ขา

See also: ข่า and ข้า

Thai

Pronunciation

Orthographic/Phonemicขา
kʰ ā
RomanizationPaiboonkǎa
Royal Institutekha
(standard) IPA(key)/kʰaː˩˩˦/(R)

Etymology 1

From Proto-Southwestern Tai *qaːᴬ (leg), from Proto-Tai *p.qaːᴬ (leg). Cognate with Northern Thai ᨡᩣ, Lao ຂາ (khā), ᦃᦱ (ẋaa), Shan ၶႃ (khǎa), Tai Nüa ᥑᥣᥴ (xáa), Ahom 𑜁𑜡 (khā), Bouyei gal, Zhuang ga. Within Kra-Dai, compare Sui bal and ggal (leg) and Proto-Kra *C-kaᴬ. Compare also Old Chinese (OC *kʰraːw, “leg”), Min languages (“leg, foot”), Proto-Austronesian *paqa (thigh).

Noun

ขา • (kǎa) (classifier ข้าง)

  1. (anatomy) leg.
  2. something resembling or suggesting a leg or legs, as a table leg, chair leg, trouser leg, easel, tripod, etc.

Etymology 2

Uncertain.

Noun

ขา • (kǎa)

  1. (archaic) synonym of สลึง (sà-lʉ̌ng, a traditional unit of gold weight, equal to 3.75 grams)
  2. (colloquial) occasion, time; round, turn.
  3. (colloquial) person.
  4. (colloquial) ally; comrade; mate; partner.
  5. (especially in an illegal or wrongful activity, as gambling, cardplaying, etc) participant.

Etymology 3

Pronoun

ขา • (kǎa)

  1. (archaic) a third person pronoun used to inclusively refer to two or more persons.
See also
Archaic Thai personal pronouns
1st 2nd 3rd
exclusive inclusive
informal singular กู (guu) มึง (mʉng) มัน (man)
dual เผือ (pʉ̌ʉa) รา (raa) เขือ (kʉ̌ʉa) ขา (kǎa)
plural ตู (dtuu) เรา (rao) สู (sǔu) เขา (kǎo)
formal singular ข้า (kâa), ตู (dtuu), เรา (rao) เจ้า (jâao), สู (sǔu) เพื่อน (pʉ̂ʉan), เขา (kǎo)
plural ตูข้า เราข้า สูเจ้า เขาเจ้า

Etymology 4

Interjection

ขา • (kǎa)

  1. (women's speech) used to express affirmation, assent, or acknowledgment.

Particle

ขา • (kǎa)

  1. (women's speech) a familiar or disrespectful particle placed after an appellation, especially in an expression of doubt, interrogation, or suggestion.
Usage notes
  • The interjection/particle was historically employed by male nobles, but in the modern day it is only used by women.