SOME THOUGHTS ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LANGUAGE AND WORLD VIEW WITH REFERENCE TOTHAILANGUAGEAND CULTURE 1
Martin Schalbruch2
Introduction: The Study of Thai perception of the world as a Language as a Study of Culture hierarchy. It is also a linguistic represent ation of the different status of men and One of the most important reasons to learn women and the importance of the principle another language is to get acquainted with of seniority. "In a striking way it [the Thai another culture. This may be for reasons of pronominal system] mirrors some of the necessity such as immigration or studies in more important features of Thai culture· a foreign country or for reasons of personal and at the same time it provide~ interest, for instance, in the literature, the considerable scope for the expression of customs or the religion of a different individual attitudes and personality." country. Language is the medium of (Cooke 1968:68) description and communication of religious, indigenous and ideological beliefs In my thesis (Schalbruch 1997), I have and, therefore, functions as a means of examined some features of the Thai conservation and transmission of such language with regard to their capacity as beliefs. It yields a wealth of information on being expressions of Thai cultural culture and also chronicles culture's characteristics. Cultural characteristics are changes. Most people would agree that understood here as aspects of a world view language is one of the most important whose distinctive character has developed sources of cultural information. Metaphors, from religion. Although statements on idiomatic expressions and proverbs cultural characteristics are never of an obviously refer to conditions of everyday absolute nature, because culture {like life, . religion, tradition and history. But language) changes constantly, cultural features of the language itself, its grammar, characteristics do not change randomly. its structure and its lexicon, also reflect They are embedded in concepts of a world cultural characteristics. The variety of Thai view that are less susceptible to change personal pronouns for instance reflects the than other elements of a culture.
As source-material for information about a 1 This article is a revised excerpt taken from culture, language has two advantages. my M.A. thesis (Schalbruch 1997) Firstly, as a living language, it is presently 2 Teacher of German at Ramkhamhaeng used and many of its basic features are University, Thailand. familiar to every member of the language
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community who can speak. Language is, Construction of Reality," takes up the therefore, easily accessible, unlike, for tradition of the philosophy of language instance, historical evidence which, founded by Wilhelm von Humboldt. especially in the case of Thailand, is rare, Humboldt uses the word Weltansicht 4 scattered and fragmented. Secondly, (Humboldt 1963 :20) , a German equivalent language is a set of signs and rules whose of the term world view, in his essays and meanings are based on the common lectures on language as early as 1820 and understanding of its users. Words or other argues that cultural concepts are acquired linguistic devices can only be used to and transmitted through the medium of transport meanings and concepts if their language. Learning a language really users have the same basic understanding of means learning a culture and not just a set these meanings and concepts and the words of arbitrary signs and rules. Such a and linguistic devices attached to them. statement seems to be self-evident but Language is a system of communication linguists often shy away from linking their that binds people together. 3 Statements on studies to aspects of culture, mainly culture deduced from language can, because linguistics is a very systematic therefore, claim a certain overall consent science while culture eludes the grip of among all the speakers of a language. systematic analysis. Many linguists have long excluded the domain of culture from There is a long linguistic tradition of their studies and tried to tr~at language as examining a language with regard to its objectively as a natural science. 5 capacity for expressmg cultural phenomena; still, this tradition is not as The tendency to conduct linguistic studies well-known as, for example, the in isolation from the many other areas of structuralist approach to language. I will, human studies that are related to language therefore, in the following, give an can be traced back to Ferdinand de overview of the main tenets of those Saussure, the founder of modern linguists who in their works emphasize the links between language and culture. 4 Weltansicht is a compound word consisting of two nouns: Welt (world) and Ansicht (view) . "Weltansicht" is not necessarily the The Relationship between same as "Weltanschauung" which has much Language and Culture in stronger philosophical connotations. Linguistic Studies "Weltanschauung" refers to one's personal convictions and ideologies concerning the state of affairs of the world. In order to assess the relationship between 5 language and culture, the linguist George Nevertheless, attempts to develop theoretical concepts covering the domain of language and W. Grace, in his book "The Linguistic culture have developed out of structuralism. The science of semiology understands the 3 Because of this binding quality, language plays whole domain of the humanities as a an important role in the development of the multitude of interdependent systems of signs nation-state and tries to establish common scientific ground for the disparate efforts of linguistic studies and cultural studies.
