สำนวนภาษาไทยถิ่น: ความหลากหลายทางพื้นที่ ความหลากหลายทางวัฒนธรรม

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to study the similarities and differences of Thai dialectal expressions to show the relation between those expressions and their environments and the way of life. It is found that all regional expressions share some commonalities in the sense that Thailand is an agricultural society and has a family system in which seniority is important, the respect worthiness of authorities and the wealthy, and Buddhist  beliefs are intertwined with primitive beliefs.  Expressions  are one of  the elements in language indicating that Thailand is an agrarian society, which  wholeheartedly depends on the seniority, authority and wealth. In terms of moral support, religious beliefs and sacred things are still crucial. On the other hand, regional variation in such expressions is related to geography, weather, population and local traditions, which reflect local identity of a particular place.