chinese
wu sha mao,
i.e. the black hat with two wing-like flaps of thin, oval shaped
boards, worn by feudal officials during the Ming Dynasty.
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mu tien si (mũ tiến sĩ)
Vietnamese. ‘Doctoral hat’. Name for the ceremonial academic hat worn in the
past by doctoral laureates upon passing the Imperial Examinations (fig.)
and thus becoming a civil mandarin. It was worn in combination with the
ao quan,
i.e. the academic ceremonial gown (fig.).
The mu tien si is fashioned after the
mu
canh chuan as worn by mandarins (fig.)
and the Vietnamese equivalent of the
Chinese
wu
sha mao, the black hat
with two wing-like flaps of thin, oval shaped boards, worn by feudal officials
during the Ming Dynasty.
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muyu (木鱼)
Chinese. ‘Wooden fish’. Name of a wooden bell-like percussion
instrument used by monks in
Mahayana Buddhism, who strike it on
certain moments, e.g. when chanting
sutras. It is bulbous in shape with
a wide opening in front and usually has scales or fish-like motifs
carved on its back (fig.).
It comes in many sizes, from very small to huge (fig.). Fish, which never sleep, symbolize vigilance
and the muyu is therefore used to remind the chanting monks to be
attentive and concentrate on their prayer. Muyu are usually
kept on hassock-like cushions. Also known as temple block. Compare with
the Chinese
yugu (fig.)
and the Vietnamese
chun mo (fig.). See also
singing bowls.
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Mwegyi Hnakaung (မြွေကြီးနှစ်ကောင်)
Burmese. ‘Two Large Snakes’.
Name of two large
cobras, that
are believed to have
frequented Mandalay Hill (fig.)
during their life, purportedly in order to pay their respect to the
Buddha,
whose relics are kept at the hill.
After their deaths those
snakes
became spirits, which in Burmese are
referred to as
nats.
The images of the two snakes are today found in a hall on the
northern slope of Mandalay Hill, while seated above them are the
images of the two nats that they became when they died.
See also LIST OF BURMESE NATS.
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Mwe Phaya (မြွေဘုရား)
Burmese. ‘Snake Temple’ or
‘serpent god’. Name of a Buddhist temple (fig.) near Mandalay,
which is dedicated to the
naga (fig.),
as well as to
snakes
in general (fig.).
It
features countless
Buddha images
performing a
bhumisparsa
mudra while seated
on the coiled body of
Muchalinda,
which at the same time is using its head to cover the
Buddha
against the rain,
as well as statues of snakes and some unique Buddha images in which the Buddha is depicted
with a snake coiled on his head and around his body. In addition, there are some
live
Burmese Pythons
(fig.) kept in
a concrete tank, with which visitors can make their pictures, as
well as a dead mounted python.
See MAP.
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Mya Nan Nwe (မြနန်းနွယ်)
Burmese. Name of a prominent
female
nat,
who was rather recently added into the pantheon of Burmese spirits.
In life she was a royal of mixed
Shan-Bamar
descent and contributed to important religious works, such as the
rebuilding of a pagoda that had been destructed during World War II.
She was born on 22 December 1897 and died in 1957, after which she
become a nat. She is believed to posses the ability to grant
wishes to those who appeal to her for help and thus has a large
following, including in
Thailand, where she is known as Mya Nahn
Nuay (เมี๊ยะนานหน่วย), usually referred to with the prefix
thep krasip (เทพกระซิบ),
i.e. ‘whispering angel’. In full, she is known as
Amadaw Mya Nan Nwe.
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Myanma (မြန်မာ)
Burmese for
Myanmar.
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Myanmar (เมียนมาร)
Since 1989
the name for
Burma,
its full official name being the Union of Myanmar. This name was promoted
by the military authorities, but this decision was not approved by any sitting
legislature in Burma, and the rest of the world did not adopt the name, which is
a derivative of the Burmese short-form name
Myanma Naingngandaw.
The term derives from the word
Mranma, which was already in use since the
reign of the 12th Century AD
Pagan
King
Narapati Sithu
to
refer to the Burmans.
See also
Thailand's Neighbours & Beyond.
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Myanmar Owls
See
zee
kwet.
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Myanmar turban
See
gaung-baung.
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Myaukhpet Shinma (မြောက်ဘက်ရှင်မ)
Burmese.
‘Lady of the North’.