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linguistics. Saus sure did not deny the research--was not interested in sentences complex relationship between language and as part of a textual or cultural context. He culture: "Language in its entirety has many could justify his position with reference to different and disparate aspects. It lies Ferdinand de Saussure's distinction astride the boundaries separating various between langage, langue and parole. domains. It is at the same time physical, Chomsky was concerned with langage, the physiological and psychological. It belongs universal human phenomenon of language, both to the individual and to society." and langue, a particular language system (Lodge 1988:3) But at the same time, such as English or Thai, but not with Saussure was convinced that "no parole, a particular language in use. 6 classification of human phenomena Chomsky had an overwhelming impact on provides any single place for it [language, modern linguistics. "The new grammarians M.S.], because language as such has no routinely invented their own sample discernible unity." (ibid.) He concluded sentences about John and Mary, the ideal, that only the structure of a language could abstract pair whose star-crossed exploits be scientifically examined. "The linguist provided the content of linguistic samples must take the study of linguistic structure for years to come." (Beaugrande, 1985:43) as his primary concern, and relate all other manifestations of language to it. Indeed, amid so many dualities, linguistic The Philosophical Concept of structure seems to be the one thing that is independently definable and provides the World View of Language something our minds can satisfactorily grasp." (ibid.) For Saussure, language as a Introduction and Historical structured system was "both a self Overview contained whole and a principle of classification." (Lodge 1988:3-4) He was The success of Saussures 's distinction consequently convinced that "a science between language as a structured system which studies linguistic structure is not and language in use has overshadowed the only able to dispense with other elements of fact that there has always been a different, language, but is possible only [my albeit not quite as influential approach to emphasis] if those other elements are kept the study of languages. Its main separate." (Lodge 1988:7-8) With this assumption is that a language is much more statement, linguists all over the world have than just a set of arbitrary signs. These justified their self-contained studies of signs are carriers of cultural concepts linguistic structure and discarded the which cannot be communicated in any question of how language and culture are interrelated. 6 For details on Ferdinand de Saussure's distinction between langue, langage and The culmination of these self-contained parole see Ferdinand de Saussure: "Cours de studies of linguistic structure was Noam linguistique generale". Paris, 1915. The Chomsky's model of a generative English translation by Roy Harris which is transformational grammar. Chomsky--at quoted by Lodge (1988:1-14), equates langue least in the early stage of his linguistic with 'language', lang age with 'a language' and parole with 'speech'.
