The objectives of this research article are to describe the linguistic characteristics employed for nicknaming Lao people who have inhabited in Vientiane, Laos PDR. Interviewing as a data collection method was conducted from sample population, i.e., 60 Laotians, who were born and have domiciled in Vientiane Prefecture, were grouped into 3 age group as follows: Group 1 aged 41 - 60 years, Group 2 aged 21 - 40 years, and Group 3 aged 1 - 20 years. Each group, containing 20 people, was also divided equally by gender.
ECONOMIC CITY AND NICKNAMING CHANGE OF LAO PEOPLE IN VIENTIANE LAOS PDR Kanyarat Unthanon sarisaun@hotmail.com Thai Department, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Thailand Abstract The objectives of this research article are to describe the linguistic characteristics employed for nicknaming Lao people who have inhabited in Vientiane, Laos PDR Interviewing as a data collection method was conducted from sample population, i.e., 60 Laotians, who were born and have domiciled in Vientiane Prefecture, were grouped into age group as follows: Group aged 41 - 60 years, Group aged 21 - 40 years, and Group aged - 20 years Each group, containing 20 people, was also divided equally by gender The results of this study revealed that Group entirely assumes the nickname by using only one syllable whereas Group and Group have their nicknames with the formation of both one syllable and two syllables As for the sources of nicknaming, it found that the most outstanding characteristic of Group is to adopt their nicknames by modifying their real name into the diminutive form while the most dominant feature of Group is to nickname according to physical features And the most notable quality of Group is to nickname by adopting English words In regard to semantic formation of nicknaming, it revealed that the most outstanding characteristic in meaning of Group is to adopt words representing physical features; Group contains physically somaticized words, soundsymbolic words in English including English nouns; the most dominant feature of Group is to nickname by using sound-symbolic words in English and English nouns with direct definition Language change of nicknaming indicated in sample groups mentioned, constantly resulting from economic growth since 1986 as Lao PDR opened its doors to international tourists and investors, considerably leads to foreign language and culture flow into Lao PDR and significantly has an influence in language usage for nicknaming Keyword: Economic City, Language Change, Nicknaming, Lao People Introduction It is argued that the language study through words employed for assuming a name of Lao people enables us to better comprehend the concept and belief of the local expressing through semantic alphabetic character The researcher used to examine naming Lao people who reside in Vientiane Prefecture (Sarisa Unthanon, 2009) Focusing on their real names, it was observed that naming practices of Lao people have also changed according to age group It is also noteworthy that there are a wide range of studies on nicknaming in Thailand such as Nanthana Ronnakiat (1988) investigated the nicknaming 418 sources of students who studied at Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Liberal Arts, Thammasat University It was found that there were 11 sources provided for their nicknames, namely, nicknaming based on milestones at birth, nicknaming based on expectation, nicknaming based on the order in which they were born into the family, nicknaming based on circumstances during pregnancy, nicknaming based on physical features of babies, nicknaming based on melodiousness of foreign words, nicknaming based on the first character in the father's, mother's, or sibling's name, nicknaming based on sex characteristics, nicknaming based on things that the parents like, nicknaming based on luck and the belief that our new name will bring good luck and nicknaming based on a contraction of their real name Jarinya Thammachoto (1997), later studied on the language usage employed for nicknaming of Thai people in Mueang district, Trang province, focusing on phoneme, linguistic origins and meaning used for the local‘s nicknames by collecting data from sample population divided into generations, i.e., parent‘s generation and children‘s generation The result of this study regarding phoneme revealed that both generations assumed a nickname based on the same tone most, following by the same initial consonants and final consonants respectively In connection with the linguistic origins, it was found that parent‘s generation come up with nicknames by employing Thai language most, whereas children generation, English words provide a more fertile source for nicknames than Thai words In regard to connotation of nicknaming, it was revealed that both generations prefer