คะลำ
ká-lamMeanings
1NounB2
taboo; traditional prohibition (Isan)
A customary prohibition against an action, food, or practice considered improper or believed to bring harm or misfortune, especially in northeastern Thai tradition.
Examples
ยายyaaiยายyaai1grandmother (maternal)2old woman (informal; can be rude)บอกว่าbɔ̀ɔk-wâaบอกว่าbɔ̀ɔk-wâa1[to] say/tell that; report/declare that2[of text/sign] say/indicate thatการนั่งgaan-nângการนั่งgaan-nângsitting; the act of sittingบนbonบนbon1on; upon; in; above2upper; top3[to] vow (at a shrine)หมอนmɔ̌ɔnหมอนmɔ̌ɔnpillowเป็นbpenเป็นbpen1to be (identity/category/state)2to become3[to] know how; be able to (skill)4alive; living5[to] have; suffer from; be in (a condition)คะลำká-lamคะลำká-lam1taboo; traditional prohibition (Isan)2[to] abstain; observe a taboo (Isan)เพราะprɔ́เพราะprɔ́1because2because of; due to3melodious; pleasant-soundingหมอนmɔ̌ɔnหมอนmɔ̌ɔnpillowใช้cháiใช้chái1[to] use; employ2[to] spend (money); pay; expend3[to] require; take (time/effort/amount)4[to] tell [sb] to do [sth]; assign; orderหนุนnǔnหนุนnǔn1[to] support; back; promote2[to] prop up; pad; use as a pillow3jackfruit (Southern Thai)4jackfruit tree (Southern Thai)ศีรษะsǐi-sàศีรษะsǐi-sà1head (body part; formal)2top; tip; end (literary)
Grandma says that sitting on a pillow is a traditional taboo because pillows are meant to support the head.
3 more examplesShow less
การเดินgaan-dəənข้ามkâamตัวdtuuaคนkonที่นอนtîi-nɔɔnอยู่yùuถือเป็นtʉ̌ʉ-bpenคะลำká-lamในnaiบ้านเราbâan-raoผู้ใหญ่pûu-yàiจึงjʉngสอนsɔ̌ɔnให้hâiเดินdəənอ้อมɔ̂ɔm
Stepping over someone who is lying down is considered taboo in our family, so the elders teach us to walk around them.
คะลำká-lamเรื่องrʉ̂ʉangอาหารaa-hǎanหลังคลอดlǎng-klɔ̂ɔtแตกต่างกันไปdtɛ̀ɛk-dtàang-gan-bpaiในnaiแต่ละdtɛ̀ɛ-láชุมชนchum-chonจึงjʉngไม่ควรmâi-kuuanเหมารวมmǎo-ruuamว่าwâaชาวอีสานchaao-ii-sǎanทุกคนtúk-konมีmiiข้อห้ามkɔ̂ɔ-hâamเหมือนกันmʉ̌ʉan-gan
Traditional postpartum food taboos vary between communities, so we should not assume that everyone in northeastern Thailand observes the same prohibitions.
แม้mɛ́ɛคนรุ่นใหม่kon-rûn-màiจะjàไม่mâiเชื่อchʉ̂ʉaเรื่องrʉ̂ʉangโชคร้ายchôok-ráaiแต่dtɛ̀ɛคะลำká-lamบางอย่างbaang-yàangก็gɔ̂ยังyangได้รับdâi-rápการสืบทอดgaan-sʉ̀ʉp-tɔ̂ɔtเพื่อpʉ̂ʉaแสดงsà-dɛɛngความเคารพkwaam-kao-rópต่อdtɔ̀ɔธรรมเนียมtam-niiamของkɔ̌ɔngครอบครัวkrɔ̂ɔp-kruua
Although younger people may not believe in bad luck, some traditional taboos are still passed down as a way of respecting family customs.
2VerbB2
[to] abstain; observe a taboo (Isan)
To refrain from an action or avoid a food or practice in observance of a traditional prohibition.
