Structure and Types of Thai Words Used in Substitution for Foreign Terms

Abstract

This research had two main objectives: 1) to study the structure of Thai words used in substitution for foreign terms, and 2) to examine the type of Thai words used in substitution for foreign terms. Thai word data was collected from the books "Foreign Terms That Can Be Replaced by Thai Words: Royal Institute Edition, Volume 1" and "Foreign Terms That Can Be Replaced by Thai Words: Royal Society Edition, Volume 2". A systematic sampling method was employed for data collection, resulting in a total of 906 Thai words used for analysis. The statistical method used for data analysis was percentage. The study found that

1. the structure of Thai words could be categorized into two types: noun units (61.14%) and verb units (38.86%). Noun units were further divided into noun phrases (65.14%) and single nouns (34.86%), while verb units were classified into verb phrases (54.57%) and single verbs (45.43%). Thai words used in substitution for foreign terms tend to be noun units, which convey meanings related to objects or entities, more often than verb units, which express events or conditions. The use of phrase-level linguistic units appears to be the most appropriate substitution for foreign terms in Thai, as phrases include modifiers and connectors that help clarify the meaning of the core word.

2. Thai word types could be categorized into three types: core words (50.35%), modifiers (48.10%), and connectors (1.55%). Core words consisted of two types: nouns (56.00%) and verbs (44.00%). Modifiers were found in ten types, such as verbs (50.72%), nouns (45.73%), and quantifiers (1.45%). Connectors included twelve types, such as spatial connectors (20.00%), temporal connectors (20.00%), possessive connectors (10.00%), and descriptive connectors (10.00%). Thai nouns and verbs serve both as core words and as modifiers. Thus, using Thai expressions that consist of both a core word and a modifier may be the most appropriate way to substitute foreign terms, as the core word conveys the main idea while the modifier clarifies or enhances its meaning.