Kam-Puăn: Playing with words….swapping syllables around…making new sound!

By Jang

Kam-Puăn is a style of playing with Thai words by swapping the vowels and final sounds of the first syllable with the last syllable. This will create a new word which might not have a meaning but the sounds of the word will rhyme with the original word. Kam-Puăn is practically used with 2 or 3 syllable-words because it is easier to swap the positions of vowels and final sounds.

Ø Kam-Puăn with 2 syllable-word can be done by swapping the vowel of the first syllable with the vowel of the second syllable by keeping the initial consonants in their own places.

Examples:

Original Kam-Puăn

Doern-nam เดินนำ à dam-noern ดำเนิน

Hĭw-kaâo หิวข้าว à haăo-kîw หาวขิ้ว

Kaăi-naâ ขายหน้า à kaâ-naăi ข้าหนาย

Mòd-dtua หมดตัว à mua-dtòd มัวตด

Glûm-jai กลุ้มใจ à glai-jûm ใกลจุ้ม

Ø Kam-Puăn with 3 syllable-word can be done by swapping the position of the second syllable with the third syllable by:

1. Replacing the vowel of the third syllable with the vowel of the second syllable

2. Replacing the vowel of the second syllable with the vowel of the third syllable

3. Replacing the final sound (final letter) of the third syllable with the final sound (final letter) of second syllable

4. Replacing the final sound (final letter) of the second syllable with the final sound (final letter) of the third syllable

5. Keep the first syllable in its own place. There is no need to change anything

Examples:

Original Kam-Puăn

สวัสดี (สะ-หวัด-ดี) sà-wàd-dee à สวีดัด (สะ-วี-ดัด) sà-wee-dàd

ข้าวเหนียวดำ kaaô-niăw-dam à ข้าวหนำเดียว kaaô-năm-diaw

ต้มยำกุ้ง dtôm-yam-gûng à ต้มยุงก้ำ dtôm-yung-gâm

มะม่วงเปรี้ยว má-muâng-bpriâw à มะเมี่ยวปร้วง má-miâw-bpruâng

**The other way of making ‘kam-puăn’ of the 3-syllable-word can be done by:

1. Replacing the vowel of the first syllable with the vowel of the third syllable

2. Replacing the vowel of the third syllable with the vowel of the first syllable

3. Replacing the final sound (final letter) of the first syllable with the final sound (final letter) of third syllable

4. Replacing the final sound (final letter) of the third syllable with the final sound (final letter) of the first syllable

5. Keep the second syllable in its own place, there is no need to change anything.

Examples:

Original Kam-Puăn

ไม่รักคุณ maî-rák-khun à มุ่นรักไค mûn-rák-khai

ไปโรงเรียน bpai-rong-rian à เปียนโรงไร bpian-rong-rai

ภาษาไทย paa-saă-thai à ไภยษาทา pai-saa-taa

บ้านผีสิง baân-peĕ-sĭng à บิ๋งผีส้าน bĭng-peĕ-saân

ก๋วยเตี๋ยวเรือ guăy-dtiăw-ruer à เกื๋อเตี๋ยวรวย guĕr-dtiăw-ruay

This might sound complicated and difficult but once you know how to do it you will enjoy teasing Thai friends or your Thai teacher at your Thai Language School with Kam-Puăn.

Kru MulanJ

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