A comparative study of patani malay and thai kinship terms

Abstract

This paper is a comparative study of kinship terms in Patani Malay and Thai. The purpose of this study is to compare kinship terms in Patani Malay and Thai by using componential analysis. It also aims to point out certain significant characteristics in three southern border provinces and Thai culture as reflected in the meanings and use of kinship terms. The data used in this study was gathered by interviewing native speakers of Patani Malay living in Mueang Pattani District and Thai native speakers.

The results of the study revealed that the basic kinship terms both Patani Malay and Thai contain four of the same dimensions of contrast: 1) generation 2) linearity 3) age and   4) gender. The only different dimension of contrast is the parental side, which is only in the basic kinship terms in the Thai language.

The basic kinship system in social and cultural aspects reflects a significant characteristic of “seniority” from the dimension of generation and age, especially in the context of Thai society and culture where the senior system has been operating for a long time. For parental side found that Patani Malay and Thai are different. The kinship terms in Thai reflect a significant characteristic of the parental side. But the kinship terms in Patani Malay are not a significant characteristic of the parental side.