ช้างเผือก

Thai

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Etymology

From ช้าง (cháang, elephant) + เผือก (pʉ̀ʉak, white).

Pronunciation

Orthographicช้างเผือก
d͡ʑˆāŋeụ̄ɒk
Phonemic
ช้าง-เผือก
d͡ʑˆāŋeụ̄ɒk
RomanizationPaibooncháang-pʉ̀ʉak
Royal Institutechang-phueak
(standard) IPA(key)/t͡ɕʰaːŋ˦˥.pʰɯa̯k̚˨˩/(R)

Noun

ช้างเผือก • (cháang-pʉ̀ʉak)

  1. white elephant, traditionally believed to be one of the seven precious things, known as สัปตรัตนะ (seven jewels), that a จักรพรรดิ (jàk-grà-pát, universal ruler) should possess.
  2. (idiomatic) popular person from a rural area, just like a white elephant that is from the wild and is sought after by the palace.
  3. (slang) the one of a kind; the one and only; the best of all.
  4. a type of royal decorations of Thailand, known as the Order of the White Elephant.
  5. (botany) hop tree: the plant Arfeuillea arborescens of the family Sapindaceae.
  6. (botany) foxtail: the plant Rhynchostylis gigantea of the family Orchidaceae.

Usage notes

  • According to an old law of Thailand, an elephant is considered to be a white elephant if it has the following seven features: white eyes, white palate, white nails, white hairs, white skin, white tail, and white testicle.

Derived terms

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