The word “Lanta” and what it means
How did the
island of Ko Lanta get its' name? What does the word "Lanta" actually
mean? While the origin itself has still yet to be proved conclusively, there
are a number of interesting proposals. The first is based upon the Javanese
word used to describe a sieve used for drying fish, “Lantus”. This is a
food-saving process still used during the monsoon season by the New Thai (Sea
Gypsies) on Lanta today.
Another
reliable source claims that the original word, "Pulau Lun-Tuck" or
"Pulau Sa-Tuck" stems from the Malaysian language, meaning “the
island with a long mountain range”. Examination of ancient documents by
historians have prompted further claims, this time of sea maps from Arabia
showing the island was first known as “Janub Lanta”, meaning Southern Lanta.
And other sources yet indicate that the word "Laan-Ta" was the
original name of the island. This last comes from a Thai word meaning “to get
blurry eyes”, due to the dust generated from shells on the many long beaches.
