THE LANGUAGE STRUCTURE OF SENTENCES WITH WORDS EXPRESSING NUMBERS IN LE PETIT PRINCE

Abstract

This research article aimed to present the study results on the language structures of sentences with words expressing numbers found in a Thai-translated version of Le Petit Prince published by Jind Publishing (from the original version published in 1943). The data were collected from the sentences with words expressing numbers found in the Thai-translated version of Le Petit Prince (published in 2022). The sample was selected by purposive sampling to find only 156 sentences which consisted of words expressing numbers without insignificant meaning. The words expressing numbers included the number “1”, the word “one,” or the word “only.”

The research found;

Four main structures of the sentences with words expressing numbers as follows: 1) Words expressing numbers-this structure was the most frequently found at 129 times or 82.15 percent, and appeared in nine types, followed by 2) Words expressing numbers with a collocation of preceding word found in seven types at a frequency of 23 times or 14.65 percent, 3) Words expressing numbers with a word placed behind them found in two types at a frequency of two times or 1.28 percent which was the least frequently, and 4) Words expressing numbers with a preceding word and a word placed behind them which were also found in two types at a frequency of two times or 1.28 percent. The results showed the structures of words expressing numbers following the concept of structural linguistics.