Where does “เถ้าแก่” come from?

เถ้าแก่ (Thai) comes from Thai แก่, from Proto-Tai keːᴮ — old.

เถ้าแก่ (Thai): senior; elder; older relative

Definitions

  1. senior; elder; older relative

Ancestry of “เถ้าแก่”, step by step

เถ้าแก่ traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Thai แก่

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Thaiแก่old; aged; aging; mature; ripe; dark
2Proto-Taikeːᴮold

via Thai เถ้า

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Thaiเถ้าashes, cinders; Dated form of เฒ่า
2Proto-Taidawᴮashes
Every word from Proto-Tai keːᴮ →Every word from Thai แก่ →