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other way than through the very language approach in linguistic studies. Benjamin they are attached to. More than that, the Lee Whorf (1897-1941), the well-known ordering principles of the grammar American proponent of the world view of underlying these signs have an determining language theory, never mentions Humboldt impact on the perception of the world. and claims instead the ancestry of the Hence, a language controls the perception rather obscure French dramatist and and the conceptualization of the world of philologist Fabre d'Olivet, (1786-1825). its speaker. A separation of language as a (Whorf 1973:8,74) But Whorf actually did system and language in use is therefore come in contact with Humboldt's ideas not possible. through his teacher Edward Sapir (1884- 1939), the disciple of Franz Boas (1858- This assessment of the general nature of 1942) who had brought Humboldt's ideas language transcends the borders of from Germany to the United States. structural linguistic studies and aims right at central questions in the fields of Humboldt himself must be seen within a philosophy, anthropology and ethnology. It philosophical tradition that begins in the may conveniently be called the world view Age of Enlightenment. The French of language. It has also become known as philosopher Etienne Bonnet de Condillac the Sapir-WhorfHypothesis. (1715-1780) and the German scholars Johann Georg Hamann (1730-1788) and The analysis of languages with regard to Johann Gottfried Herder (1744-1803) were their inherent world views is a his forerunners. (Schlesinger, 1991:7-44) predominantly German tradition. In the first half of the 20th century, the German Wilhelm von Humboldt linguist Leo Weisgerber developed his theory of a linguistic acquisition of the Wilhelm von Humboldt set out to look at 7 world. He referred to Wilhelm von languages with the purpose to determine Humboldt (1767-1835), the Prussian the national characteristics of a people. His statesman, philosopher and founder of the essays on language were written between University of Berlin. His philosophy of 1820 and 1835, his most important one language can rightly be regarded as the being The Diversity of Human Language foundation of the world view of language Structure and its Influence on the Mental Development of Mankind 8 on which he 7 Leo Weissgerber's work has not met with worked from 1830 until his death. much appreciation because there is the Humboldt's efforts have to be understood tendency in his writings to use his theory to in the context of the geo-political situation justify his belief in the superiority of the of Germany at his time. Before the German language. His books have not been translated into English. Still, the similarity between the title of his book "Die sprachliche 8 The title of the German original is "Ueber Erschliessung der Welt," (Dusseldorf, 1962) die Verschiedenheit des menschlichen approximately translatable as "The Linguistic Sprachbaues und ihren Einfluss auf die Acquisition of the World," and the title of geistige Entwicklung des Menschen George W. Grace's essay "The Linguistic geschlechts" (Humboldt 1963:368) Construction of Reality" is striking.
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foundation of the (second) German Empire the American anthropologist and linguist in 18 71, Germany consisted of a multitude Edward Sapir, took in Humboldt's studies. of mostly very small principalities, its largest and most dominant being Prussia. Humboldt's premise is that "language is Nevertheless, these politically and the formative organ of thought. Intellectual geographically separate principalities felt activity, entirely mental, entirely internal, they belonged together on account of their and to some extent passing without trace, common language. Humboldt was becomes, through sound, externalized in interested in the question of how a language speech and perceptible to the senses. was linked to those characteristics of a Thought and language are therefore one culture that would create such a strong and inseparable from each other. But the feeling of togetherness and the wish to form former is also intrinsically bound to the a political entity. Furthermore, he wanted necessity of entering into a union with the to find out what the study of language verbal sound; thought cannot otherwise would reveal about these cultural, or, in achieve clarity, nor the idea become a Humboldtian terms, national character concept." (Humboldt 1988:54-55)10 In the istics. The general understanding of the light ofthese convictions, it follows that for term 'nation' in Humboldt's time had not Humboldt the differences between the yet acquired the fatal meaning of national languages are not differences between supremacy. It was simply understood as the sounds and signs but differences between political organization of a people with world views. 11 distinctive cultural characteristics.
