Promoting Camaraderie or Destroying a Relationship: Addressing a Person with an Animal Name in Thai Culture

Abstract

Addressing a person with an animal name is a social practice in Thai culture. Interpreting the meaning of the animal name as an address term depends on complex processes in which each individual, either in the same culture or a different culture, might perceive and interpret the meanings of the terms differently. Despite these possible different interpretations, it is interesting to investigate why many Thais still use an animal nickname to address someone rather than using that person’s name. This study examines the functions of addressing a person with an animal name and factors affecting different construals of the meanings of animal names between the speaker and the addressed person based on cognitive semantic and pragmatic approaches. Questionnaires and interviews were used to collect data from 800 Thai informants. The results reveal the following five functions of addressing a person with an animal name: 1) conveying a vivid picture of the addressed person’s characteristics, 2) lessening offensive meanings of taboo words, 3) teasing the addressed person, 4) creating a close relationship with the addressed person, and 5) bullying the addressed person. It can be concluded that this practice can either promote camaraderie when the name is used to create a close relationship, or destroy a relationship when used as a means of verbal bullying. Consequently, when addressing someone with an animal name in Thai culture, three factors must be considered: the intimacy of the speakers, the gender of the speakers, group membership, and the formality of the situation.