#darcey.lang

[kinnbig]

I somehow never realised Perth’s name wasn’t actually Perth and now my mind is sort of blown. I get confused at how Thai names work anyway so I shouldn’t be surprised, but 🤯

fjckskc I mean Perth is his name, in the same way that Apo’s name is Apo and Nodt’s name is Nodt, but they’re just not their legal names.

and I can try and explain it! (or Perth explains it rlly well in this video lol)

basically! in Thailand, in most situations people are referred to by their used name (also called a nickname or a play name) rather than by their legal first name.

used names, like first names, are often given at birth, but unlike first names they’re not recorded on legal documentation such as birth certificates. last names are often long and aren’t used very often - it’s not uncommon for good friends to not know each other’s last names.

in general western naming convention, you would probably refer to someone by just their first name, or as ‘first name + last name’. someone might have a nickname that they prefer to their legal first name, and in these cases you might refer to them as ‘nickname + last name’.

but the convention for Thai names is to refer to people most of the time with either their used name, or as

‘used name + first name’

(with some exceptions, such as legal/business situations and in the credits of TV/movies).

sometimes you might also see someone’s ‘full name’ written or said as

‘used name + first name + last name’

eg mydramalist writes Mile Phakphum Romsaithong and Nodt Nutthasid Panyangarm.

but generally, you’d say/write either just someone’s used name, or ‘used name + first name’ in most contexts.

if you were talking about Apo Nattawin, for example - Nattawin is his first name, and Apo is his used name (his last name is Wattanagitiphat). because of TV crediting convention, he is credited as Nattawin Wattanagitiphat in the KinnPorsche credits - but he refers to himself as Apo Nattawin, and that is the name others use for him in most situations.

some more quick (random) examples from the KinnPorsche cast -

Tong Thanayut - ‘full name’ Tong Thanayut Thakoonauttaya, credited as Thanayut Thakoonauttaya - but referred to as Tong or Tong Thanayut

Barcode Tinnasit - ‘full name’ Barcode Tinnasit Isarapongporn, credited as Tinnasit Isarapongporn - but referred to as Barcode or Barcode Tinnasit

there are exceptions, obviously - although it’s more common to introduce yourself as ‘used name + first name’, Bible often introduces himself as Wichapas Sumettikul, then adds “or Bible” as an addendum (possibly because he had a more western upbringing) - but he still tends to be referred to as Bible Wichapas in most contexts.

Perth Nakhun is just one big exception lmao. Nakhun isn’t his first name or his last name - it’s a shortened version of Nakhuntanagarn, his mother’s last name. Perth Nakhun is more of a Thai stage name - by ‘typical’ conventions he would be referred to as Perth Stewart lol (and I have actually seen him referred to this way a few times in articles). interestingly (to me, at least), his ‘full name’ seems to be considered to be Perth Nakhun Screaigh, with Nakhun treated as his legal first name. so he gets credited as Nakhun Screaigh - even though Nakhun is not actually his first name. the TV credits follow the typical convention (Perth Nakhun Screaigh -> Nakhun Screaigh) rather than actually crediting with ‘first name + last name’. idk if this was Perth’s choice or just what happened but it’s interesting!

(Jeff Satur is also a stage name - though unlike with Perth, it seems to be considered his ‘full name’ and is also what is used in his TV credits)

anyway that got kind of long (and very colourful! I love colour coding!) but I hope it was somewhat helpful 🥰

[kinnbig]

I’m always gonna be a bit sad that the My Engineer subs translated “ai’Ning” as “Cool Boy” because “Cool Boy” has completely different vibes to “ai’Ning” :(

In the scene where King gives him the nickname for the first time, King uses the word “ning” (without the “ai’”, which is what turns it from just an adjective into a (rude) way of addressing someone), and the subtitles translate it as “cold” - which is definitely closer than “cool” imo.

I think the translation is a bit weird because “ning” means “cold” as in aloof, distant, and indifferent, or alternatively very calm or self-controlled (eg. you hear people saying “ning ning!” to tell someone to calm down or be more careful).

In the context of the show, it’s an (affectionate) insult! King is calling him an unfriendly asshole, basically.

And while “cool” in English does technically have those meanings, sometimes, in some contexts - in this context that’s not the meaning that’s expressed. It’s most commonly a compliment that means something like edgy or popular or good.