10 Humboldt's studies were strictly separated The German original reads "Die Sprache ist from his political interests and mainly das bildende Organ der Gedanken. Die intellectuelle Thatigkeit, durchaus geistig, directed at Non-Indo-European languages, durchaus innerlich und gewissermassen such as Basque in Europe, many languages spurlos voriibergehend, wird durch den Laut of Asia (for instance Chinese, Japanese, the in der Rede ausserlich und wahrnehmbar fur Malayian Languages, Kavi, Burmese, but, die Sinne. Sie und die Sprache sind daher 9 regrettably, not Siamese ) and the Bins und unzertrennlich von einander. Sie ist languages of native Americans. Hence the aber auch in sich an die Nothwendigkeit gekn interest the German-born American tipft, eine Verbindung mit dem Sprachlaute anthropologist Franz Boas and his student, einzugehen; das Denken kann sonst nicht zur Deutlichkeit gelangen, die Vorstellung nicht zum Begri:ffwerden." (Humboldt 1963: 426) 9 In a footnote, which is not entirely translated 11 In his essay The Comparative Study of in Humboldt, 1988, Humboldt mentions Languages with Regard to the Different favorably the writings of a certain Low on Stages ofLanguage Development [M.S.] Siamese (and a certain Burnoufs review of it), ("Ueber das vergleichende Sprachstudium in but objects that Low says too little about Beziehung auf die verschiedenen Epochen der grammar and only gives an unsystematical Sprachentwicklung") of 1820, Humboldt array of examples. Humboldt gives no writes: "Their [the languages', M.S.] reference for Low but mentions that the differences are not differences of sounds and review of Burnouf had been published in signs but differences of their respective world Nouv. Journ. Asia!. IV. 210. (Humboldt 1963 : views." ("Ihre [der Sprachen, M.S.] footnote 707 -8) . Verschiedenheit ist nicht eine von Schallen
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Some eminent 19th and 20th century languages of the Hopi and of other natives philosophers have held views similar to of America and his findings soon convinced those of Humboldt. Friedrich Nietzsche him that languages create a way ofthinking (1844-1900) wrote that grammatical and of perceiving the world. "And every functions unconsciously rule and guide language is a vast pattern-system, different philosophical thinking. 12 Bertrand Russell from others, in which are culturally (1872-1970) thought that the syntax of ordained the forms and categories by which Indo-European languages made it "[... ] the personality not only communicates, but natural to infer that every fact has a also analyzes nature, notices or neglects corresponding form [ ... ]," (Russell types of relationship and phenomena, 195 6:3 31) and Ludwig Wittgenstein channels his reasoning, and builds the (1889-1951) brought the whole issue to the house of his consciousness. "(Whorf point: "The limits of my language mean the 1973 :252) A person's ''thinking itself is in limits of my world." [trans!. M.S.]13 a language-- in English, in Sanskrit, in Chinese." (ibid.) It is only logical to Benjamin Lee Whorf conclude that "A change in language can transform our appreciation of the Cosmos." Humboldt's ideas were brought to America (Whorf 1973 :263) by, among others, Franz Boas and Edward Sapir. Sapir's student Benjamin Lee Whorf Whorf s principal assumption of the (1897-1941) tried to apply them to the inextricable relationship between language and culture has been conveniently called the theory of linguistic relativity, even und Zeichen, sondern eine Verschiedenheit better known as the Sapir-Whorf der Weltansichten selbst." (Humboldt 1963: Hypothesis. It was first developed in 1939 20) in an article called "The Relation of 12 "Gerade, wo Sprach!Verwandtschaft [sic] Habitual Thought and Behavior to vorliegt, ist es gar nicht zu vermeiden, dafi, dank der gemeinsamen Philosophie der Language". (Whorf 1973:134) It is Grammatik - ich meine dank der unbewussten prefaced by a quotation from Edward Sapir Herrschaft und Fiihrung durch gleiche that ends with the words: ''We see and hear grammatische Funktionen - von vornherein and otherwise experience very largely as alles fur eine gleichartige Entwicklung und we do because the language habits of our Reihenfolge der philosophischen Systeme community predispose certain choices of vorbereitet liegt." (Nietzsche 