Sbai ( ; ; Malay language: Sebai; Jawi alphabet: سباي; , ) or phaa biang ( ; ) is a shawl-like garment worn by women in Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand to cover the breasts, while in Sumatra, Borneo and the Malay Peninsula, the same term is used to describe a cloth hanging from the shoulders.
Etymology
The term
sbai is the contracted form of vowels which has its ultimately original roots from the Austronesian term
*cahebay,
[Wolff, John U et al. (2010). Proto-Austronesian Phonology with Glossary Vol. II. Ithaca, NY: Cornell Southeast Asia Program Publications. p. 838. ][Blust, Robert A., Pawley, Andrew, and Adelaar, K. Alexander. (2009). Austronesian Historical Linguistics and Culture History A Festschrift for Robert Blust. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics, Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, The Australian National University. p. 118. "*cahebay 'hang'".] which was diversified as the first exodus in
Taiwan as the Formosan term
*sapay[Wolff, John U et al. (2010). Proto-Austronesian Phonology with Glossary Vol. I. Ithaca, NY: Cornell Southeast Asia Program Publications. pp. 215, 217, 522. ] from
south China between 5,000–4,500 BCE, and the second exodus to the
Philippines,
Indonesia, and others occurred around 3,000–2,000 BCE.
[West, Barbara A. (2009). "Austronesians," Encyclopedia of the Peoples of Asia and Oceania. New York, NY: Facts On File, Inc. pp. 64-65. ]
Its vowel sequence was contracted from south China to the first exodus: *cahebay *cahbay*cahpay *sapay (meaning: 'to hang').
-
Austroasiatic languages: *lɓak (Dvaravati Old Mon and Nyah Kur),
[Diffloth, Gérard. (1984). The Dvaravati Old Mon language and Nyah Kur. Bangkok: Chulalongkorn University Printing House. p. 166. :— "V42. *lɓak NyK: to wear (cloth) across the shoulder v.tr; /ne̫ec - /: cloth for bathing, wrapping around the head... Mon: to wear around the neck; (Ri): to hang (cloth) on shoulder, on a line, in order to dry…"] cambāy (Middle Mon language), *jbaay (Mon), *sapay sĕbai, sbaisbāy, spai spiey or *sapayspai spiey (Old Khmer and Modern Khmer language),[Headley Robert K., Rath Chim, and Ok Soeum. (1997). Modern Cambodian-English Dictionary. Kensington, MD: Dunwoody Press. p. 1,385. ] phìai (Kuy language).
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Austronesian languages: *cahebay łahpay, cahfay, cabfay. (Proto-Austronesian).
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Formosan languages: *sapay sapai (Puyuma language).
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Indo-European languages: *səmpay (Sangsari).
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Kra–Dai languages: *sapay sĕbai, sbaisabai, saphaay (Thai language).
[Tumtavitikul, Apiluck. " Perhaps, the tons are in the consonants?," Mon-Khmer Studies Journal (23)(1993): 32.][Charoensappapuech, Supat. (2020) ‘สไบ’ คำเขมร ที่ (อาจ) ไม่เขมร Sabai, (in Thai). GotoKnow. Retrieved on 10 November 2024.]
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Malayo-Polynesian languages: *sapay 'sbai,
[Shellabear, William Girdlestone. (1916). An English-Malay Dictionary. Singapore: Methodist Publishing House. p. 446.:— "Scarf (skarf), s. (round the neck) sapu-targan lehir, ]sbai''';* (round the waist) bngkorg; (over shoulder to carry children) ambin,* slendang."
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Raffles, Thomas Stamford. (1817). "APPENDIX E. No. I. A Comparative Vocabulary of The Malàyu, Jàvan, Madurese, Bàli, and Lampùng Languages, arranged under the following heads, viz.," The History of Java Volume II: With a Map and Plates. London: Cox and Bailey Limited. p. 97.:— "(ENGLISH) Linen robe or cloth, (MALÁYU) slindang; sbai, (Jáva) kemben, (Bása kráma) kasemékan, (Súnda) karémbong, (Madúra) ..........., (Sumenáp) sa-ung-sa-ung, (BÁLI) tangkálong, (LAMPUNG) kakámban." sĕbai,
[Wilkinson, Richard James. (1908). An Abridged Malay-English Dictionary (Romanized). Kuala Lumpur: The F.M.S. Government Press. p. 194.:— "sĕbai, a kind of scarf passing behind the neck and with the ends hanging down over the chest."] sampai (Malay language), sampai (Indonesian), sampay, sampayán (Tagalog language), sampe (Makassarese, Selayar language), sambay, sablay (Maranao language), sumpáy (Ratahan language), hafe-hafe (Tondano language), cave- (Filipinno), sappɛ (Buginese), sappɛ-sappɛ (Toba Batak), sampay-an (Ngaju language), sampe-lao (Muna language), sampi, mi-sampy, sampazana (Malagasy), sambay (Maranao language).
