A Variation of Lexicon Usage in Saek Language among Three Generations

Abstract

This article aimed to compare a variation of lexicon usage among three generations in Saek language spoken in Ban Bawa, Tambon Tarua Nawa District, Nakhon Phanom.  The varieties of 275 vocabularies in Seak language, which are different from standard Thai Northeastern Thai dialect and Nyo languages, were comparatively tested by 18 key informants in three generations; 55-65 years of age, 35-45 years of age and 15-25 years of age.  The study revealed that there were two characteristics in the variation of the lexicons in Saek language: the original lexical variation and the usage of other lexicons.  The second characteristic was obviously shown as the vocabularies borrowed from other language, Saek lexicons that had similar or linked meaning of the original ones and the new ones.  In terms of lexical variation, it was found that the original lexicons were mostly used among the three generations, shown as 62.9 percentages. 8.37 percentages of the original ones spoken by the key informants were disappeared.  The 55-65 years of age key informants used the original lexicons more than other two groups.  The group of 15-25 years of age used the lexicons from other language or those with the original ones more than the group of the first two generations.  The result study of the lexicon variation and its usage in Saek language from the three generations demonstrated that the original lexicon were decreasingly used according to the lower years of age.  Meanwhile the lexicons from other language were increasingly replaced the original ones according to the lower years of age as well.  Thus, it can be seen that the lexicon usage in Seak language has significantly been changing through the factor of the years of age.  This affects the lexicon variation and its usage also shows the tendency of the alternation of the language in the future.