Abstract:
This research aims to analyse the patterns of tonal split and merger as well as the tone systems and tonal characteristics of the Lao languages spoken by the Lao peoples, whose ancestors had migrated from the Lan Chang Kingdom to Siam from the reign of King Taksin in the Thonburi Period to the reign of King Rama IV in the Ratanakosin Period. These peoples are at present settled in the districts of Phanom Sarakham, Sanam Chai Khet and Tha Takiap in Chachoengsao Province. The languages, collectively known as Lao, were classified through the use of tonal criteria. Then, the relationships between the ethnonyms, language names and the results of language classification using tonal criteria were investigated. The tonal data was collected from 124 informants from 50 locations. The instruments used for collecting the data were two sets of wordlists: 102 words adapted from Gedneys wordlist (1972) for analysing tones by ear, and 22 monosyllabic words which were selected from the 102 words for the acoustic analysis of the characteristics of tones by using the Praat programme, Version 5.3.17. The results were in accordance with the hypotheses in that, based on the tonal patterns of split and merger, the Chachoengsao Lao languages could be classified into two main groups, i.e. the Lao and the non-Lao groups and the tonal characteristics could be used as criteria for classifying each main group into sub-groups. However, the non-Lao group could be divided into the Phuan and the Hua Phan Tai Nuea groups. It can be concluded that the Chachoengsao Lao languages consist of three major groups: the Lao group comprising four varieties, the Phuan group comprising three varieties and the Hua Phan Tai Nuea group comprising nine varieties. Each group has two types of varieties, i.e. typical and deviant. The results of this study indicate that the ethnonyms and the language names are, in some cases, not in accordance with the classification by tonal criteria. The research findings based on tonal criteria are in accordance with other linguistic features and the migration history of Lao people from the Kingdom of Lan Chang.