Lexical Variation of Chiangmai Dialect
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
LEXICAL VARIATION OF CHIANGMAI DIALECT IN CHIANGMAI PROVINCE IN THAILAND by SUDARAT LEERABHANDH HATFIELD (Under the Direction of WILLIAM A. KRETZSCHMAR, JR. ) ABSTRACT This research is a sociolinguistic study to find out whether there is lexical variation in the Chiangmai dialect in Chiangmai province in Thailand. It documents the differences of lexical use among the Chiangmai people, considers whether social factors such as age, education, sex, and urban/rural residence cause the differences. This project includes thirty-six speakers spread across twenty-two districts (Amphurs) in Chiangmai province. For each speaker, responses to two hundred and eighty-nine different questions, or linguistic variables, are tabulated. The results are analyzed separately in order to reveal the patterns of variation by the variables of age, education, sex, and region. The principal method is a questionnaire, which covers nine topics drawn from daily life. Instead of using fixed questions aimed to elicit short responses, the questionnaire was used as a guide for conversation. Tape recordings of informal conversation were also made. Questionnaire responses are transliterated in English Roman script to represent Chiangmai words exactly as the Chiangmai people pronounce them. It was concluded that age and education are two social factors that cause lexical variation among the Chiangmai people. Sex is only a small factor in lexical variation. Region is another social factor which causes lexical variation in the Chiangmai dialect. INDEX WORDS: Lexicon, Language Variation, Language Change, Variants, Lexical Variation, Lexical Change, Social Variables, Regional Variables, Social Factor, Sociolinguistics, Dialectology, Linguistic Variables, Chiangmai Dialect, Standard Thai LEXICAL VARIATION OF CHIANGMAI DIALECT IN CHIANGMAI PROVINCE IN THAILAND by SUDARAT LEERABHANDH HATFIELD B.A., Chiangmai University, Thailand 1981 M.A., Mahidol University, Thailand 1984 A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of The University of Georgia in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY ATHENS, GEORGIA 2005 © 2005 Sudarat Leerabhandh Hatfield All Rights Reserved LEXICAL VARIATION OF CHIANGMAI DIALECT IN CHIANGMAI PROVINCE IN THAILAND by SUDARAT LEERABHANDH HATFIELD Major Professor: William A. Kretzschmar, Jr. Committee: Don R. McCreary Marlyse Baptista Electronic Version Approved: Maureen Grasso Dean of the Graduate School The University of Georgia May 2005 iv To my mother, Sinee Leerabhandh, and my husband, Rob Hatfield, Without them, I would not have become what I am today. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This dissertation would not have been successful if it had not been for the support, love, and patience of many people, to whom I cannot find words to express my gratitude. First, I would especially like to thank Dr. William A. Kretzschmar, Jr., who served as my major professor and director of my dissertation, for believing in me and encouraging me to finish what I started. I highly admire his dedication, efficiency in decision-making, valuable advice, and guidance along the way. Special thanks go to Dr. Don R. McCreary and Dr. Marlyse Baptista, my committee members, who deserve recognition for all the individual help given to me in the past few years. I would like to acknowledge the late Dr. William Provost, at that time as a Director of the Linguistics Program, who gave me a chance to transfer my Ph. D. program from State University of New York at Buffalo, at a time when I was very discouraged and lacked enthusiasm for finishing my degree. Without him, I would not have this day. Finally, I owe a great debt to Lynnette K. Lang, Linguistic Administrative Secretary, who always put her things aside and took care of my needs first. The second acknowledgements belong to my friends Dr. Paporn Thebpanya and Sathaporn Petchrawises for all the support they provided such as food, time, and graphic designs in this dissertation. I want to thank the Hatfield family for hospitality while I was waiting for the defense and taking great care of me during the stay. My special thanks go to my dearest family, the Leerabhandh family. Thank you mom, dad, Poom, Waew, and all my aunts for giving me love, values, and belief. vi Finally my greatest thanks go to my dearest husband, Rob Hatfield, who came to my life before it did. Your patience and high level of tolerance to my unpredictable mood swings have been more than highly appreciated. I love you more than that. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.............................................................................................................v LIST OF TABLES......................................................................................................................... ix LIST OF FIGURES .........................................................................................................................x CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION .........................................................................................................1 1.1 LINGUISTIC GEOGRAPHY OF THAILAND .................................................3 1.2 A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SOUND SYSTEM OF THE STANDARD THAI DIALECT (BANGKOK THAI DIALECT) ............................................8 1.3 LINGUISTIC GEOGRAPHY OF NORTHERN THAILAND ........................10 1.4 LINGUISTIC GEOGRAPHY OF CHIANGMAI ............................................11 1.5 A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SOUND SYSTEM OF THE CHIANGMAI DIALECT..................................................................................15 1.6 COMPARISON BETWEEN STANDARD THAI DIALECT AND CHIANGMAI DIALECT..................................................................................18 1.7 TRANSLITERATION ......................................................................................19 1.8 TECHNICAL TERMS USED IN THIS RESEARCH......................................23 2 LITERATURE REVIEW............................................................................................25 2.1 LINGUISTIC RESEARCH IN THAILAND....................................................25 2.2 LITERATURE REVIEW ABOUT DIALECT STUDY IN THAILAND........26 viii 2.3 METHODOLOGY USED IN THIS RESEARCH COMPARED TO THOSE IN THE PAST ...................................................................................................40 3 THE SURVEY.............................................................................................................43 3.1 THE LINGUISTIC VARIABLES AND THE INTERVIEW...........................43 3.2 THE SOCIAL AND REGIONAL VARIABLES .............................................57 4 TALLIES AND SELECTED COMMENTARY.........................................................66 5 RESEARCH DATA CONCLUSION........................................................................210 5.1 RESULTS OF THE VARIANTS FOUND FROM THE INFORMANTS.....210 5.2 VARIANTS ASSOCIATED WITH SOCIAL FACTORS.............................215 5.3 DISCUSSION AND FUTURE RESEARCH .................................................232 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................233 APPENDICES ................................................................................................................................... A INFORMANT BIOGRAPHIES................................................................................239 B VARIANTS EXCLUSIVE TO THE OLD OR THE YOUNG GROUPS ................245 C VARIANTS SHARED BY THE OLD AND THE YOUNG GROUPS ...................254 D SELECTED PICTURES SHOWING SOME VARIANTS ......................................258 E INDEX OF VARIANTS BY QUESTION NUMBER ..............................................267 ix LIST OF TABLES Page Table 1.1: Initial consonants in Standard Thai ................................................................................8 Table 1.2: Single vowels in Standard Thai ......................................................................................9 Table 1.3: Chiangmai dialect initial consonants............................................................................16 Table 1.4: Chiangmai dialect single vowels ..................................................................................17 Table 3.1: Questionnaire topics .....................................................................................................44 Table 5.1: Distribution of the questions and their variants..........................................................214 Table 5.2: Examples of variants shared by the old and the young groups...................................217 Table 5.3: Examples of word choices in some variants used in the old and the young groups...218 Table 5.4: Numbers of informants between the two age groups with education levels ..............220 Table 5.5: Examples of variants used exclusively by the old age group that are close to Standard Thai ...............................................................................................................................221 Table 5.6: Examples of variants used exclusively by the young age group that are close to Standard Thai................................................................................................................222 Table 5.7: Examples of variants that are close to Standard Thai shared by both age groups......223 Table 5.8: Variants used exclusively by male or female .............................................................225 Table 5.9: Examples