อาจารย์

From Sanskrit आचार्य (ācārya, “teacher; preceptor”); perhaps via Old Khmer ʼācāryya, ʼācārya (“teacher, instructor; spiritual preceptor; expert”). Cognate with Modern Khmer អាចារ្យ (ʼaacaa), អាចរិយ (ʼaacaʼreyaʼ); Lao ອາຈານ (ʼā chān).

อาจารย์ • (aa-jaan) (classifier คน or ท่าน)

1. teacher: one who teaches, especially as a profession.
2. (education, law)
   1. instructor: teacher in a higher education institution who ranks below assistant professor.
   2. used as a rank for such person. Abbreviation: อ. (ɔɔ)
3. (colloquial) teacher in a higher education institution, irrespective of the rank.
4. (colloquial) expert; specialist.
5. religious teacher; spiritual preceptor.
6. (slang) master of the occult or black magic, as sorcerer, shaman, exorcist, etc.
7. used as a term of address to or title for such person, and used by such person to refer to oneself.