Examples
ช่วงchûuangช่วงchûuang1period; span (of time)2section; segment (part of something)3range; interval (between limits)4distance between supports5span; extentอยู่yùuอยู่yùu1[to] live; reside; stay2to be (located); be at3progressive/continuative marker4to exist; remainไฟfaiไฟfai1fire; flame2electricity; power3light (from a lamp)4signal light; indicator5anger; passion (figurative)พี่สาวpîi-sǎaoพี่สาวpîi-sǎaoolder sister; elder female siblingคะลำká-lamคะลำká-lam1taboo; traditional prohibition (Isan)2[to] abstain; observe a taboo (Isan)ของkɔ̌ɔngของkɔ̌ɔng1of; belonging to2thing; item; stuff3property; goodsแสลงsà-lɛ̌ɛngแสลงsà-lɛ̌ɛng1[to] disagree with (one’s body); be harmful2harmful (to health); disagreeable (to the body)3offensive; irritating; upsettingตามที่dtaam-tîiตามที่dtaam-tîi1as; just as; in the way that2according to; as perแม่mɛ̂ɛแม่mɛ̂ɛ1mother; mom2form of address for a woman (traditional/familiar)3prefix: female; main; baseสอนsɔ̌ɔnสอนsɔ̌ɔn1[to] teach [sb] [sth]2[to] instruct; train [sb]3[to] admonish; give moral guidanceและlɛ́และlɛ́and (coordinating)กินginกินgin1[to] eat2[to] drink (colloquial/with some nouns)3[to] take medicine (colloquial)4[to] consume; use up5[to] corrode; erode; eat into6[to] take (a bribe); pocket7[to] capture; take (a piece in a board game)แต่dtɛ̀ɛแต่dtɛ̀ɛ1but; however (contrast)2only; just (restriction)3from; since (starting point)อาหารaa-hǎanอาหารaa-hǎan1food; nourishment2dish; meal3diet; what one eatsที่tîiที่tîi1place; spot; seat; space2at; in; to (a place)3classifier: places; seats; individual servings4that/which/who (relative marker)5when; the time that (time marker)6ordinal markerแม่mɛ̂ɛแม่mɛ̂ɛ1mother; mom2form of address for a woman (traditional/familiar)3prefix: female; main; baseทำให้tam-hâiทำให้tam-hâi1[to] make; cause [sb/sth] to [do/be sth]; render2[to] do/make [sth] for [sb]
During her traditional postpartum recovery, my older sister avoided foods considered harmful, as our mother had taught her, and ate only what our mother prepared.
3 more examplesShow less
ตอนdtɔɔnท้องtɔ́ɔngเธอtəəคะลำká-lamการไปgaan-bpaiงานศพngaan-sòpตามdtaamความเชื่อkwaam-chʉ̂ʉaของkɔ̌ɔngคนในkon-naiครอบครัวkrɔ̂ɔp-kruua
While pregnant, she refrained from attending funerals in keeping with her family's traditional beliefs.
แม้mɛ́ɛหมอmɔ̌ɔจะjàบอกว่าbɔ̀ɔk-wâaอาหารaa-hǎanชนิดchá-nítนี้níiกินได้gin-dâaiเธอtəəก็gɔ̂ยังyangคะลำká-lamตามธรรมเนียมdtaam-tam-niiamของkɔ̌ɔngครอบครัวkrɔ̂ɔp-kruuaเพื่อpʉ̂ʉaความสบายใจkwaam-sà-baai-jai
Although the doctor said that this food was safe to eat, she still avoided it in keeping with her family's customs for her own peace of mind.
ปู่bpùuยังyangคะลำká-lamการตัดgaan-dtàtผมpǒmในnaiวันพุธwan-pútแม้mɛ́ɛลูกหลานlûuk-lǎanจะjàไม่mâiเชื่อว่าchʉ̂ʉa-wâaจะjàทำให้เกิดtam-hâi-gə̀ətเรื่องร้ายrʉ̂ʉang-ráaiก็ตามgɔ̂-dtaam
Grandpa still refrains from getting his hair cut on Wednesdays in observance of tradition, even though his children and grandchildren do not believe it brings misfortune.
Tones
See how the spelling sets each syllable's tone, step by step.
Why is คะลำ said คะ-ลัม?
ká-lam
The tone rules below use the spoken syllables.
2 syllables · pick one to see its rule
How the tone is decided
- Consonant classLow class
- Tone markNo tone mark
- Syllable endingDead syllableShort vowelA short vowel with no final consonant, so it is dead.
Low class consonants
คฅฆงชซฌญฑฒณทธนพฟภมยรลวฬฮ
Result
High tone
ká
Starts high and keeps climbing.
Low class + No tone mark + Dead syllable · Short vowel → High
Tone chart
Every class and spelling pattern, with this syllable outlined.
| Mid class | High class | Low class | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No mark + live | Mid | Rising | Mid |
| No mark + dead short | Low | Low | High |
| No mark + dead long | Low | Low | Falling |
| Mai ek | Low | Low | Falling |
| Mai tho | Falling | Falling | High |
| Mai tri | High | — | — |
| Mai chattawa | Rising | — | — |
Word Breakdown
คะkáคะká1polite particle (female; question softener)2polite address or response particle (female speech)polite particle (female; question softener)Part 1
+
ลำlamลำlam1classifier: boats; ships; aircraft; rockets; some musical instruments2classifier: beams/rays of light; laser3shaft; trunk; stalk; hull (of a boat)4beam; ray (of light)5delicious; tasty (Northern Thai)6[to] sing; chant traditional verse (Isan)classifier: boats; ships; aircraft; rockets; some musical instrumentsPart 2
คะลำká-lamคะลำká-lamtaboo; traditional prohibition (Isan)taboo; traditional prohibition (Isan)Word