Abstract:
The main objective is to study the transliteration system of Pali and Sanskrit loanwords with Mon scripts, and to study the adaptation of sounds in Pali and Sanskrit loanwords in Mon in the topics of consonants, vowels, register complex and syllable structure. The transliteration system of Pali and Sanskrit loanwords with Mon script is investigated to prove the hypothesis that the transliteration system has an influence on the adaptation of sound in Pali and Sanskrit loanwords in Mon, and that the process of the adaptation of sound in Pali and Sanskrit loanwords in Mon is systematical. The data used in this research was collected from 6 dictionaries. 415 Pali and Sanskrit loanwords in Mon were recorded from 3 male native speakers of Mon in Nakhonchum Sub-District, Ban Pong District, Ratchaburi Province and were phonologically analysed with the transliteration system and on the adaptation of sound which are consonants, vowels, register complex and syllable structure. The result of the research supports the above mentioned hypothesis that the transliteration system influences the sound adaptation of loanwords. The sound adaptation of Pali and Sanskrit loanwords in Mon proves the hypothesis in 3 areas, which are (1) The adaptation of syllable structure is to reduce the number of syllables in loanwords. Unchecked syllables with the structure CV are usually deleted because they are unstressed. There are 3 types of reduced unstressed syllables: firstly, CV, CVV, CVS, CVN > Cə; secondly, CVV > CV; and lastly, CVN > CəN. (2) The adaptation of initial consonants in unstressed syllables, when vowels in such unstressed syllable are deleted, to be the final consonants in the previous syllable; CV.CV > CV.Cø > CVC. Additionally, some final consonants in Pali and Sanskrit are adapted into the same final syllable in Mon such as /-s/ /-ʂ/ /-h/ > /-h/ etc. (3) 2 types of vowel in Pali and Sanskrit , i.e. oral vowels and nasal vowels, are all adapted into only oral vowels in Mon because there are no nasal ones in Mon; V and Ṽ > V. Furthermore, certain modal voiced vowels, V, in the loanwords are adapted into breathy voice vowels, V̤, according to the sound change in Mon.