1976: 30) interpretation." (ibid.) Later, in his article [Especially in the case ofthe affinity between "Linguistics as an Exact Science," Whorf languages, it is unavoidable that from the explains that the linguistic relativity beginning everything is prepared for a similar principle means "that users of markedly development and succession ofphilosophical systems - due to the common philosophy of different grammars are pointed by their grammar - I mean due to the unconscious rule grammars toward different types of and guidance through grammatical functions. observations and different evaluations of (my translation)] externally similar acts of observation, and hence are not equivalent as observers but 13 "Die Grenzen meiner Sprache bedeuten die must arrive at somewhat different views of Grenzen meiner Welt." (Wittgenstein the world." (Whorf 1973:221) In other 1978:89)
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words, "all observers are not led by the comparison with many American same physical evidence to the same picture languages, the formal systematization of of the universe, unless their linguistic ideas in English, German, French, or backgrounds are similar, or can in some Italian seems poor and jejune." (Whorf way be calibrated." (Whorf 1973:214) The 1973:85). Such a statement, written in consequences of this linguistic relativity 1936, could only be understood as a principle are far-reaching "for it means that political provocation. no individual is free to describe nature with absolute impartiality but is constrained to George W. Grace: The Linguistic certain modes of interpretation even while Construction of Reality he thinks himself most free. The person most nearly free in such respects would be Only recently, the American linguist a linguist familiar with very many widely George W. Grace has taken up the earlier different linguistic systems. As yet no philosophical approach towards language linguist is in any such position." (ibid.) and re-examined it from a perspective that owes a lot to one of the most recent It should be noted that Whorf explicitly philosophical theories, known under the speaks of markedly different grammars. In name of "Autopoiesis" or "Radical his opinion, the Western world view is Construction."14 This is Grace's position: relatively homogenous because of the "The human species--and no other- unanimity of the major patterns of the possesses the one essential tool which leading modern European languages. They makes a social construction of reality are, in fact, "Indo-European dialects cut to possible. That tool is language. Not only is the same basic plan, being historically language the means by which this kind of transmitted from what was long ago one speech community." (ibid.) Consequently, 14 According to Schmidt (1987), the theory of the dominance of the Western world view "Autopoiesis" or "Radical Construction" has has to do with the dominance of languages its roots in cybernetics, psychology and like Spanish, English, French or German. biology. Its major proponents are the Chilean This explains why Whorf s --like scientists Humberto R. Maturana and Humboldt's -- linguistic interests were Francisco J. Varela, the Austrian-American focused on Non-Indo-European languages. psychologist Paul Watzlawick and the German scientists Heinz von Foerster and Ernst von Many factors have contributed to Whorfs Glaserfeld. Maturana's and Varela's fame, among others his brilliant and "Autopoiesis and Cognition" (Boston Studies provocative style of writing. But Whorfs in the Philosophy of Science, Boston: Reidel, 1979) is one of the pioneering research can only be fully understood studies on "Radical Construction". Ernst von against a political background. His writings Glaserfeld and John Richards wrote the essay amount to an attack against the claim of "The Control of Perception and the supremacy of the white immigrants who Construction of Reality'' (in: Dialectica, ruled over the native peoples in his country. vol.33, no.l, 1979: 37-58). It is surprising that He stresses the principal equality of all Grace makes no reference to these authors nor languages ("no language is 'primitive'," to the theory of "Radical Construction" as a Whorf 1973:260) and claims that "by whole, although his thoughts are quite obviously related to this school of thinking.
