Writing Styles in Lanna Ethics Texts

Abstract

     This article discusses the writing styles in Lanna texts on ethics by analyzing the characters transliterated from Lanna to Thai script in seven Lanna texts about ethics. This study found that these texts have an introduction, main content and a close as was customary in texts written on palm leaves. The introduction would be in two styles: the use of auspicious words or a declaration of the purpose of the message. According to Robert E. Longacre’s theoretical framework of discourse types, the main content could be categorized as behavioral discourse or narrative discourse. Behavioral discourse would have a beginning, main content and a close, but the beginning and the close were not essential. The type of beginning and ending in each behavioral text affected its categorization and association to other texts. Main content in the narrative style would also be used for the purpose of teaching and had three types of introduction: the stories themselves would focus on actions and the results of actions so that people could apply them to daily life. The ending of narrative texts similarly had three styles and the end would be declared. This would be followed by information concerning the inscription.