|
The Thai greeting referred to as the ''wai'' ((タイ語:ไหว้), ) consists of a slight bow, with the palms pressed together in a prayer-like fashion. It has its origin in the Indic ''Añjali Mudrā'', like the Indian ''namasté'' and the Cambodian ''sampeah''.〔Phya Anuman Rajadhon, ''Thai traditional salutation'', Thai culture Series no. 14, The Fine Arts Department, Bangkok, Thailand, 1963〕 The higher the hands are held in relation to the face and the lower the bow, the more respect or reverence the giver of the ''wai'' is showing. The ''wai'' is traditionally observed upon formally entering a house. After the visit is over, the visitor asks for permission to leave and repeats the salutation made upon entering.〔 The ''wai'' is also common as a way to express gratitude or to apologise. The word often spoken with the ''wai'' as a greeting or farewell is ''sawatdi'' (RTGS for , , sometimes romanized as ''sawasdee''). This verbal greeting is usually followed by ''kha'' when spoken by a female and by ''khrap'' when spoken by a male person (see note on Thai polite particles). The word ''sawatdi'' was coined in the mid-1930s by Phraya Upakit Silapasan of Chulalongkorn University. Derived from the Sanskrit ''svasti'' (meaning "well-being"), it had previously been used in Thai only as a formulaic opening to inscriptions. The strongly nationalist government of Plaek Pibulsonggram in the early 1940s promoted its use amongst the government bureaucracy as well as the wider populace as part of a wider set of cultural edicts to modernise Thailand. Waiing remains to this day an extremely important part of social behavior among Thais, who are very sensitive to their self-perceived standing in society. Foreign tourists and other visitors unaccustomed to the intricacies of Thai language and culture should not wai someone younger than them except in return for their wai. However, one should always return a wai that is offered as a sign of respect. Corporate wais, such as those performed by convenience store cashiers, can generally be 'returned' with a smile or a nod. If one is waiied while carrying goods, or for any reason that makes returning it difficult, one should still show their respect by making a physical effort to return it as best as possible under the circumstances. ==Origin== The ''wai'' originated from an ancient greeting that was done to show neither individual had any weapons. There exist multiple versions of the greeting based on social class, gender, and age. The gesture may come from Buddhism, which sometimes involves prostration, or clasping the hands palms together and bowing to the ground. The gesture first appears c. 4000 years ago on the clay seals of the Indus Valley Civilization.〔 http://www.csuchico.edu/~cheinz/syllabi/asst001/fall97/2chd.htm Economics of the Indus Valley Civilization by Chad Greenwood]〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Thai greeting」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|