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reality construction is accomplished, it is That is the assumption that 'anything also the means by which the realities, once can be said in any language' [ ... ].We may constructed, are preserved and transmitted refer to this assumption as the from person to person and from generation intertranslatability postulate." (ibid. :7) to generation. Hence, it is entirely This postulate is the consequence of a appropriate to refer more specifically to the linguistic concept that regards language linguistic construction of reality." (Grace purely as a structured system of arbitrary 1987:3) Construction of reality is the signs. These signs are assumed to exist fundamental process underlying all acts of independently of a culture or a world view linguistic communication. It is the result of -- otherwise they would not be arbitrary. It man's naturally limited access to reality. is this key assumption of structural The human eye cannot see the 'whole linguistics that has led to the idea of picture'. It selects only small parts of it. In machine translation. The failure of all the a second screening process, the brain, enormous projects to construct programs which receives information through all the that make machine translation "work" may five senses, selects from the multitude of be regarded as an indication that the these pieces of information. But even more intertranslatability postulate may be wrong. important than that, the brain gives meaning to this data. In other words, it Grace contrasts the mapping view with the interprets and thus constructs a model of reality-construction view which he, like reality. "These models [... ] are reflected in many others, derives from the assumptions the language we speak." (ibid.:6) Speaking "that no clear boundary in terms of their and thinking depend entirely on the functions can be drawn between the construction of models of reality that are 'structure' of a language and its plausible to the participants in a process of vocabulary, and therefore that the communication and are compatible with grammars of different languages are no other experiences of reality. Grace more functionally equivalent to one another challenges the purely structural approach than are the languages as wholes" and "that of today' s mainstream linguistics, calling it a language is shaped by its culture, and a the mapping view of language. "The basic culture is given expression in its language, epistemological assumption of the mapping to such an extent that it is impossible to say view might be stated as follows: there is a where one ends and the other begins, i.e. common world out there and our languages what belongs to language and what to are analogous to maps of this world. Thus, culture." (ibid.: 10) For Grace, the major this common world is represented or fault of today's linguistic studies is that 'mapped' (with greater or less distortion) "our acknowledged science of language" is by all languages." (ibid.) Since there is committed to the mapping view. "In fact, only one common world "out there", the not only does this accepted view of different sets of signs and rules of the language make it difficult to design and different languages are ultimately carry out research on the reality interchangeable. "[ ... ] there is one key constructing function of language, it makes assumption [... ] which may be thought of it difficult even to acknowledge that such as containing in a nutshell the essence of reality construction occurs at all." (ibid.: 4) the entire mapping view of language.
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It remains to be seen if George W. Grace's because they establish a system that relates theory of a linguistic construction of reality all the different aspects of life to a common opens a way towards a methodologically central meaning. It is, therefore, only acceptable way to relate linguistic and natural that a religion is at the core of a cultural phenomena. people's world view. It provides a central meaning for all the disparate and seemingly unrelated aspects of life. Religious sets of Language, Cultural beliefs and convictions are, therefore, not Characteristics and World confined to religious ceremonies. They penetrate many aspects of life. "Religious View concepts spread beyond their specifically metaphysical contexts to provide a World view simply means "the way a man framework of general ideas in terms of in a particular society sees himself in which a wide range of experience- relation to everything around him." intellectual, emotional, moral--can be given (Pongsapich 1985: 1) Clifford Geertz meaningful form." (Geertz 973:123) defines a people's world view as "their Religious concepts transcend the realm of picture of the way things in sheer actuality immediate material needs such as food, are, their concept of nature, of self, of housing and clothing and provide the society." (Geertz 1973:127) World view is framework for rules on ethics and morality, composed of concepts originating from for ideas and ideals and for the explanation fundamental human needs. The material of life itself. needs for housing, eating and clothing as well as the spiritual need for explanations Some of these rules and ideas may be of life come together to constitute a adapted according to changing social and people's world view. A world view is a economic situations but fundamental system that relates all these different religious concepts usually do not change aspects of life to each other and thus easily. They contain essential religious determines ·the way people perceive the truths like /bun/ ( \.l'l!) 