User:Noktonissian/sandbox/Mai Sam

ᨻ᩠ᨿᩢᨬ᩠ᨩᨶ​ is the word derived from Pali ᨻ᩠ᨿᨬ᩠ᨩᨶ​. Hence, the two form ᨻ᩠ᨿᩢᨬ᩠ᨩᨶ​ and ᨻ᩠ᨿᨬ᩠ᨩᨶ​ are the correct spelling. However, generally, the preferred spelling is ᨻ᩠ᨿᩢᨬ᩠ᨩᨶ​ as it shows the pronunciation compared ᨻ᩠ᨿᩢᨻ​ ᨻ᩠ᨿᩢᨣ᩠ᨥᩣ. On the other hand, ᨻ᩠ᨿ᩻ᩢᨬ᩠ᨩᨶᩡ​ is totally incorrect in two aspects:

• The addition of Mai Sam between ᨻ and ᨿ​​ affects the tone. Generally, the addition of Mai Sam between 2 consonants will change the tone of the subjoined consonant, for example ᩈ᩠ᨶ᩻ᩣ᩠ᨾ​ pronounced like ᩈ᩵ᩡ-ᩉ᩠ᨶᩣ᩠ᨾ​ (with the base consonant is pronounced as a half-syllable and the subjoined consonant inherits the tone of the base consonant)​. This phenomenon occurs mainly in Khmer derived words or Tai words with the base consonant belonging to the high class ᩈ​ ᨡ​ ᨨ​ ᨧ while the subjoined consonant belonging to the low class (e.g. ᨡ᩠ᨶ᩻ᩣ᩠ᨯ​ ᩈ᩠ᨾ᩻ᩬᨦ​ ᨨ᩠ᩃ᩻ᩬᨦ​ ᨧ᩠ᩃ᩻ᩬᨦ also ᨷᩕᨾᩣᨱ​ -> ᨷᩕᩉ᩠ᨶᩣ᩠ᨱ). The addition of Mai Sam is actually optional and to signify the tone change of the subjoined form (considering that word like ᨷᩕ᩠ᨿᩣ​ never has Mai Sam added).​​ The easy rule to remember is that Mai Sam represents the hidden ᩉ ᨶᩣᩴ​ (leading ha)​ of the (low class) subjoined consonant. If the subjoined consonant is not pronounced with the leading-ha tone, Mai Sam is not added. In the case of ᨻ᩠ᨿ​ cluster, both ᨻ and ᨿ​ belong to the low class. Adding Mai Sam will make the pronunciation wrong as the word is pronounced​​​ ᨻᩡ-ᨿᩢ᩠ᨶ-ᨩᩡ-ᨶᩡ​ or ᨻ᩠ᨿᩁ-ᨩᩡ-ᨶᩡ NOT pronounced as ᨻᩡ-ᩉ᩠ᨿᩢᨶ-ᨩᩡ-ᨶᩡ

There are words that do not have this phenomenon e.g. ᩈᨷᩣ᩠ᨿ​ ᩈᩃ᩠ᨿᨾ​ ᩈᩃ᩠ᩅᨯ. Besides, it does not occur if the base and the subjoined consonants belong to the same class since both consonants have the same tone. It rarely occurs in the case of Pali derived word, and as far as I know, it never occur with the base consonant belonging to the low class like ᨻ​.

• The addition of ᩡ​ at the end of the Pali derived word is totally unnecessary. This is Tai Tham scrpit not Thai script. All consonant with no vowel sign is already pronounced with the /aʔ/ sound. Sign ᩡ is added only for:
  • Shortening the vowel length e.g. ᩉᩖᩮᨠ​ /leːk/ --> ᩉᩖᩮᨠᩡ​ /lek/ (not pronounced /le.kaʔ/).
  • Easing the ambiguity e.g. ᨿᩮᩬᩥᩁᩡᨾᩢ᩠ᨶ​​ /ɳɤː.la.man/ instead of ᩮᨿᩬᩥᩁᨾᩢ᩠ᨶ that can be mistakenly read and pronounced as /ɳɯan.man/.
  • Easing the ambiguity of Tai words with one syllable e.g. ᩃᩡ​ ᩉᩡ​ ᨿᩡ​ ᨸᩡ​ because they can be mistakenly read as a part of the preceding or the following words instead of being a full word itself.