At a somtam shop on one sweltering day when a somtam dish was served, Imm and her friends with utensils in hands wolfed down all the somtam or spicy papaya salad. Imm was the first to put spicy sliced papaya in her mouth. She took time chewing it, with her eyes closed she absorbed every taste it gave. Swallowed it down, she took a deep breathe and acclaimed out loud “Saab!!!”

Sticky Rice Ball proudly present the word – “Saab” for this issue.

Saab is an adverb or modifier in Thai North-Eastern region or E-sarn dialect means ‘tasty or yummy’. Sometimes the word ‘saab’ is miswritten as having a low tone marker or mai eak (-่) on it. The word ‘saab’ แซบ is led by ซ.โซ่ which is a member of low consonants that can produce only 3 tones and can use only 2 tone markers which are middle tone (เสียง สามัญ sĭang săa-man), falling tone (with mai eak (-่) tone marker) and high tone (with mai thoh (-้) tone marker). Accordingly, saab or แซบ is comprised of low class consonant with dead syllable which produce falling tone automatically without having to put tone marker on.

Low consonants with dead syllable can be divided into short and long vowel.
Low consonant, dead syllable and short vowel basically make high tone but will give falling tone when putting mai eak (-่) and give rising tone when putting maai jat dta waa (-๋).

Low consonant, dead syllable and long vowel basically make falling tone but will give high tone when putting mai thoh (-้) and give rising tone when putting maai jat dta waa (-๋). Therefore ‘Saab’ แซบ is low consonant dead syllable long vowel that produce falling tone basically with no need of tone marker.

Enjoy your meal!