'merit' and /bab/ world around them. (un.l) 'demerit' in Buddhism or guilt and redemption in Christianity. In short, there Cultural characteristics that become is no way of knowing a culture without apparent in behavioral patterns, activities, knowing its religion. habits or rituals, can be interpreted as symbolic representations of a people's world view. Language can be regarded as The Thai World View and the physical shape that is indispensable to Buddhism make a world view communicable and available. Especially spiritual explanations Thai children are brought up with the of the meaning of human existence and notion that Thai is Buddhism and activities which are found in mythologies, Buddhism is Thai. (Wongwaisayawan folk beliefs and religions are communicated 1987) None of the many ethnological and by means of language. They are the anthropological studies on Thailand fails to stabilizing ingredients of a world view acknowledge the importance of Buddhism
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(or, to be more precise, Thai Buddhism) in Thai language is saturated with Buddhist Thailand. "The history of Thai culture is so terms and concepts. The terminology for dominated by Buddhism that if we take every aspect of the metaphysical realm, away the Buddhist component, there is including moral values, ethical conduct, little to say about it." (Phodisita 1985:30) ideals, virtues and the driving spiritual Lucien Hanks, in his famous study on force of life, is a Buddhist terminology or, "Merit and Power in the Thai Social to be more precise, a religious terminology Order," sees the hierarchical world of the which is dominated by Buddhism but also Buddhist scriptures as a model for the contains elements of Hinduism, animism hierarchical Thai perception of society. "As and folkloristic mythologies. Such concepts good Buddhists, the Thai perceive that all are inherent in the present-day Thai living beings stand in a hierarchy of language, preserved and handed down from varying ability to make actions effective generation to generation. Just how tightly and of varying degrees of freedom from enshrined these concepts are in their suffering." (Hanks 1962: 1247) Buddhism linguistic form becomes clear in the process has penetrated Thai culture and the Thai of translating them from Thai into another world view far beyond religious practice. language. The translation of the word /watl The Buddhist character of Thai culture is l(;l 'temple' into a Western language as self-evident as the Christian character of without any additional explanation is European culture. difficult, if not impossible, because of the cultural concept behind the word /watl l (;l. The three essential truths taught by Since this concept is enshrined in the Buddhism are probably shared by most language, it cannot be translated by simply Thais and influence their world view. They using one word for another. Western are the truth of suffering /khwamthuk/ languages with their Christian perspective (m1)J~fi'11J , the truth of impermanence have no concept ofthe Buddhist temple and /anichang/ (ail 105 Downloaded from Brill.com10/06/2021 02:41:08PM via free access MANUSYA: Journal ofHumanities Vol. 1 No.1 1998 klaang/ l~tlm'l 106 Downloaded from Brill.com10/06/2021 02:41:08PM via free access Some Thoughts on the Relationship between Language and World View plausible to characterize, evaluate and One of the functions of the ritual use of judge someone by what he does. A person spoken language is to counter the effects of reveals his true character in his deeds and wrongdoings. Saving face, apologizing, his behavior. finding excuses, avoiding confrontation are all important speech acts of the Thai The Thai language seems to reflect this language. This may result in what is attitude through the prominence of verbs sometimes misunderstood as a discrepancy and the absence of adjectives. Qualifying between one's true feelings and attitudes words are never used in pre-modifying and one's words. Thais do not regard position so that verbal expressions language as a means to confess and "talk it dominate the narrative discourse. In all out" but as a means to uphold social Western languages, characterization is harmony and one's personal standing. done rather by the use of adjectives than by When it comes to promises however, the use of verbs. Adjectives are employed spoken language becomes devoid of its to describe and characterize, for instance, ritual character. Promises are a emotions and the physical appearance of commitment to deeds and one has to be people or natural scenery. extremely careful in what one says because it has to be honored by one's actions sooner The importance of one's deeds may also be or later. held responsible for the often ritual use of spoken Thai language. Since the true The use of language as a predominantly personality reveals itself in what one does ritual means of communication may and not in what one says, words are to a occasionally lead to the wrong assumption large extent downgraded to an exchange of that one does not need to take one's own formalities. They are needed to convey words too seriously. Discrepancy between politeness, show respect, to protect oneself words and deeds is quite common but from shame and embarrassment and to ultimately one's social standing and avoid