to nickname based on physical feature connotation most In 2002, Sutthasinee Chaikarn conducted a research concerning language usage used for nicknaming Thai people originating from varieties of ethnic group in Mueang Samut Sakhon, Samut Sakhon province, consisting of Central Thai, Mon, Tai Isan and Tai Song by investigating the linguistic origins, number of syllable, language and connotation of nicknames It is found that the belief and values of each ethnic group expressed through nicknaming practices It is also consistent with the results of the study of Charinya Thammachoto, i.e., in connection with the number of syllable, it is found that one syllable was used to nickname most, in regard to the language, it is found that Thai language was employed to provide their nicknames most, as for connotation, it is revealed that connotation concerning with physical feature of a person was used most to nickname Based on the results of study, Sutthasinee demonstrated that different kind of ethnic group hardly had significantly difference in their belief and values for nicknaming owing to passing on culture, belief and values of Central Thai spreading to Mon, Isan and Tai Song already Based on the researches concerning nicknaming of Thai people mentioned above together with I used to conduct the research concerning naming the real name of Lao people (Sarisa Unthanon, 2009 and 2010), I significantly observe the change in naming according to age group, namely, the older people group assumed their names with fewer syllables than those of the younger people group It is more likely that the younger people group employed Pali and Sanskrit to assume a name whereas the older people group preferred to use Lao words for their nicknames have been employed for their names In addition, connotation that was mostly used to name Lao people has connoted to gold and precious and valuable objects more than other connotation in every age groups The results 419 of studies on nicknaming mentioned above and the results of study on naming of Lao people (Sarisa Unthanon, 2009 and 2010) causes I as a researcher am very interested in conducting a research concerning nicknaming of Lao people that I am convinced that it reflects characteristics of language usage changes in the aspects of grammar and connotation compared with the study on naming the real name It is because Vientiane prefecture as the capital city of Laos, has dramatically changed since 1986 with the open door policy; witnessing mountain of increasing skyscraper and tall buildings, modern department stores, shops, restaurants in the western styles appearing a wide range signs written and printed in English or dually English and Lao letter on it, including influences from mass media like radio, television, printing media as well as digital media flocking to Lao PDR considerably, regardless of necessity of learning English for Lao people to seek a better job to catch up with the rapid economic growth and to meet labor demand that English communication skill I thus assumed that these growth and development economically and socially may lead to create values of English usage for Lao people including values of adopting English language to nickname for their children I have tried to seek the findings by collecting data conducted from interviewing sample population who were 60 Lao people and domiciled in Vientiane prefecture, dividing into group of age as follows: Group aged 41- 60 years, Group aged 21-40 years and Group aged 1-20 years Each group, containing 20 people, was also divided equally by gender, focusing on characteristics of language usage for nicknaming, syllable structures, sources of nicknames, including connotation of nicknames Characteristics of language usage in nicknaming and the meaning of nickname As for the structure of number of syllable, it revealed that there are types of syllable structure found in Lao people‘s nickname residing in Vientiane prefecture, i.e., one syllable structure and two syllable structure The one syllable structure that is found most in the formation of nicknaming is the one syllable structure such as Tui, Joi, Noi, Lek, Yai, Lee, Chan, Phan, Wan, Boun, Son, Aud, Khid, Kan, Phon, Mae, James, A, Moon, Jan, etc and following by two syllable structure such as Tukta, Tudtoo, Zicko, Dodo, Jonly, Didi, Julie, Jiji, Mini, Nova, Panda, E-bay, Cherry, etc When examining syllable structure based on social factors, that is to say, age and gender, it is thus found that the age plays the significant role designating the syllable structure of nicknaming; two syllable structures is considerably found more in senior people group than younger people group Whereas gender factor hardly influences syllable structure as the data found indicates that male and female people assume their name equally in both one syllable