ງາ

Lao

Pronunciation

• (Vientiane) IPA^(key): [ŋaː˧˥]
• (Luang Prabang) IPA^(key): [ŋaː˩˨]
• Hyphenation: ງາ
• Rhymes: -aː

Etymology 1

From Proto-Tai *r.ŋaːᴬ (“sesame”). Cognate with Thai งา (ngaa), Lü ᦇᦱ (ngaa), Shan ငႃး (ngáa), Ahom 𑜂𑜠 (ṅa). Within Kra-Dai, compare Sui qngal (“sesame”). Compare also Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *leŋa (“sesame”) (whence Tagalog linga) and Proto-Mon-Khmer *lŋaaʔ ~ *lŋawʔ (“sesame”) (whence Khmer ល្ង (lngɔɔ)).

Noun

ງາ • (ngā)

1. sesame.

Etymology 2

From Proto-Tai *ŋaːᴬ (“tusk; ivory”), from Middle Chinese 牙 (MC ngae, “tooth; tusk”). Cognate with Thai งา (ngaa), Lü ᦇᦱ (ngaa), Shan ငႃး (ngáa), Ahom 𑜂𑜠 (ṅa), Bouyei ngaz, Zhuang nyaz.

Noun

ງາ • (ngā)

1. tusk; ivory.