The Journal of the Royal Institute of Thailand Vol. 31 No. 3 Jul.-Sep. 2006 Romanization, Transliteration, Nitaya Kanchanawan* Associate Fellow of the and Transcription for the Academy of Arts, The Royal Institute, Thailand Globalization of the Thai Language1 Abstract This paper differentiates between the similar terms of transcription, transliteration, Romanization and Anglicization. The six systems which are employed to represent Thai words through the Roman script are examined. These systems are King Rama VI system, the first Royal Institute systems (both General and Precise Systems), the second Royal Institute system, the third Royal Institute system, Anglicization system and the ISO system. Whereas each system serves a different purpose, the ISO system can be used globally as a means to exchange information both by humans and machines. Key words : transcription, transliteration, Romanization, Anglicization, Rama VI system, Royal Institute system, ISO system 1. Introduction languages. This can be seen in Standard Organization (ISO), Two or more different lan- the case of the Roman script used however, the need for harmonized guages may use similar or different in transcribing English, French, standards in the world of infor- sets of symbols for writing pur- German, etc. or in the case of the mation is global. The wide spread poses. The same symbol set may Thai and Cambodian scripts which use of the Internet has strengthened be modified to suit a particular came from the same origin. Thus, the need for interoperable stan- language in question. The crucial using different sets of written dards and compatible information point is that each language contains symbols for the same language systems. Thus, characters from it’s own pronunciation. Thus, by may cause some confusion in different individual writing sys- default, the same linguistic sym- pronunciation or other ambigui- tems must be converted into a bol set may not always represent ties. single universal alphabet to allow the same sounds for two different According to the International for alphabetical intercalation in * Associate Professor, Faculty of Humanities, Ramkhamhaeng University 1 Paper presented in Round Table “Romanization, Transliteration, and Transcription for Globalization.” 1st World Congress on the Power of Language: Theory, Practice, and Development. In Honor of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn’s 50th Birthday Anniversary in the Year of Languages. 22-25 May 2006. Queen Sirikit Center, Bangkok, Thailand Romanization, Transliteration, and Transcription 832 for the Globalization of the Thai Language «“√ “√√“™∫—≥±‘µ¬ ∂“π ªï∑’Ë ÛÒ ©∫—∫∑’Ë Û °.§.-°.¬. ÚıÙ˘ bibliographies, catalogues, indexes, as possible arbitrary choice and for systems that are not entirely etc. It is essential to create an the use of purely conventional alphabetical or syllabic, and for environment for the univocal marks, and try to maintain a certain all ideophonographical systems transmission of written messages phonetic logic in order to give the of writing such as Chinese. between two countries using com- system a wide acceptance. 2.3 Romanization is the pletely different writing systems. However, it must be accepted process whereby a non-Latin that the graphism employed may writing systems is converted to 2. Conversion Methods for not always produce correct pro- the Latin alphabet. In doing so Writing Systems nunciation due to the individual either transliteration or transcrip- There are two basic conver- phonetic habits of the language tion or a combination of the two sion methods for writing systems (or languages) which usually use systems may be used depending and they are transliteration and the conversion alphabet. On the on the nature of the converted transcription. other hand, this graphism must system and the desired objectives. 2.1 Transliteration is the be such that the reader who has a 2.4 Regarding the use of the process which consists of re- knowledge of the original language Latin alphabet for the represen- presenting the characters of an may mentally restore unequivo- tation of the Thai language, there alphabetical or syllabic system of cally the original graphism and are four different systems used to writing by using the characters thus pronounce it correctly. transcribe: King Rama VI system of a conversion alphabet. The use 2.2 Transcription is the (in which the Pali and Sanskrit of a conversion alphabet is the process whereby the sounds of a written forms are retained), trans- easiest way to ensure the complete given language are represented cription system, and the Romaniza- and unambiguous reversibility of by a system of signs contained in tion and Anglicization systems. the conversion alphabet into the a conversion language. 