SIAMESE MODE OF DIVIDING TIME.
TABLE OF SIAMESE TIME.
60 Winat'ees make
6 Nat'ees
10 Bats
12 Mongs
12 Tōōms
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1 Nat'ee or minute 1 Bât
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 Pees
1 Pee (year)
1 Sök, or cycle of ten.
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 elapse 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 P'oot 5th. Wan Prahat 6th. Wan Sōōk
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 Dúan ái (month ái), the latter, Dúan Yee (month Yèè). The next succeeding month is called Dúan Sám (third month); the next, Dúan Sěě, (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 Pee, the latter Sok. Every year of each kind of cycle has its own specific name.
The years of the cycle of 12 are :-
year of the Rat
1st. Pee Ch’ddat
2nd. Pee Ch’alòd
Cow
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3rd. Pee K'án
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Tiger
4th. Pee T'aw
Rabbit
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>>
5th. Pee Marong
>>
>>
great Dragon
6th. Pee Masèng 7th. Pee Mameea
8th. Pee Mainaa
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small Dragon
Horse
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Goat
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9th. Pee Wàwk
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>>
Monkey
10th. Pee Raka
Cock
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11th. Pee Chaw
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Dog
12th. Pee Kŏŏn
33
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Hog
The years of the cycle of 10 are:-
Eka sök
1st of the cycle
T'o sōk
2nd
,,
>>
To sōk
3rd
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Treeni sök
4th
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Benya sōk
5th
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Ch'áw sök
6th of the cycle.
Sapp❜á sōk
7th
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หา
Aatt'a sök
8th
Nõpp'a sōk
9th
10th
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Samrett'i sök
In writing the number of their Era, the name of each cycle, as it chances to be, is always given in the same connection.
Every Siamese is 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 names of the years in succession from the one that gave him birth, until he comes back again to his birth-year, keeping tally with his fingers. Thus be counts on until he makes another cycle of twelve, more or less, as the case may be in regard to his age.
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