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Indo-European languages: spāy (unverified Sanskrit religious vocabulary as assumed by French.) from the Sanskrit of Khmer inscription on the Tāmrakumbha Indian brass water jug (K.669C Line 18) aged 972 CE at Preah Vihear Temple.
[Soutif, Dominique and Estève, Julia. "TEXTS AND OBJECTS Exploiting the Literary Sources of Medieval Cambodia," in Hendrickson, Mitch; Stark, Miriam T.; and Evans, Damian. (2023). The Angkorian World. London; New York, NY: Routledge. p. 31. ]
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Dravidian languages: sālvai (Tamil language)
History
Sbai is derived from the Indian
sari, which may have been introduced to Southeast Asia through the
Greater India along with other traditions and elements of Indian culture.
Cambodia
There are related mythologies in Khmer culture concerning the history of
sbai, which was likely introduced during the
Funan era from India alongside
chong kben in the first century AD. The
sbai is mentioned in the legends of Preah Thong and Neang Neak. In one scene, Preah Thong clings to a piece of cloth worn on the Nagini in order to make the journey to the Nāga's kingdom; that piece of cloth is a
sbai. In that tale, the
sbai is symbolic of the tail of Neang Neak, the Nāga princess.
In the Khmer Empire, although it was common for men and women to be topless; however, clothes for the upper body were worn: the bas-reliefs of Bayon, Preah Khan, and other Angkorian temples depict women wearing a shawl-like sbai while religious male figures are adorned with stylized sbai. At Angkor Wat, there are depictions of topless Apsaras holding sbai connected to their sampot, while the northern wall of Angkor Wat depicts a group of ladies wearing long sbai holding various offerings.
Nowadays, sbai, along with chang kben and sampot, are regarded as Cambodia's national costumes.
For men, especially Brahmin and Buddhist monk, the sbai called sbong sbai trai chivor,
Laos
In Laos, this garment is known as
phaa biang or sabai. It is common for Lao women to wear
sabai as it is considered traditional clothing. A
sabai can also be worn by men in weddings or when attending religious ceremonies. The type of
sabai typically worn by Lao men often has checkered patterns.
Sabai can also be a long piece of silk, about a foot wide, that is draped diagonally over the chest covering one shoulder with one end dropping behind the back.
[Bonnie Ghazarbekian, Jane Siegel, Sawaddi, 15 years, p.130.]
Malaysia
In Malaysia, Sebai is a cloth wrapped around the neck to cover the shoulders with both ends hanging on the chest similar to a scarf hung over the shoulders.
Myanmar
The
Mon people is also known to have similar tradition of wearing the shawl-like
sabai called
yat toot in
Mon language language, diagonally over the chest covering one shoulder with one end dropping behind the back like that worn by Lao women. This tradition distinguished them from other ethnic groups in Myanmar. The Mon people of Myanmar and Thailand today were the descendants of various Indianized polities, notably
Dvaravati. Artifacts from Dvaravati sites in what is now Thailand depicted a group of ladies wearing what is similar to
sabai.
Thailand
Artifacts found in
Mon people Dvaravati sites depict group of ladies wearing what is similar to
sabai.
Sabai (, , ) or pha biang ( ) is shawl-like garment, or breast cloth. Sabais can be used by women or men. The sabai is also known as a long piece of silk, about a foot wide, draped diagonally around the chest by covering one shoulder which its end drops behind the back. Sabais could be worn around the naked chest or on top of another cloth. The practice of wearing Sabai along with Victorian cloth was a common practice during the reign of King Chulalongkorn and lasted until the reign of King Vajiravudh when Westernized clothing became more fashionable.
Gallery
File:Ang Mei, Queen of Cambodia.jpeg|Queen Ang Mey and her daughters wearing sbai in the 1800s
File:Siamese lady of title, wife of Prime Minister, Bangkok, Siam Wellcome L0055546.jpg|Lady Pun Bunnag, Somdet Chaophraya Borom Maha Sri Suriwongse's wife wearing pha biang, 1866
File:Siamese girl (NYPL Hades-2359944-4044709).jpg|Siamese girl wearing pha biang, 1921
File:Rama III's daughter.jpg|Daughters of King Rama II and King Rama III wearing pha biang in the 1800s
File:Queen Debsirindra.jpg|Queen Debsirindra wearing pha biang, 1855
File:Ban Khung Taphao05.jpg|Thai children wearing pha nung and pha biang
File:Cambodian couple.jpg|Cambodian bride wearing a sbai in a wedding ceremony
File:Cambodian American Dance (22662834390).jpg|Dancer wearing sbai
See also
External links
