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Thewai (Thai:ไหว้,pronounced[wâːj]) is a greeting in Thailand that consists of a slightbow, with the palms pressed together in a prayer-like fashion. It has its origin in theIndianAñjali Mudrā, like the Indiannamaste andBurmesemingalaba. The higher the hands are held in relation to the face and the lower the bow, the more respect or reverence the giver of thewai is showing. Thewai is traditionally observed upon formally entering a house. After the visit is over, the visitor asks for permission to leave and repeats the salutation made upon entering.[1] Thewai is also common as a way to express gratitude or to apologise.
Thewai gesture originated in Buddhism and has similar origins asnamaste inHinduism. It was basically a yogic posture of the palms and signifies the equal meeting of the two palms. It means that the other party is treated as an equal human being.[2][3]
The word often spoken with thewai as a greeting or farewell is "sawatdi" (RTGS forสวัสดี,pronounced[sā.wàt.dīː], sometimes romanized assawasdee). This verbal greeting is usually followed by "kha" when spoken by a female and by "khrap" when spoken by a male person (see note onThai polite particles). The wordsawatdi was coined in the mid-1930s by Phraya Upakit Silapasan ofChulalongkorn University.[4] Derived from theSanskritsvasti (स्वस्ति meaning 'well-being'), it had previously been used in Thai only as a formulaic opening to inscriptions. The strongly nationalist government ofPlaek Phibunsongkhram in the early–1940s promoted its use in the government bureaucracy as well as the wider populace as part of a wider set ofcultural edicts to modernise Thailand.
Waiing remains to this day an extremely important part of social behavior among Thais, who are very sensitive to their self-perceived standing in society. It is also frequently used as an accompaniment to an apology, sometimes even serving as a "get out of jail free card".[5] Foreign tourists and other visitors unaccustomed to the intricacies of Thai language and culture should not wai someone younger than them except in return for their wai. However, one should always return a wai that is offered as a sign of respect. Corporate wais, such as those performed by convenience store cashiers, generally are reciprocated with a smile or a nod.
If one receives awai while carrying goods, or for any reason that makes returning it difficult, one should still show their respect by making a physical effort to return it as well as possible under the circumstances.
Pranāma orNamaste, the part of ancientIndian culture has propagated toSoutheast Asia, which was part ofindosphere ofgreater India, through thespread of Hinduism andBuddhism from India. It has influenced the following nations.
InChina, similar greetings—calledsuk sabaidee byTai Lue people (Xishuangbanna) and ᥛᥬᥰ ᥕᥧᥱ ᥘᥤ ᥕᥧᥱ ᥔᥣ? byTai Nua people (Dehong Dai).
InCambodia,Laos, andMyanmar, similar greetings—calledsampeah (សំពះ),sabaidee (ສະບາຍດີ),mingalaba (မင်္ဂလာပါ),maur sung kha (မႂ်ႇသုင်ၶႃႈ) (Shan people) respectively—are also in use.
InIndonesia,wai-like gestures are in use in various parts of the country, in theroyal courts ofJava it is calledsembah (Javanese:ꦱꦼꦩ꧀ꦧꦃ,Sundanese:ᮞᮨᮙᮘᮃᮠ,Balinese:ᬲᭂᬫ᭄ᬩᬄ), and also common inLombok andBali, where Hinduism and Buddhism is or has been widely practiced. In Bali the greeting word spoken during the sembah isom swastiastu,[6] which is equivalent tosawatdee inThai. Both originated from theSanskritsvasti. In Sanskritsvasti means "safe, happy, and prosperous", andastu means "be it so". ThusOm Swastiastu means: "Oh God, I hope all goodness (safety, happiness, and prosperity) comes from all directions."[7]
InMalaysia andBrunei, it was historically used to convey thanks or salutations to a patron or higher personage, with the hands raised to a level in accordance with the rank or caste of the individual to whom it was directed. It is still used in the presence of Malaysian or Bruneian royalty.
In thePhilippines, although not used as a greeting gesture, similarwai-like gestures (the clasping of both hands at the stomach-level, chest-level or chin-level) are used to convey heartfelt gratitude to a helper or benefactor, especially if that benefactor's social status is above that of the one who is assisted. This has its origins in the pre-Hispanic and pre-IslamicHindu-Buddhist beliefs and customs of the archipelago. It is still used as a salutation before and after thepangalay dance of theTausug andBajau peoples of theSulu Archipelago.
InSouth India andSri Lanka, a similar gesture is used to greet. InTamil for instance, the greeting expressionVanakkam (வணக்கம்), meaning greeting, is derived from the root word vanangu (வணங்கு), meaning to bow or to greet, Vanakkam also means "may there me respects to you". In Sinhalese, "Ayubowan", meaning, "may you live longer", is used. The gesture is commonly used to greet people in India.
