Where does “ถ้อยคำ” come from?

ถ้อยคำ (Thai) comes from Thai คำ, from Proto-Southwestern Tai *ɡamᴬ⁴, from Proto-Tai ɡamᴬ — bite ; speech.

ถ้อยคำ (Thai): words; expressions; speech

Definitions

  1. words; expressions; speech

Ancestry of “ถ้อยคำ”, step by step

ถ้อยคำ traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Thai คำ

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Thaiคำword; speech; gold
2Proto-Southwestern Tai*ɡamᴬ⁴—
3Proto-Taiɡamᴬbite ; speech

via Thai ถอย

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Thaiถอยto move back, backwards, aside, or away; to cause...
2Middle Chinese退—
Every word from Proto-Tai ɡamᴬ →Every word from Proto-Southwestern Tai *ɡamᴬ⁴ →Every word from Thai คำ →