คุณ kʰun - On the usage of 'khun': I thought it

[เบ็น เร่งสมบูรณ์]

Probably a teenage thing but just the same really with her name that's all.

[Veradej W]

"Mother Num". Supposed if a child has more than one mother, if she has adoptive mother, it is easier to identify which is she referring to.

[Richard J]

she will be a teenager soon, that could be why, my wife confirmed my suspicions and has no problem with it.

[เบ็น เร่งสมบูรณ์]

My brother's mum tells me to call her พี่ though actually in fact she is younger than me by a year.

[Veradej W]

It is the same concept as other may call "Phi' num" but she calls her as 'mae num' instead.

[เบ็น เร่งสมบูรณ์]

I would listen to Veradej Wisetjarkhun I was just guessing

[เบ็น เร่งสมบูรณ์]

It's her real daughter right?

[Richard J]

She has only 1 mom, นุ่ม, but now that I'm thinking about it, she stays most of the time with her grandmother, hmmm...

[Veradej W]

It's OK to address someone else directly by the name. But it can be rude for younger people to address older people directly by the name. Calling mother, father, teacher, aunt, uncle, etc by their name is rude. Therefore, we have to address them as แม่ พ่อ ครู ป้า ลุง followed by their names. So she will be rude if she calls her mother as นุ่ม. Her friend may call her mother ป้านุ่ม or น้านุ่ม. If she is older than me, I may call her as พี่นุ่ม.

[Richard J]

I'm thinking how not only the language differences but the cultural implications of proper pronoun, formal or informal name protocols could figure into diplomacy and political tensions and mis-understandings if the interpreters screw up the translations. YIKES!! Imagine a war starts because of some linguistic mix up. OMG