ตา

ตา (transliteration needed)

1. maternal grandfather

From Proto-Mon-Khmer *da(ʔ) (“duck”).

ตา (transliteration needed)

1. duck

• กะตา

ตา

1. (demonstrative) Thai script form of tā, which is feminine nominative/accusative plural of ต (ta, “those”)
2. (demonstrative) Thai script form of tā, which is feminine nominative/accusative plural of ตะ (ta, “those”)

ตา f

1. (demonstrative) Thai script form of tā (“she”)

From Proto-Tai *p.taːᴬ (“eye”).^[1]

In Southwesten Tai, cognate with Northern Thai ᨲᩣ, Lao ຕາ (tā), Lü ᦎᦱ (ṫaa), Tai Dam ꪔꪱ, Shan တႃ (tǎa), Aiton တႃ (tā), Ahom 𑜄𑜠 (ta) or 𑜄𑜡 (tā).

In Central Tai, cognate with Nong Zhuang ta.^[2]

In Northern Tai, cognate with Bouyei dal, Zhuang da.

In other Tai, cognate with Zuojiang Zhuang ha (Longzhou and Daxin dialects)^[2] or ta as in makta etc. (Ningming and Chongzuo dialects).^[2]

Possibly cognate with Proto-Austronesian *maCa (“eye”).^[3]

Within Kra-Dai, compare Sui ndal, Southern Kam dal, Hlai [ʈʂʰaː¹] and Lingao [ɗa¹].

Compare Old Chinese 睹 (OC *taːʔ, “to see”).

ตา • (dtaa) (classifier ดวง or ตา)

1. (anatomy) eye.
2. (in combination) one who does something with an eye or the eyes, especially as a profession.

   ตากล้อง

   dtaa glɔ̂ng

   cameraman; photographer
   (literally) camera eye

3. anything that is like an eye, as in terms of appearance or functions: hole; opening; aperture; etc.
4. (botany) bud.
5. sight; view; glimpse.
6. time; turn; moment; occasion.

From Proto-Tai *taːᴬ (“maternal grandfather”).^[4]

In Southwestern Tai, cognate with Lao ຕາ (tā), Lü ᦎᦱ (ṫaa), Shan တႃ (tǎa).

In Central Tai, cognate with Nong Zhuang daq (Guangnan dialect).^[5]

In Northern Tai, cognate with Bouyei dal, Zhuang da.

In other Tai, cognate with Zuojiang Zhuang da as in gungqda (Longzhou, Ningming and Chongzuo dialects)^[5] or dah as in gungzdah (Daxin dialect).^[5]

Compare Proto-Mon-Khmer *ʔt₁aʔ (“male elder”)^[6] (Old Khmer អ្តា, Khmer តា (taa)).

ตา • (dtaa) (classifier คน)

1. maternal grandfather.
2. man at or around the same age as one's maternal grandfather.
3. (slang, derogatory, offensive) any old man.
4. (colloquial) any man.
5. used as a term of address to or title for any of the above-described.
   • 2004, เหม เวชกร, “อ้ายกล้าจะตายไม่ได้”, in ผู้ที่ไม่มีร่างกาย, กรุงเทพฯ: วิริยะ, →ISBN, page 213:

     ทุกคนมองหน้าตาหิง

     túk-kon mɔɔng nâa dtaa hǐng

     Everyone looked at Old Hing's face.

   • 1931, เรื่องพระเจ้าปทุมสุริวงศ สร้างพระนครวัด นครธม, พระนคร: ราชบัณฑิตยสภา, page 17:

     กุมารจึ่งว่า ตาไปฃอเข้าหญิงขาวที่ยืนอยู่นั้น...ตาเคเหก็ไปฃอเข้าแก่หญิงที่ยืนอยู่...

     gù-maan jʉ̀ng wâa · dtaa bpai kɔ̌ɔ kâo yǐng kǎao tîi yʉʉn yùu nán ... dtaa kee-hěe gɔ̂ bpai kɔ̌ɔ kâo gɛ̀ɛ yǐng tîi yʉʉn yùu ...

     The boy then said, "You [should] go [and] beg [some] rice [from] the white woman who is standing there..." Old Khehe thus went to ask for rice from the woman that was standing ...

6. used as a term of reference to oneself by a maternal grandfather, a man at or around the same age as one's maternal grandfather, or any old man.
   • 1995, เหม เวชกร, “เงินยวง”, in ผ้าป่าผีตาย, กรุงเทพฯ: ดอกหญ้า, →ISBN, page 136:

     หนูให้ตาช่วยอะไร

     nǔu hâi dtaa chûai à-rai

     What do you want me to help [you do]?

7. (colloquial, endearing, somewhat dated) used as a term of address to or title for a boy or young man.
   • 2015, ยิปซี, หัวใจซ่อนเล่ห์‎^[3], eReader (Thailand), page 219:

     "ตาภพ...สัญญากับแม่ได้ไหม ถ้าแม่เป็นอะไรไป ภพจะไม่ทิ้งแม่นิด"

     “dtaa póp ... sǎn-yaa gàp mɛ̂ɛ dâai mǎi · tâa mɛ̂ɛ bpen à-rai bpai · póp jà mâi tíng mɛ̂ɛ nít”

     "Ta Phop ... Can you promise me [that] you will not abandon Mae Nit if anything happens to me?"

• “ตา” in Thai Dictionary Project (TDP) (UC Berkeley 1964) (plus additional data from the Royal Institute of Thailand (RI) and NECTEC's LEXITRON project (LEX)). Searchable online at SEAlang.net.