Where is the word “สไบ , ស្បៃ , Sbai “ original from ?

Where is the word “สไบ , ស្បៃ , Sbai “ original from ?

Meaning in Thai

• “สไบ” refers to a traditional shawl-like garment worn draped over one shoulder or wrapped around the upper body. It’s common in traditional women’s dress in Thailand, Cambodia (where it’s called sampot sabai), Laos, and parts of Myanmar.

Origin of the word

The Thai word “สไบ” is believed to come from the Khmer (Cambodian) word “ស្បៃ” (pronounced sbai), meaning a piece of cloth worn as a shawl or shoulder cloth. The Khmer word itself may have even older Indic roots, but it’s clearly documented in Khmer for centuries.

In Khmer:

• ស្បៃ (sbai) = cloth or scarf worn diagonally across the body.

From Khmer, the word and garment spread into Thai and Lao cultures, where it kept the same or similar pronunciation and meaning.

In summary:

• The word “สไบ” in Thai originally comes from Khmer ស្បៃ (sbai).

• It refers to a traditional garment used across Southeast Asia.