Peet's Family

      School was over. Weera parted from his friends and walked home alone. He was happy today. He walked and looked at the bright blue sky.
The clouds on the horizon were as white as a sheet. A cool breeze blew and hit the green grass along the way. This was a long route from the city center to the foot of the hills. Everyone said that this route was so quiet that it was scary. However, Weera was used to this route because he had used it since he was young. So he felt that the distance from school to his house was very short. There were farmers’ houses along both sides of the road so it was not so deserted. In fact, Weera wanted to have some company to walk and talk with him on the way. He used to dream about getting a bicycle, but he warned himself not to be extravagant with money because he was just a poor little boy living with his Uncle. Though Uncle loved him very much, he did not want to bother Uncle more than he had already done. He thought that he should try to make some honest money for buying himself a bicycle.
      When he got closer to Uncle’s farm, Weera saw a woman sitting under an olive tree feeding a baby. There was a girl and a little boy, looking quite dirty, sleeping next to each other. Lying next to the woman there were some old utensils. There was a tin plate and bowl, a spoon, a fish sauce bottle, a plastic cup, and a big rice bowl the size of a monk’s alms-bowl rolling there. There were also two crates. And then he saw a man with two boys. One was about his size, and the other was a bit smaller. They were diligently helping each other thatch the roof of a small hut which was about three square meters big. So Weera stopped to watch them and asked “Are you building a hut here?” The man stopped and turned to look at Weera briefly. Then he turned around and started working again as if he were a mute. So Weera asked the woman feeding the baby under the olive tree again. The woman saw that Weera looked friendly so she smiled and quietly answered “Yes”. Weera sat down next to her and he saw that the woman was very gaunt. The kids were also the same. Their clothes were torn and had patches everywhere. Weera said “You have five children, but you’re building a very small hut. Will everyone fit in there?”
      “It will be a bit crowded. We are poor, these are all we have. A little hut will do.” The woman answered.
      “My house is in a farm nearby. I live with my relatives. There is Uncle and Aunt-in-law, plus Aunt and Uncle-in-law. My name is Weera.”
      The woman looked at Weera carefully and then said “We moved from another district. We have been straying here for six days. You were the first one to talk to me nicely. You seem friendly. We are starving, cannot earn enough to get by. We saw that there was a forest here that we could burn and sell some charcoal. So we thought we could build a hut here. You must be around the same age as my oldest son, Peet. He is helping his dad with the hut over there.”
      Once Weera knew that this family would live here to make charcoal, he turned pale, thinking that the woods around here would be all used up. He should let Uncle know right away. Suddenly, Peet walked up to Weera and asked, “Are you going to pick on us? My parents have identification cards.”
      “Stop it, Peet! He was nice to me. He was very different from the guy who asked about the ID.” Peet’s Mom told him. Peet then smiled at Weera and said quietly “I thought you were going to pick on us like the other guy, I was going to hit you real hard.” Then he continued working.
      Weera watched Peet working for a while then excused himself from the mother and left for home. He thought that this family must have not have had enough education which made them use archaic pronouns. Weera really liked Peet. If Peet had gone to school, he would have used proper pronouns and spoken more politely.

กระโชก [กระ-โชก] <gra;chookq>

1. [V] (of wind) blow in gusts
2. [SV] (tone of voice) to be harsh, stern, shouting
3. [Adv] (to speak) harshly, sternly

กระท่อม [กระ-ท่อม] <gra;tɔɔmq>

• [NC - หลัง] cottage, cabin, hut, shed, shanty

กลิ้ง [กลิ้ง] <glingq>

1. [N] roller
2. [V] to roll, wallow, roll over, rotate

กะรุ่งกะริ่ง [กะ-รุ่ง-กะ-ริ่ง] <ga;rungqga;ringq>

• [SV] to be shabby, tattered, ragged

แก [แก] <gɛɛ->

• [Pron] (impolite or colloq.) he, him, she, her, they, them, you

ขนาด [ขะ-หฺนาด] <ka;naat;>

1. [NC - ขนาด] size, dimension; extent, measurement
2. [Cl] (for sizes, dimensions)

ขะมักเขม้น [ขะ-มัก-ขะ-เม่น] <ka;makzka;meenq>

1. [SV] to be energetic, enthusiastic, go-go
2. [Adv] energetically, enthusiastically

คนจน [คน-จน] <kon-jon->

• [NC - คน] (colloq.) the poor

คราวนี้ [คราว-นี้] <kraao-niiz>

• [Adv] this time, at present

ครู่หนึ่ง [ครู่-หนึ่ง] <kruuqnʉng;>

• [N] a moment, minute, a short while

คา [คา] <kaa->

1. [V] to be stuck in, embedded in, obstruct, be lodged in
2. [N] stock, iron ring, shackle
3. [N] (in Thailand) grass thatch

