The Differences of Classifiers between Sukhothai Inscriptions and Current Usage

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative research project explored the different usage of classifiers between those that appeared in Sukhothai inscriptions and those used today. The sources of classifiers were collected from deciphered texts of the 52 Sukhothai inscriptions in the “Corpus of Thai Inscriptions, Instalment Part 8, Sukhothai Inscriptions” by the Fine Arts Department, the “Royal Institute Dictionary, 2554 BE,” and                  the “Classifiers: The Royal Institute Edition, 2551 BE.” by recording the data in a data collection table developed by the researchers. The results of the study found that the classifiers used in the Sukhothai inscriptions were a total of 78 words and showed 22 classifiers in the Sukhothai inscriptions differed from those used in the present day and can be divided into six categories: 1) five words of classifier indicating type; 2) four words of classifier indicating category; 3) two words of classifier indicating shape; 4) nine words of classifier indicating number and units of measurement; 5) one word of classifier indicating state; and 6) one word of repetitive noun classifier. The study concluded that the usage of classifiers in Sukhothai inscriptions differs from the usage in the present day in two aspects: 1) narrower meanings and 2) there is no usage in the current time, including replacement by other emerging classifiers. These differences reflect        the different ways in which people in different eras have viewed the world around them.