ไร

Possibly related with Thai ใด (dai).

ไร • (rai)

1. how; what; which; when; why.

   ปากเป็นไร

   bpàak bpen rai

   What happens to your mouth?

   กินไรดี

   gin rai dii

   What should we eat?

   ทำไร

   tam rai

   What are you doing?

ไร • (rai)

1. what.

   คนไรดื้อชะมัด

   kon rai dʉ̂ʉ chá-mát

   What a very stubborn person!

From Proto-Southwestern Tai *rajᴬ⁴ (“chicken louse”), from Proto-Tai *rwɤjᴬ (“chicken louse”). Cognate with Northern Thai ᩁᩱ, Khün ᩁᩱ, Lao ໄຮ (hai), Isan ไฮ, Lü ᦺᦣ (hay), Shan ႁႆး (hái), Tai Nüa ᥞᥭᥰ (häy), Phake ꩭႝ (hay), Ahom 𑜍𑜩 (ray), Zhuang reiz.

ไร • (rai) (classifier ตัว)

1. (fowl) louse; mite.

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

ไร • (rai)

1. line or mark on the scalp after a hair is removed.

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

ไร • (rai)

1. used in เรี่ยไร (“to solicit contributions, take up a collection”)

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “Related to the "how" sense of Etymology 1?”)

ไร • (rai)

1. (now rarely used alone) approximate; estimate.

ไร • (rai)

1. gold.

• “ไร” 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.