The word ຫມໍ means a specialist/expert who provides some kind of services. It’s commonly associated with being a doctor in a health sense. ⠀⠀
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The word is mainly use in the formal sense but can act as an informal pronoun as well.⠀⠀
Informal usages
Let’s say, you’re waiting for your valet at a parking garage and wondering where your valet is?
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ຫມໍຜູ້ນັ້ນ /maw pu nan/ = that “person” (duty of something) over there.⠀⠀
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ສົງໃສເປັນໝໍນີ້ /song sai bpen maw nii/ = “I suspect that’s our valet.” By referring to ຫມໍ casually, you’re indicating that person “specializes” in taking care of your car.
formal usages
The word ຫມໍ /maw/ by itself generally implies a health doctor (such as a house doctor or the ones who work in a hospital facility treating patients).⠀⠀
Sometimes hear you’ll it as ທ່ານຫມໍ /taan maw/ (where ທ່ານ /tang/ refers to Sir/Mister). Though to be gender-neutral you can think of ທ່ານ /tang/ as a formal way or honorific of saying “You” ທ່ານຫມໍ /taan maw/ can be both male and female doctors.⠀⠀
Vocabulary
ຫມໍ /maw/= doctor/specialist/expert⠀⠀
ທ່ານຫມໍ /tang maw/= health doctor⠀⠀
ຫມໍຕາ /maw dtaa/ = specialist + eye = optometrist⠀⠀
ໝໍຕຳແຍ /maw dtam nyaae/= gynecologist (female birth doctor)⠀⠀
ໝໍຢາ /maw yaa/ = specialist + drug/medicine = pharmacist⠀⠀
ຫມໍສັດ /maw sat/ = specialist + animal = Veterinarian⠀⠀
ຫມໍແຂ້ວ /maw bpua kaaeo/ or ຫມໍປົວແຂ້ວ /maw kaaeo/ = “specialist + fix + teeth” = dentist⠀⠀
ໝໍພື້ນເມືອງ /maw peaun meaung/ = specialist + tradition/herbal medicine⠀⠀
ໝໍດູ /maw duu/ = fortune teller⠀⠀
ໝໍລຳ /maw lam/ “Morlam” = specialist + folk song (Noun = Traditional Lao music performer) This is not quite a compound word, but you can think of it as someone performing traditional folk Lao music⠀