คุ้น [คุ้น] <kunz>

• [SV] to be familiar with, used to, acquainted with

เคียง [เคียง] <kiiang->

1. [Adv] near, close by
2. [Adv] adjacent to

แค่นี้ [แค่-นี้] <kɛɛqniiz>

1. [Adv] only, just
2. [Phrase] that's enough, that's all

จักรยาน [จัก-กระ-ยาน] <jak;gra;yaan->

• [NC - คัน] bicycle

จิตใจ [จิต-ใจ] <jit;jai->

• [N] the mind, heart, spirit, mood

ชุน [ชุน] <chun->

• [V] to darn, mend, repair, embroider

เชิงเขา [เชิง-เขา] <chəng-kaox>

• [N] base of a hill, foothill

ซับซ้อน [ซับ-ซ้อน] <sapzsɔɔnz>

• [SV] to be complex, complicated

ซูบซีด [ซูบ-ซีด] <suupqsiitq>

• [SV] to be very skinny, pale, lean, emaciated

เซียว [เซียว] <siiao->

• [SV] to be pale, sickly, gaunt

ด่วน [ด่วน] <duan;>

• [SV] to be urgent, in a hurry, pressing

เดินเขา [เดิน-เขา] <dən-kaox>

• [V] to trek through the nountains

โดย [โดย] <dooi->

1. [Prep] by, by means of, through
2. [Conj] because, due to

ต้นมะกอก [ต้น-มะ-กอก] <dtonqmazgɔɔk;>

• [NC - ต้น] olive tree

แต่เพียง [แต่-เพียง] <dtɛɛ;piiang->

• [Adv] only, merely

ถัด [ถัด] <tat;>

1. [SV] to be next to, following, latter
2. [V] to move forward in ones seat

แถบ [แถบ] <tɛɛp;>

1. [NC - แถบ] (English loan word) tape, strip
2. [Cl] (for strips of something)
3. [N] area, zone, region

ทอด [ทอด] <tɔɔtq>

1. [V] to deep fry
2. [V] to cast, throw, drop
3. [N] span, stretch
4. [V] to prostrate oneself

ทำงานต่อ [ทำ-งาน-ต่อ] <tam-ngaan-dtɔɔ;>

• [V] to go on working, continue working

ทุ่ง [ทุ่ง] <tungq>

1. [N] field, farm, pasture, meadow
2. [N] feces, excrement, poop, dung
3. [V] to defecate

นั่งลง [นั่ง-ลง] <nangqlong->

• [V] to sit down

น้ำปลา [น้าม-ปลา] <naamzbplaa->

• [N] fish sauce

นิดหน่อย [นิด-หน่อย] <nitznɔɔi;>

• [Adv] not much, a little bit, slight

นี่เอง [นี่-เอง] <niiqeeng->

• [Pron] just this

บัตรประชาชน [บัด-ปฺระ-ชา-ชน] <bat;bpra;chaa-chon->

• [NC - ใบ] ID card, indentification card

บาตร [บาด] <baat;>

• [NC - ใบ, ลูก] (used by Buddhist monks) alms bowl

เบียด [เบียด] <biiat;>

• [V] to crowd in, press through, press into, shove, throng, jostle

ใบ้ [ใบ้] <baiq>

1. [SV] to be unable to speak or hear, mute, dumb
2. [V] to gesture silently, tip off, signal

ประมาณ [ปฺระ-มาน] <bpra;maan->

1. [Adv] about, approximately
2. [V] to guess, to estimate

ปะ [ปะ] <bpa;>

1. [V] (not used for electronic or mechanical things) to mend, patch, repair
2. [V] to meet unexpectedly, come across, run into

ปานใด [ปาน-ใด] <bpaan-dai->

• [Adv] no matter how much, to the extent that, however much

เป็นมิตร [เป็น-มิต] <bpen-mitz>

• [SV] to be friendly, cordial, congenial

เป็นระยะ [เป็น-ระ-ยะ] <bpen-razyaz>

1. [Adv] sporadically
2. [Adv] (reduplicated) intermittently, sporadically, every once in a while

เปลี่ยว [เปลี่ยว] <bpliiao;>

1. [SV] (of an animal) to be wild, young, untamed
2. [SV] (of a place) to be deserted, vacant, lonely

ผิด [ผิด] <pit;>

• [SV] to be wrong, mistaken, incorrect, false

ฝัน [ฝัน] <fanx>

1. [V] to dream
2. [N] dream
3. [Cl] (for dreams)