conflict. They belong to the world of reputation is eroded by words that are not -outward appearance like clothing and honored· and promises that remain unkept. manners. As any Thai television soap opera Politicians serve as a good example of how will prove, the principle of saving face and people are looked down on upon who try to the fear of rejection are stronger impulses fool others by words. Some people acquire than the impulse to reveal one's thoughts quite a reputation for their masterly use of and emotions in spoken words. Revealing words and their skillful avoidance to one's· true character is not so much a commit themselves but ultimately they are matter of language but of action. Deeds judged by what they do and not by what will speak for themselves and do not have they say. In any case, it is prudent and to be announced, commented upon, advisable not to commit oneself too much analyzed and evaluated. To brag about bywords. one's good deeds is in bad taste and to reveal one's mistakes is unskillful and useless. 107 Downloaded from Brill.com10/06/2021 02:41:08PM via free access MANUSYA: Journal ofHumanities Vol. 1 No.1 1998 Terms of Address and equality of women in urban middle-class Characterization Through society. Position in the Hierarchy Conclusion The hierarchical character of Thai society has often been pointed out by scholars of By studying a language with regard to Thai Studies. "The primary direction of aspects of the culture and the world view it integration among people appears to be communicates, valuable insight can be vertical." (Mulder 1990:108) A look at the gained into the fundamental patterns, the Thai language shows that it is impossible development and the changes in the culture to perceive and describe the world as non and the world view of a people. After all, hierarchical in Thai. The hierarchical language is man's tool to conceptualize the character of the Thai language becomes world and construct models of reality. It is evident in the terms of address. These the prerequisite for all of his intellectual terms are chosen according to the position activities. There is, as many fairy-tales and in which the speaker sees himself in legends tell us, no way of knowing relation to the addressee. Equality or something without naming it. "Only what symmetrical relationships do exist but they has a name can be shared . .Communicable are rare compared to hierarchical perception has to be coded in language. [ ... ] relationships. Equality is expressed by the These perceptions, fixed in language, reciprocal use of the first name only. It become a kind of second nature." (Hodge always denotes a lack of distance which & Kress 1993:5) An examination of carries both a negative and a positive language may, therefore, help to aspect. The negative aspect is the absence understand man's second nature better. of formal respect, the positive aspect is a high degree of intimacy as in close Cultural characteristics, world view and friendships or partnerships. Lack of formal language change. But it is one of the respect and presence of intimacy as denoted important functions of language that it by the use of the first name only also conserves those aspects of a world view applies to the relationship between parents that will be regarded as essential and and children or boss and employee but in distinctive. these cases first names cannot be used reciprocally. Children never call their The question of the nature of the parents by their first name. relationship between language and culture is, therefore, not just a matter of academic The hierarchical differences between interest. It has, among others, political husband and wife, however, are decreasing implications that can easily be shown with in modem Thai society. More and more regard to the role of the English language couples regard themselves as equal in today' s world. The assumption of partners and address each other by first structural linguistics that a language names only.(Tingsabadh & Prasithrathsint consists of a set of arbitrary signs seems to 1989:142) This development may be be proven right by the successful indicative of a slow process towards the establishment of English as the language of international communication. The keyword 108 Downloaded from Brill.com10/06/2021 02:41:08PM via free access Some Thoughts on the Relationship between Language and World View here is arbitrary. If a language is nothing aeons of independent evolution have more than a set of arbitrary signs, it arrived at different, but equally logical, follows--as Grace (1987) has pointed out- provisional analyses." (Whorf 1973:244) that everything that can be said in one language can also be said in any other language. Thus, it can certainly be said in References English. According to a philosophy of language based on Humboldt that cannot Wongwaisayawan, Suwanna. 1987. Power be true. Humboldt and the later proponents and Merit: The Concept of the Three Worlds and the Thai Identity. In of a world view oflanguage concept do not Thailand. Collected essays on socio understand language as an arbitrary set of politics in honour of Professor Seney signs but as a manifestation of culture that Chamrik on the occasion of his 60th serves as a means to communicate and birthday. Bangkok: Thammasat conserve the essence of a culture. Every Univerity Press, pp. 1-22. language and every culture, according to ('f1"'i"'iM "NAhf1tn"'i"'itu. 2530. 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