structure and two syllable structure There are mostly popular sources provided for Lao people‘s nicknames sorting these four popular sources in order from most to least: 1) Nicknames based on a shortening of a person's proper name such as Thonglee-Lee, Thongchan-Chan, Khamphan-Phan, Suwan- Wan, Wannason-Son, Sukan-Kan, Khonsawan-Wan, Saengphet-Phet, ManeewanWan, Sisomphon-Phon, Suwanna-Na, Tingkham-Ting, Wannason-Son, Uttha-Ut, Khamphon -Phon, and so forth 2) Nicknaming based on physical features such as Joi (thin), Noi 420 (small), Tui (fat), Lek (small), Yai (big), Lae (purple-blue), Ngon (round head), Le (soft), Tadam (black eyes), etc 3) Foreign words are taken straight from English names, such as May, James, A, Moon, Jan, Mini, Nova, Panda, E-bay, Cherry And 4) Nicknaming based on English sound articulation such as Jonly, Didi, Julie, Jiji, Dodo, Toto, Jojo etc With respect of nickname meaning based on employing age as a variable factor, it is found that Group prefer to adopt words connoting physical feature of children most such as Joi (thin) , Noi (small), Tui (fat), Lek(small), Yai (big), Lae (purple-blue), Ngon (round head), Le (soft), Tadam (black eyes), etc whereas Group prefer to adopt words connoting physical feature semantics and English sound articulation most such as Lek (small), Yai (big), Jonly,Didi, Juli, Jiji, Dodo, Toto, Jojo, Jonly On the other hand, Group prefer to adopt English nouns with direct meaning most such as May, James, A, Moon, Jan, Mini, Nova, Panda, E-bay, Cherry Epilogue Nicknaming of Lao people has significantly changed all the time up till now In the past, there had been no nicknaming practices in Lao society; a proper name or real name‘s person denomination only has been available Influenced by Western languages and tradition of nicknaming, Lao people then has adopted nicknaming practices for their children Initially, contraction of their real names had been done, and then nicknaming practices gradually have been not related with a person‘s real name Nicknames for Lao people usually contain only one syllable owing to easiness and expedience for calling but at the present, nicknaming based on two syllables has increasingly been common Nevertheless, nicknaming based on only one syllable has still been popular and it is noticeable that transliteration of foreign words has considerably made trendy particularly it has been adopted by most people who live in area of capital city municipality; Vientiane, the place in which I collected data for conducting the research Experiencing the constant economic and technological growth as the center of country‘s development, Western languages and cultures unavoidably have influenced nicknaming by adopting foreign languages as the nicknames for their children As referred to data conducted from interviewing native speakers, they give reasons why they prefer to nickname their children by using English words because they think that it sounds more modern and the euphony of English sound articulation as well as parents in general have a sense of pride when calling their children with nicknames originated from English words because it is associated with higher social status The results of this study thus indicated that rapid economic growth in a row in Lao PDR significantly brings about changes of Lao language It is also evident that language usage for nicknaming reflects changes in values of nicknaming of Lao people, for instance, using increased number of syllables for nicknaming, including sources of nicknaming based on increasingly changed factors ranging from older to younger generations Increasingly, foreign languages, particularly English words, providing a fertile source for Lao people‘s nicknames, are considered as the new culture of Lao people nowadays, as well as values of connotation contained in Lao people‘s nicknames have also considerably changed from past to present 421 Reference Chomphunut Phothongkham (1998) Naming of Kariang Po in Suang Pheung district Ratburi rovince Master‘s Thesis Mahidol University Jarinya Thammachoto (1997) The Study of Language in Nicknaming of Thai People in Mueang district,Trang province.Master of Arts Thesis Faculty of Liberal Arts,Thammasat University Nanthana Ronnakiat (1998) ―Characterictics of Nicknaming in Thai Language‖ Language and Linguistics 6, 50-62 Sarisa Unthanon (2009) ―Characteristics in Naming of Lao People‖.Journal of Liberal Arts, Ubon Ratchathani University,5(1),133-156 Sarisa Unthanon (2010) ―Naming of Lao People:Word and Meaning‖.Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, Khon Kaen University,27(3),86-99 Sophana Sichampa (1986) Culture in Naming and Name’s Call of Thai People Bangkok: Chulalongkorn University Suphaphan N.Bangchang (1984) Language Usage in Naming 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