Idek exactly how I’d translate it myself so I probably shouldn’t complain. But I think it’s a shame the teasing, lightly mocking/insulting vibes were lost in translation :(

[kinnbig]

I just started learning Thai so I’m interested. What is the difference between jing and jingjing? On your tags about favorite Thai words

oh! so in Thai, repeating an adjective turns it into an adverb.

in this case, jing is an adjective that means true or real or honest, and jingjing is an adverb that means really, trully, honestly. they're just my favourite Thai words because I like the way they sound lol.

my other favourite is ning, which doesn't have a perfect English translation but that you might recognise from My Engineer. it means cool as in (a person who is) cold, distant, or aloof, or alternatively calm and self-controlled. it's often used sarcastically when describing other people. ningning is an adverb that means something like carefully or calmly - you hear people saying "ningning!" to tell someone to calm down or take more care. kind of like "chill out!" in English lol. I like these because their English translations are so interesting! and because of RamKing and ai'Ning, obviously.

[kinnbig]

Hi, I read your Thai honorific guide, it was wonderful! And I wanted to ask you a question.

Sometimes, I see Chay go back and forth between using Hia and Porsche's name towards Porsche in fanfictions with no tonal shift between the two events.

For example:

"Hia, I'm going to the school!"..."Do you want me to buy anything on my way back Porsche?"..."Okay, I love you too, Hia!"

I'm not Thai, and I don't know Thai, but I'm also from somewhere with an honorific culture, and this is jarring to me. If I were to make a comparison, for me it has a similar vibe with Alex's mother saying:

"Alex, I'm going to the work!"..."Do you want me to buy anything on my way back ALEXANDRA ROSE SMITH?"..."Okay, I love you too, dear!"

My question is: Would people stop using honorifics with their elders in the middle of a calm daily conversation in Thai?

hi!! so quick disclaimer that I am also not Thai or fluent in Thai - I’m just a linguist who gets overly excited about how language works lol 🫣

BUT from what I understand - no, most of the time people wouldn’t randomly stop using (or start using, or change) honorifics in the middle of a conversation without a reason.

there are some exceptions, obviously - for example sometimes in interviews with the KP cast you can see them start out being polite with each other and using Phi or no honorific, but then as the interview progresses dropping from Phi -> no honorific or no honorific -> ai - they’re initially going for Professional and Polite but kind of forget by the end and revert back to how they’d talk casually with one another lol.

but in general no, unless it’s a conscious decision for a specific reason, you probably wouldn’t stop using honorifics mid-conversation.

[kinnbig]

a bonus ramble on names (and honorifics) in KinnPorsche -

so. the reason Thai last names are so long is that they are unique to each family. unlike in a lot of countries where you might know multiple unrelated people with the same last name, in Thailand someone with the same last name as you is almost certainly a relative. because of this uniqueness, some last names are especially recognisable as belonging to wealthy or important families - and in these cases, people might be more likely to use their well-respected last names day-to-day than the average person would.

for example - Theerapanyakul! in KPTS, the Theerapanyakuls are a wealthy and well-known family, and so they use their last name more commonly than most people would as a way of flaunting this power. so they are kind of exceptional cases to naming conventions.

so for example -

Kinn Anakinn Theerapanyakul

Kim Kimhant Theerapanyakul

Vegas Kornwit Theerapanyakul

Kinn, Kim and Vegas all tend to be referred to with a 'used name + last name' format (eg Vegas Theerapanyakul), which is unusual! according to the more typical conventions, Vegas would be commonly referred to as Vegas Kornwit, or potentially as Kornwit Theerapanyakul in formal business settings. but he goes by Vegas, and his last name is used more regularly due to its prestige. his first name is actually never used on the show.

Tankhun is an exception to the exceptions (which feels very fitting, to be honest!) -

Khun* Tankhun Theerapanyakul

Tankhun tends to be referred to in a 'first name + last name' format (Tankhun Theerapanyakul), which is slightly more typical, but still unusual in most contexts.

*yes, Tankhun’s used name Khun is the same as the honorific Khun that gets used constantly in KPTS. which… yes. it’s confusing, and maybe why we tend to use his first name more commonly than his used name.

Tankhun's bodyguards also frequently use an honorific in place of his name -

honorifics are words, usually added to someone's name, that signify relationship, respect, and a whole load of other things. the closest thing we have in English is titles (like Mr/Miss/Sir/Dr etc), but they are common in lots of languages. in Thai, honorifics are used much more commonly than we use titles in English; most of the time, if you are using someone's name, you will use an honorific. they are usually used before a person's name, but some can also be used in place of a name - as a pronoun. there are many many different honorifics in Thai, and the ones you use for someone (and whether you use one at all) depends on a couple of factors - the person's gender, your relationship to each other, your respective ages, and how formal you need to be. for example, Kinn is referred to as Khun Kinn by his bodyguards - 'Khun' is a polite and formal honorific similar to Mr.

so. the honorific that Tankhun's bodyguards use for him is Khun-nu. (Khun-nu is often translated as master or young master - it is polite and formal, but is generally only used with young children). this gets used both in place of and in front of his name - Tankhun is regularly referred to as just Khun-nu, or as Khun-nu Tankhun.

