The Phenomenon of Code-Mixing of Phu Thai Language and Isan Language in the Society of Phu Thai Native Speakers

Abstract

This article explores the sociolinguistic dynamics of code-mixing between Phu Thai and Isan speakers in northeastern Thailand, focusing on the bilingual community in Nongyasai Subdistrict, Wang Sam Mo District, Udon Thani Province. Rooted in the Southwestern Tai language family, the Phu Thai dialect serves as a vehicle of ethnic identity and cultural transmission, yet faces increasing pressure from the dominance of Standard Thai in formal domains and the widespread use of Isan in public life. Through qualitative data from interviews, natural speech recordings, and field observations, the study examines the structural patterns, functional domains, and sociocultural motivations for code-mixing among bilingual speakers. The author presents the code-mixing frequently occurs in informal and semi-formal settings such as markets, family interactions, and community events, with lexical borrowing and pragmatic adaptation serving to express identity, negotiate social relationships, and facilitate communication across dialects. The phenomenon reflects both linguistic resilience and shifting language ecologies, highlighting the role of everyday speech in balancing tradition and modernity. This research contributes to the fields of contact linguistics and minority language maintenance by demonstrating how multilingual speakers actively shape their communicative repertoires in response to social, cultural, and institutional pressures.