เช้า

From Proto-Tai *ɟaːwꟲ (“early morning”). Compare Middle Chinese 早 (MC tsawX, “morning, early”). Cognate with Lao ເຊົ້າ (sao), Lü ᦋᧁᧉ (tsaw²), Shan ၸဝ်ႉ (tsâ̰o), Ahom 𑜋𑜈𑜫 (chaw), 𑜋𑜨𑜧 (chow) or 𑜋𑜨𑜧𑜈𑜫 (choww), Zhuang caeux. Compare Vietnamese chào. May be cognate with เพรา (prao, “morning”).

เช้า • (cháao)

1. in the early part of the morning.
2. before the usual or appointed time; ahead of time.

เช้า • (cháao)

1. morning.
2. (colloquial) the period of time between sunrise and sunset; the period of time that there is still daylight.

• In Thai culture, morning denotes the period of time from 06:00 hours to 09:00 hours. It may sometimes be extended to 12:00 hours.

• Appendix:Thai/Time

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

เช้า • (cháo)

1. (archaic) basket.
   • มหาชาติคำหลวง, กัณฑ์มัทรี:

     ครั้นเช้าก็หิ้วเช้า ชายป่าเต้าไปตามชาย

     krán cháao gɔ̂ɔ hîo cháo · chaai bpà dâo bpai dtamm chaai

     As the morning came, she carried a basket and set out along the edge of the forest in quest of the man.

• “เช้า” in Thai Dictionary Project (TDP) (UC Berkeley 1964) (plus additional data from the Royal Institute of Thailand (RI) and NECTEC's LEXITRON project (LEX)). Searchable online at SEAlang.net.