ฝืดเคือง [ฝืด-เคือง] <fʉʉt;kʉʉang->

1. [V] to suffer
2. [SV] to be in distress, suffering

ใฝ่ [ใฝ่] <fai;>

• [V] to expect, hope for, have an interest in

พลาสติก [พฺลาด-ติก, พฺลาด-สะ-ติก] <plaatqdtik;, plaatqsa;dtik;>

• [N] (English loan word) plastic

เพชร [เพ็ด] <petz>

• [NC - เม็ด, ก้อน, กะรัต] diamond

เพราะหู [เพราะ-หู] <prɔzhuux>

• [SV] to be pleasent sounding, melodious, sweet sounding

ฟุ้งเฟ้อ [ฟุ้ง-เฟ้อ] <fungzfəəz>

• [SV] to be lavish, extravagant

มากกว่า [มาก-กว่า] <maakqgwaa;>

• [SV] to be greater than, more than

มิ [มิ] <miz>

• [Adv] (formal) no, not

มีอายุ [มี-อา-ยุ] <mii-aa-yuz>

• [V] to age, get old, be old

เมตร [เมด] <meetq>

• [N] (English loan word, unit of length) meter

แม้ [แม้] <mɛɛz>

• [Conj] even though, even if

เย็นสบาย [เย็น-สะ-บาย] <yen-sa;baai->

• [SV] to be cool and refreshed

ใย [ใย] <yai->

1. [N] fiber, filiment, web, cobweb
2. [N] (formal) bond, relationship, connection, link, attachment
3. [Cl] (for fine filiments, threads, webs)

รถจักรยาน [รด-จัก-กฺระ-ยาน] <rotzjak;gra;yaan->

• [NC - คัน] bicycle

ร่อน [ร่อน] <rɔɔnq>

1. [V] to hover, glide
2. [V] to winnow, sift, seperate into large and small pieces

ระยะ [ระ-ยะ] <razyaz>

• [N] a space, period of time, stage

รักใคร่ [รัก-ใคร่] <rakzkraiq>

1. [V] to love, be fond of, like
2. [N] affection, intimacy, love

เร่ [เร่] <reeq>

• to wander around, hawk goods, peddle

เรียงราย [เรียง-ราย] <riiang-raai->

1. [Adv] orderly, well arranged, lined up
2. [SV] to be tidy, placed around, lined up

ลงมือทำ [ลง-มือ-ทำ] <long-mʉʉ-tam->

• [V] to proceed, start to do

ลัง [ลัง] <lang->

1. [NC - ลัง] crate, packing box
2. [Cl] (for boxes)

ลู่ [ลู่] <luuq>

1. [NC] trail, track, path
2. [V] (by the wind) blown over, bent over
3. [Cl] (for trails, tracks, paths)

ลูกคนโต [ลูก-คน-โต] <luukqkon-dtoo->

• [NC - คน] first born child

ลูกชาย [ลูก-ชาย] <luukqchaai->

• [NC - คน] son

สดใส [สด-ใส] <sot;saix>

• [SV] to be bright, clear, fresh looking

สลับ [สะ-หฺลับ] <sa;lap;>

1. [N] degree, step, grade
2. [SV] to be alternating everyother one
3. [V] to alternate, reciprocate

สะใภ้ [สะ-ใภ้] <sa;paiz>

• [NC - คน] (female relative by marriage) sister-in-law, duaghter-in-law- mother-in-law

สักคน [สัก-คน] <sak;kon->

• [Pron] just one person, only one person

สังกะสี [สัง-กะ-สี] <sangxga;siix>

1. [N] (chem, element, atomic number 30.) zinc
2. [NC - ข้อ] (used as roofing material) galvanized iron, corrugated iron

สำลี [สำ-ลี] <samxlii->

1. [N] tuft of cotton wool
2. [N] cotton, asorbent cotton
3. [Na] (name of a dog in a story) Samlii

สีคราม [สี-คราม] <siixkraam->

• [N] the color indego, purple blue

หน้าตามอมแมม [หน้า-ตา-มอม-แมม] <naaqdtaa-mɔɔm-mɛɛm->

• [SV] (from dirt) to be dirty faced

หลงใหล [หลง-ใหล] <longxlaix>

• [SV] to be infatuated with, crazy about

ให้นม [ให้-นม] <haiqnom->

• [V] to breast feed, nurse

อดอยาก [อด-หฺยาก] <ot;yaak;>

• [SV] to be starving

อพยพ [อบ-พะ-ยบ] <exodus, op;pazyopz>

1. [V] to move, evacuate, migrate
2. [Na] (Christian, Old Testanent book) Exodus

อัธยาศัยดี [อัด-ทะ-ยา-สัย-ดี] <at;tazyaa-saixdii->

• [SV] to be hospitable, courteous

เอ็ง [เอ็ง] <eng->

• [Pron] (used between good friends, but can also be impolite or offensive) you

เอน [เอน] <een->

• [V] to recline, bend, lean

เอ็นดู [เอ็น-ดู] <en-duu->

1. [SV] to be loving, kind, merciful
2. [V] to have affection for, love