กระบวนการกลายเป็นคำสันธานของคำกริยาในภาษาไทย

Abstract

The research examined grammaticalization of verbs into conjunctions with 25 words under investigation. These words included /klàp/,/kwà:/, /kǝ:t/,/khu:n/, /klá:j/,/khu://cōn/, /sám/, /trōŋ/, /tò:/, /tā:m/, /thun/, /the:m/, /thâw/, /phua/, /phɔ̃:/, /lōŋ/, /lɔ̃:ŋ/, /lǝ:j/, /lē:/, /lé:w/, /jāŋ/, /wáj/, /muan/ and /hâj/, all of which were in the historical Thai from Sukhothai Period until B.E. 2560. The data could be classified into 3 periods. In this study, these 25 words, which were conjunctions but appeared in the forms of verbs, were studied in terms of their functions and meanings, and their grammaticalizations from the verbs into the conjunctions would accordingly be explained with regard to their syntactic and semantic features. The assumptions underlying the study was twofold: the conjunctions in the forms of verbs used nowadays had different functions and meanings from those in other periods, and the syntactic and semantic changes on such conjunctions were in accordance with the grammaticalization concept. The findings revealed that in each period the 25 words performed the following 5 functions: verbs, words preceding verbs, words following verbs, prepositions and conjunctions. Regarding the semantic changes, it was found that /kwà:/ has completely been grammaticalized. The word was a peripheral verb since the Sukhothai Period which was considered the first period, and it has been both a peripheral conjunction and the peripheral verb in every period. Nevertheless, there have been the words incompletely grammaticalized: less of them became verbs while more of them increasingly became conjunctions. These words were /klap/, /kǝ:t/, /khu:n/,/klá:j/,/khu:/,/cōn/,/sám/, /trōŋ/,/tò:/, /tā:m/,/thuăŋ/,/thĔ:m/,/thâw/,/phua/, /phɔ̃://lōŋ/, /l5:ŋ/, /lɔ̃:j/, /lē:/, /lé:w/, /jāŋ/,/wáj/, /muan/ and /hâj/. Notably, these have been through a continuous development, and their functions as the conjunctions increased and also decreased in some periods. Regarding the features of verb meanings, it showed that the meanings of some verbs were expanded. They could be categorized into 2 groups. The first group comprised action verbs /klàp/, /tā:m/,/thun/and/lōn/.These had the semantic feature in the second step, namely [+motion], and later had the semantic feature in the second step, namely [+motion] and [-motion]. The second group consisted of a state verb /trōn/which had the semantic feature in the second step, namely [+feature], and later had the semantic feature in the second step, namely [feature] and [+place]. The verb could also be an action verb with the semantic feature in the second step, namely [+motion]. Concerning the features of conjunction meanings, the meanings of 5 words were found to be expanded. The first word /kwà:/ was a conjunction of time, and subsequently it was also a conjunction of a comparative conflict and a conjunction of a comparison. The second word /to:/ was a conjunction of condition, and later it was also a conjunction of cause indicating a conflict consequence. The third word /thâw/ was a conjunction indicating the end of time, and later it was also a conjunction indicating a comparison. The fourth word/phɔ̃:/ was a conjunction of time, and later it was also a conjunction indicating objectives. The last word /lé:w/ was a conjunction indicating a subsequent time and also a subsequent time to specifically add more content. This word was later expanded to cover an indication of a subsequent time showing consequences, a subsequent time that was contrary to what should have been, and a subsequent time to add more content which was contrary to what should have been. Moreover, there was one word whose meaning was tightened. The word was /jāŋ/. It was a conjunction expressing a contrary to what should have been, a comparative conflict, and content addition. However, its meaning was later tightened: its use for indicating the comparative conflict was omitted. Pertaining to the grammaticalization of the words being researched, this revealed that they have been processed through a syntactic mechanism: reanalysis and analogy through semantic changes in the forms of metaphor and metonymy. These resulted in the following linguistic changes: 1) generalization, 2) decategorization, 3) specialization, 4) divergence and 5) renewal. The grammaticalization trend was found to be in a linear and gradual manner.