Directory_and_Chronicle_1868 — Page 52

Page 52 Page 52

SIAMESE MODE OF DIVIDING TIME.

TABLE OF SIAMESE TIME.

60 Wïnat'ees make

6 Nat'ees

"}

10 Bats

"}

12 Mongs

17

12 Tooms

دو

1 Nat'ee or minute 1 Bat

1 Mong or Toom (hour) 1 Wan (day)

1 K'u'n (night)

29 or 30 wans & k'u'ns make 1 Du'an (month)

12 or 13 Du'ans

10 Pers

}"

1 Pec (year)

1 Sök, or cycle of ten.

"

43

They have no word to denote a week of time. But each day of the seven has its appropriate name and number. Sunday is their first and Saturday their seventh day. By the recurrence of the first and seventh day they are reminded of the lapse of seven days, as we are by the word week.

The days of the week are:-

1st. Wan At'ït 2nd. Wan Chan 3rd. Wan Angk'an 4th. Wan Poot 5th. Wan Prahat 6th. Wan Sook

7th. Wan Sow

(day of the sun) Sunday. (day of the moon) Monday. (day of Mars) Tuesday. (day of Mercury) Wednesday. (day of Jupiter) Thursday. (day of Venus) Friday.

(day of Saturn) Saturday.

Their twelve months are each designated by its appropriate number, excepting the first and second. The former, instead of being called the first month, is called Dian ái, (month ái) the latter, Duan Yèè (month Yèè). The next succeeding month is called Dúan Sám: (third month); the next, Dúan See, (fourth month); and so on through the twelve.

The Siamese have two cycles, one within the other. The greater is twelve years, the smaller ten. The name of the former is Peo, the latter Sok. Every year of each kind of cycle has its own specific name.

The years of the cycle of 12 are:-

1st. Pee Ch'odat 2nd. Pee Ch'aloo

year of the Rat

Caro

3rd. Pee K'án

77

Tiger

4th. Pee T'aw

Rabbit

17

5th. Pee Marong

""

>>

Great Dragon

6th. Pee Masèng 7th. Pee Mameca 8th. Pee Mamas

9th. Pee Wàwk

"

""

Small Dragon

Horse

"

99

Goat

""

72

Monkey

Eka sök T'o sók

To sōk Treeni sōk

Benya sok

10th., Pee Raka

Cock

11th. Pre Chaw

>>

Dog

12th. Pee Kõon

"

"?

Hog

The years of the cycle of 10 are:-

1st of the cycle

2nd

15

3rd

59

""

Ch'áw sök Sapp'á sok Aatt'a sōk Nōpp'a sok Samrett'i sōk

6th of the cycle.

7th

"

**

8th

"

"

9th

帅

"

10th

17

19

29

4th 5th

In writing the number of their Era, the name of each cycle, as it chances to be, always given in the same connection.

is

Every Siamese in taught to remember carefully the name of each year of the cycle of 12, and by no means to forget the name of the particular year, moon, day of the moon, and day of the week in which he was born. So that at any time, when he would count up the number of the years he has lived, he begins by repeating the name of the years in succession from the one that give him birth, nntil he comes back again to his birth-year, keeping tally with his fingers. Thus he counts on until he makes another cycle of twelve, more

Digitized by

Google

Page 52 Page 52