SIAMESE MODE OF DIVIDING TIME.
TABLE OF SIAMESE TIME.
60 Winat'ees make
6 Nat'ees
10 Bāts
12 Mongs
12 Tōoms
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1 Nat'ee or minute. 1 Bat.
1 Mong or Tõõm (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
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1 Pee (year).
1 Sök, or evele 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 days 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'ōōt 5th. Wan Prabat 6th. Wan Sõõk
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, Duan Yừ (mouth Yi). The next succeeding month is called Dúan Sám (third month); the next, Dúan Séé, (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 :-
your of the Rat.
Eka sök
1st. Pee Ch'odat
2nd. Pee Ch'alòò
Cum.
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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
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19
Great Dragon.
6th. Pee Maseng 7th. Pee Mameea
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Small Dragon.
Horse,
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8th. Pee Mamaa
Gout.
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9th. Pee Wàwk
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77
Monkey.
10th. Pee Raka
Cock.
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11th. Pee Chaw
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12th. Pee Kõón
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Dog. Hoy
The years of the cycle of 10 are:-
1st of the eyel»,
2nd
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19
3rd
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Cháw sók Sapp á sok
6th of the cycle.
7th
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8th
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9th
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loth
T'o sok
To sōk Treeni sok
Benya sōk
4th 5th
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Aatt'a sõk Nōrg'a sök Samrett'i sök
In writing the number of their Era, the name of each eyele, as it chances to le, is always given in the same connection.
Every Siamese is taught to remember evrefully 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 he 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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