2.4.1 King Rama VI converted system. A transcription system is of System (1913) In exceptional cases, e.g. when necessity based on the orthogra- With the introduction the number of characters used in phical conventions of the conver- of the family name system in 1913 the conversion system is smaller sion language. Transcription is by King Rama VI, a conversion than the number of characters of not strictly reversible. system from the Thai script to the original writing system, it is Various transcription systems the Latin alphabet was developed often necessary to use digraphs or may be employed for the conver- whereby the written forms of Pali diacritical marks to close the gap. sion of all writing systems. It is and Sanskrit were retained. In this case, one must avoid as far the only method that can be used Thai Consonant Pali and Sanskrit Thai Pronunciation ° KK ¢ Kh Kh § GQ ¶ Gh Gh ß N (or ng) ng ® Ch Ch Nitaya Kanchanawan 833 The Journal of the Royal Institute of Thailand Vol. 31 No. 3 Jul.-Sep. 2006 Thai Consonant Pali and Sanskrit Thai Pronunciation © Chh Chh ™ JX ´ -S ¨ Jh - ≠ ñN (or ng) Æ -D Ø TT ∞ Th Th ∂ DD ≤ Dh Dh ≥ NN ¥ -D µ TT ∂ Th Th ∑ DTh ∏ Dh Th π NN ∫ -B ª PP º Ph Ph Ω -F æ BPh ø -F ¿ Bh Bh ¡ MM ¬ YY √ RR ≈ LL « V or W V or W » S- … Sh - SS À HH à L- Romanization, Transliteration, and Transcription 834 for the Globalization of the Thai Language «“√ “√√“™∫—≥±‘µ¬ ∂“π ªï∑’Ë ÛÒ ©∫—∫∑’Ë Û °.§.-°.¬. ÚıÙ˘ Thai Consonant Pali and Sanskrit Thai Pronunciation Œ -H ƒ ƒÂ Ri, Rî Ri, Rî ∆ ∆ Li, Lî Li, Lî (Amondarunarak, 2511: 36-37) Thai Vowel Roman Script Thai Vowel Roman Script – a Õ‘« iu “ â Õÿ¬ uy -‘ i ‡Õ« eo -’ î ·Õ« aeo -ÿ u ‡ÕÕ oe -Ÿ û ‡Õ¬ oey ‡ e ÕÕ¬ oy ‚ ô ‚Õ¬ ôy -÷ ü Õ—« ua -◊ ûe Õ«¬ uay · ae ‡Õ¬–’ ia „ ‰ âi ‡Õ’¬ îa Õ“¬ ai or ay ‡Õ◊Õ iia ‡Õ“ au or oa ‡ÕÕ¬◊ iiay Õ“« âo ‡Õ¬«’ iâu (Amondarunarak, 2511: 36-38) Words written in this System Roman: The General System and Thai consonant and this system may not be pronounced correctly. the Precise System. The terms employs diacritical marks, many of For example the new airport “transliteration” and “transcrip- them being tonal marks. In the ÿ«√√≥¿Ÿ¡‘ “Suvarnabhumi” is tion” are used interchangeably General System the sound of words pronounced differently from the since the Thai official Romaniz- is indicated by Roman letters with Thai sound. The meaning, how- ation method included elements limited diacritical markings. ever, is retained. of both these concepts. The diacritical marks, how- 2.4.2 The First Royal The Precise System indicates ever, present obstructions for Institute Systems (1939) tones and unpronounced letters practical use, and thus, the two In 1939 The Royal In- thus showing the derivation of the systems have not been popular stitute introduced two systems for words. In the Precise System there with general audiences and lang- transcribing Thai characters into is a Roman equivalent for every uage learners. Surprisingly, the Nitaya Kanchanawan 835 The Journal of the Royal Institute of Thailand Vol. 31 No. 3 Jul.-Sep. 2006 concept of the Precise System is The General System was chosen in 1968. All diacritical markings almost identical with that of the for Romanizing geographical are omitted in accordance with the transliteration system. names on maps and in other places recommendation of the United 2.4.3 The Second because it is more practical carto- Nations Committee of Experts on Royal Institute System (1968) graphically and typographically. Geographical Names for the world The Royal Thai Govern- In order to avoid the confusion standardization of geographic ment has adopted the General between diacritical marks of geo- names. System for use in transcribing geo- graphic names with other map graphical names within Thailand. symbols, the system was modified VOWELS Transliteration Thai Vowels 2 Illustrations a -– -— -“ - ( –æ“π SAPHAN) (≈—𵓠LANTA) (∫“ß BANG) ( ¡ÿ∑√ SAMUT) am -” (≈” LAM) i -‘ -’ ( ‘ßÀå SING) (∫ÿ√’ BURI) u -÷ -◊ -Õ◊ ( µ÷° SATUK) (æ™◊ PHUT) (∫√∫◊Õ BORABU) -ÿ-Ÿ (∫ÿ√’ BURI), (¿Ÿ PHU) e ‡-– ‡-Á ‡- (ª–π“‡√– PANARE) (‡æÁ≠ PHEN) (‡¢π KHEN) ae ·-– ·- (·´– SAE), ( –·° SAKE) o ‚-– ‚- ‡-“– -Õ (æ–‚µä– PHATO) (≈æ LOP) ( “¡‚°â SAMKO) (‡°“– KO), (∫àÕ BO) oe ‡-Õ– ‡-Õ ‡-‘ (‡´Õ– SOE) (Õ”‡¿Õ AMPHOE), (‡π‘π NOEN) 2 The position of the consonant bearing the vowel is indicated by the hyphen; the position of the associated vowel–following, preceding, above, below–is also shown. Romanization, Transliteration, and Transcription 836 for the Globalization of the Thai Language «“√ “√√“™∫—≥±‘µ¬ ∂“π ªï∑’Ë ÛÒ ©∫—∫∑’Ë Û °.§.-°.¬. ÚıÙ˘ Transliteration Thai Vowels Illustrations ia ‡-’¬– ‡-’¬ (‡º¬–’ PHIA) (‡∑’¬π THIAN) ua ‡-◊Õ– ‡-◊Õ (‡°◊Õ– KUA) (‡¡◊Õß MUANG) -—«– -—«-« (º—«– PHUA) (∫«— BUA) (§«π KHUAN) ai „- ‰- -—¬ ‰-¬ -“¬ („À≠à YAI) (‰ºà PHAI), (™—¬ CHAI) (‰∑¬ THAI), (ª“¬ PAI) ao ‡-“ -“« (‡®â“ CHAO) (¢â“« KHAO) ui -ÿ¬(°ÿ¬ KUI) oi ‚-¬ -Õ¬ (‚¥¬ DOI), (¥Õ¬ DOI) iu -‘«(ß‘È« NGIU) eo ‡-Á« ‡-« (‡√Á« REO), (‡≈« LEO) oei ‡-¬ (‡≈¬ LOEI) uai ‡-◊Õ¬ -«¬ (‡¥◊Õ¬ DUAI) (À⫬ HUAI) aeo ·-« (·¡« MAEO) ieo ‡-’¬« (‡¢’¬« KHIEO) CONSONANTS Initial Final Thai consonants K- -K ° KH- -K ¢ § ¶ NG- -NG ß CH- -T ® CH- -T © ™ ¨ Y- -N ≠ 3 D- -T ¥ Æ ± T- -T µ Ø TH- -T ∂ ∞ ∑ ± ∏ ≤ 3 The character ± may be pronounced TH or D when it is in initial position.