Name of a female spirit that
belongs to the official
pantheon of 37
nats
worshipped in
Myanmar.
During her life, she was
of Kadu ethnicity and the wet nurse of the 16th Century King
Tabinshwehti
of
Taungoo, who
himself became a nat. She was the second wife of the King's
caretaker and died in childbirth while traveling back to her parents
in North Kadu.
See also LIST OF BURMESE NATS.
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Myazedi Phaya (မြစေတီဘုရား)
Burmese.
‘Emerald
Stupa Pagoda’.
Name of a Buddhist temple in
Bagan, located
to the North of
Myinkaba Village and adjacent to
Gu Byauk Gyi Zedi Myinkaba (fig.).
READ ON.
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Myin Kwa Yuat Lethok (မြင်းခွာရွက်လက်သုတ်)
Burmese.
‘Horseshoe Leaf Salad’.
Name of a culinary dish from
Myanmar,
made with fresh
Asiatic Pennywort
leaves (fig.).
Those leaves have a shape reminiscent of that of horseshoes, hence
the name. The
Pennywort
leaves are cut, well mixed in oil,
lime
juice and
fish sauce,
and blended with some sliced garlic cloves, lightly crushed and
roasted peanuts, as well as
sesame
seeds. Sometimes
other ingredients, such as sliced red onion, dried shrimps and
chilies
may be added. The Burmese term lethok,
commonly translated as ‘salad’, literally means ‘to mix by hand’, as
well as ‘to rinse the hands’, and refers to the fact that salads
should be mixed with clean fingers. In English, this dish is usually
referred to as Burmese Pennywort Salad.
A similar dish in
Thailand
is called
yam
bai bua bok.
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Myinmo Taung (မြင်းမိုရ် တောင်)
Burmese.
‘Mount Meru’.
Name of a brick Buddhist temple structure in
Inwa.
READ ON.
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Myinsaing (မြင်စိုင်း)
Burmese. Name of a
small former kingdom that
existed from 1297 to 1313
AD.
It emerged following the collapse of the
Pagan
Empire in 1287 and was
co-founded by three brothers,
i.e.
Athinkhaya,
with his two younger brothers Yazathingyan and Thihathu. They had
together successfully defended central
Burma
against the 1287 Mongol
invasion and toppled the regime at Pagan in 1297. After the eldest
brother Athinkhaya died in 1310, the youngest brother Thihathu
pushed aside the middle brother Yazathingyan, and took over as the
sole ruler of central Burma. Yet, his decision to designate his
adopted son Uzana I as heir-apparent to the throne of Myinsaing, rather than his
eldest biological
son
Athinkhaya
Saw Yun
(fig.), who was made governor of
Sagaing
instead, Saw Yun rebelled against his father and
consequently seized Sagaing and made it into a rival kingdom. After the split,
the remaining part of the Myinsaing Kingdom became the
Pinya Kingdom.
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My Lai (Mỹ Lai)
Vietnamese. Name of the largest
of a number of former hamlets in central
Vietnam, the others being Son My (Sơn
Mỹ), Co Luy (Cổ Lũy), My Khe (Mỹ Khê), and Tu Cung (Tư Cung), that
together made up a village that during the
Vietnam War was known to the U.S.
Military as Pinkville, after the reddish-pink colour used on U.S.
military maps to denote more heavily populated areas. U.S. Soldiers
on 16 March 1968 entered the village and killed between 347 and 504
unarmed Vietnamese civilians, considered to be
Viet Cong or active VC
sympathizers, and were ordered to destroy the village. The incident
became known as the My Lai Massacre,
which in Vietnamese is referred to as
Tham Sat My Lai,
a term coincidently reminiscent of the
Thammasat
University in
Bangkok,
which in 1973
and 1976
was the scene of
a massacre (fig.)
twice, yet otherwise totally unrelated.
Today, the
Son My area has a vestige site (fig.), as well as a memorial
(fig.)
and a museum (fig.)
dedicated to the victims of the My Lai Massacre.
See
MAP.
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My Son
(Mỹ Sơn)
Cham-Vietnamese. ‘Beautiful Mountain’. Sacred
Hindu city in
Vietnam's
Quang
Nam province (fig.),
probably built between the 4th and 14th century by the kings of
Champa,
with
the earliest
relics found dating to the reign of King Bhadravarman I, who reigned
from 381 to 413 AD.
Pronunciation Mih Sun (Mee Seun).
See MAP.
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