Historical Dictionary of Thai

[Waruno Mahdi]

> 1)  Does this usage (phlii chiip) predate the modern phenomenon of
> Islamic bomber marytrs?  Say in reference to the actions of Vietnamese
> monks prior during the Vietnam war?  (self immolation)  Or in some
> patriotic sense in reference to Thai historical characters?
> (death in
> battle, etc).
>
> 2)  Is anybody working on an historical dictionary of Thai, tracing
> uses back to origins for some or all of the word stock?  Anything
> already published or partially published?

Sorry for being so slow to respond.

It might be worthwhile looking up for a word for something like
it in use around the 16th centuries or thereabouts, that would
correspond to Malay _amuk_, assumed to derive from Sanskrit
_amoks.a_ (s. = s-underdot), see for example early mentions by
Portuguese authors quoted in Yule & Burnell "Hobson-Jobson"
sub _a muck_ , and in Dalgado "Glossario Luso-Asiatico" sub
_amouco_.

The basic idea seems to have been some kind of vow of irrevocable
allegiance to the death, that could manifest itself amongst others
in a suicidal attack against an overwhelming enemy force.

Savatdee,  Waruno