Abstract:
This research deals with tonal variation in Chiang Mai Thai emphasizing tones in connected speech in comparison with tones in citation forms. The three linguistic variables investigated are the high-level falling tone, the mid rising tone in short checked syllables, and the low rising tone in the syllables with /p, t, c, k/ as initials. Age group is the social variable investigated in this study consisting of 10-20 years old, 30-40 years old, and 50-60 years old. The connected speech data were obtained through interviews. The informants were 30 female inhabitants of Tambon Sri Pum, Amphoe Mueang, Changwat Chiang Mai - 10 per age group. The citation form data were obtained from 9 of the 30 informants - 3 per age group. All linguistics variables have originally used variants in Chiang Mai Thai. New variants occurred in most context. Statistical analysis using the 0.05 confidence level as the criterion shows that, in the overall context, age group and tonal variation in Chiang Mai Thai are related. However, when each pair of age groups within each variable is considered, they do not always differ significantly. In the high-level falling variable, there are three variants in connected speech i.e. high-level falling, high falling, and low rising, and two variants in citation form i.e. high-level falling and high falling. In connected speech within the high-level falling variable, the 10-20 group differs from the other two groups while the 50-60 and 30-40 groups do not differ. In citation form, the 30-40 group differs from the other two groups while the 50-60 and 10-20 groups do not differ. In the mid rising variable there are two variants in connected speech i.e. mid rising and high falling, and two variants in citation form i.e. mid rising and low falling. In connected speech within the mid rising variable, the 50-60 group differs from the other two groups while the 30-40 and the 10-20 groups do not differ. In citation form, the 10-20 group differs from the other two groups while the 50-60 and the 30-40 groups do not differ. In the low rising variable there are two variants in connected speech i.e. low rising and mid falling, and one variant in citation form i.e. low rising. In connected speech within the low rising variable, the 50-60 group differs from the 10-20 group while the other two pairs (the 50-60 and 30-40 groups, and the 30-40 and the 10-20 groups) do not differ. In citation form the three groups all use the same variant. In all three variables in the context of connected speech the variants originally used in Chiang Mai Thai are still used most frequently. However, the lower the age-group is the lower the frequency of these variants. It may be derived that the original variants of these variables will eventually disappear. In citation form, however, the original variants are still regularly used in the mid rising and the low rising variables. The high level falling variable is an exception. Its new variants are used more frequently in the 50-60 and the 10-20 groups. Thus in this variable the original variant will likely be lost before the others.