Tankhun being referred to as 'honorific + first name' is unusual - as honorifics are used most of the time you use a person's name, and most people are referred to by their used names, the more typical convention is

'honorific + used name',

or sometimes just the honorific. for example -

Porsche calls Kinn ai'Kinn

Chay calls Kim P'Kim

(at first), Pete calls Vegas Khun Vegas

Chay calls Porsche hia

Chan calls Korn Khun Korn

etc etc!

one more cool thing about used names - because they tend to already be very short (usually one or two syllables), it's not super common for them to be shortened any further into nicknames. but you totally can do that, and some people do have nicknames of their used names. for example -

Porchay Pichaya Kittisawasd - or Chay.

ok I think I'm done rambling... but this has reminded me that I wanted to make a full guide to honorifics in KinnPorsche, so someone poke me with a stick until I finish that pls 🫣

I somehow never realised Perth’s name wasn’t actually Perth and now my mind is sort of blown. I get confused at how Thai names work anyway so I shouldn’t be surprised, but 🤯

fjckskc I mean Perth is his name, in the same way that Apo’s name is Apo and Nodt’s name is Nodt, but they’re just not their legal names.

and I can try and explain it! (or Perth explains it rlly well in this video lol)

basically! in Thailand, in most situations people are referred to by their used name (also called a nickname or a play name) rather than by their legal first name.

used names, like first names, are often given at birth, but unlike first names they’re not recorded on legal documentation such as birth certificates. last names are often long and aren’t used very often - it’s not uncommon for good friends to not know each other’s last names.

in general western naming convention, you would probably refer to someone by just their first name, or as ‘first name + last name’. someone might have a nickname that they prefer to their legal first name, and in these cases you might refer to them as ‘nickname + last name’.

but the convention for Thai names is to refer to people most of the time with either their used name, or as

‘used name + first name’

(with some exceptions, such as legal/business situations and in the credits of TV/movies).

sometimes you might also see someone’s ‘full name’ written or said as

‘used name + first name + last name’

eg mydramalist writes Mile Phakphum Romsaithong and Nodt Nutthasid Panyangarm.

but generally, you’d say/write either just someone’s used name, or ‘used name + first name’ in most contexts.

if you were talking about Apo Nattawin, for example - Nattawin is his first name, and Apo is his used name (his last name is Wattanagitiphat). because of TV crediting convention, he is credited as Nattawin Wattanagitiphat in the KinnPorsche credits - but he refers to himself as Apo Nattawin, and that is the name others use for him in most situations.

some more quick (random) examples from the KinnPorsche cast -

Tong Thanayut - ‘full name’ Tong Thanayut Thakoonauttaya, credited as Thanayut Thakoonauttaya - but referred to as Tong or Tong Thanayut

Barcode Tinnasit - ‘full name’ Barcode Tinnasit Isarapongporn, credited as Tinnasit Isarapongporn - but referred to as Barcode or Barcode Tinnasit

there are exceptions, obviously - although it’s more common to introduce yourself as ‘used name + first name’, Bible often introduces himself as Wichapas Sumettikul, then adds “or Bible” as an addendum (possibly because he had a more western upbringing) - but he still tends to be referred to as Bible Wichapas in most contexts.

Perth Nakhun is just one big exception lmao. Nakhun isn’t his first name or his last name - it’s a shortened version of Nakhuntanagarn, his mother’s last name. Perth Nakhun is more of a Thai stage name - by ‘typical’ conventions he would be referred to as Perth Stewart lol (and I have actually seen him referred to this way a few times in articles). interestingly (to me, at least), his ‘full name’ seems to be considered to be Perth Nakhun Screaigh, with Nakhun treated as his legal first name. so he gets credited as Nakhun Screaigh - even though Nakhun is not actually his first name. the TV credits follow the typical convention (Perth Nakhun Screaigh -> Nakhun Screaigh) rather than actually crediting with ‘first name + last name’. idk if this was Perth’s choice or just what happened but it’s interesting!

(Jeff Satur is also a stage name - though unlike with Perth, it seems to be considered his ‘full name’ and is also what is used in his TV credits)

anyway that got kind of long (and very colourful! I love colour coding!) but I hope it was somewhat helpful 🥰