Functional Extension of the Verb for ‘to like’ in Thai to a Frequentative Aspectual Marker

Abstract

The Thai verb cʰɔ̂ːp, denoting ‘to like,’ as prescribed in Thai dictionaries, signifies the subject’s psychological affinity towards something or the enjoyment of doing something. The usage of cʰɔ̂ːp as indicative of ‘liking’ poses a challenge for Thai language speakers when they encounter it in contexts where expressing enjoyment would be considered inappropriate. Drawing upon authentic language data from X (formerly Twitter), this investigation scrutinized the functional extension of the Thai verb cʰɔ̂ːp to assume the role of a frequentative aspect marker. It posits a four-stage chain of functional extension for the aspect marker cʰɔ̂ːp, encompassing the initial stage, the bridging context, the switch context, and the conventionalization. The emergence of the frequentative aspect of the term cʰɔ̂ːp is argued to be pragmatically derived via pragmatic inferencing. By delineating the function of the term cʰɔ̂ːp as a frequentative aspectual marker, it becomes possible to elucidate its usage in adverse circumstances. This analysis contributes to the comprehensive establishment of the aspectual marker cʰɔ̂ːp within the framework of Thai grammar.