User:Somsak Ung/Krung Thep dialect



Krung Thep dialect (พูดกลาง, ภาษากลาง; literally: Received Pronunciation), refers to the dialect of the Central Thai language which was heavily influenced by Southern Min (mostly Teochew dialect, some Hakka (mostly the Huizhou dialect), and some Mandarin vernacular. It enjoys a prestige status in Thailand, similar to the Received Pronunciation in the United Kingdom.

History and modern situation
The Central Thai people (Siamese) have never been recognized as the indigenous of Bangkok CBD. Before World War, Southern Min was the primary language of Bangkok, and Ayutthaya dialect (สำเนียงเจื่อยแจ้ว; literally: funny accent, dull accent) once was the most popular dialect in Thai media. During the Thaification policy during 1910-1996, in particular, there were violent purges during the Red Scare era. This made Thai Chinese rapidly shift their language to Central Thai, but lacking interaction with native Central Thai speakers, the Thai language as spoken by the Thai Chinese of Bangkok developed differently.

Krung Thep dialect even was not a standard format, but also consider as one of Central Thai dialects, that is also official language. However, the military and economy power of the whole country is in the hands of Krungthepian, most of senior bureaucrats such as general officers, judges, and doctors are Krungthepian. It is in contrast to the Ayutthaya dialect that was originally used by the working-class and lower middle-class Central Thai people in the vicinity of Bangkok, even this dialect is encouraged to be used by the Khana Ratsadon during coup d'état, it is once famous among Mitr Chaibancha era film since Krung Thep dialect didn't fully develop yet, contrast with most of Krungthepian still watch Shaw Brothers movies in that time. Therefore, the Krung Thep dialect gradually replaced the Ayutthaya dialect's prestige status, it was observable after the 1980s, currently, Krajokhokdan TV program is the last still standing commercial TV program which operated in the Ayutthaya dialect. Another factor that caused the Krung Thep dialect to be replaced the Ayutthaya dialect, because after 1973 revolution, vast amout of people Central Thais came to find work as the underdog for indigenous Krungthepian, this causes the indigenous to look upon down on the Central Thais with the word Ner (เหน่อ). Today, Krung Thep vs Ayutthaya dialects (sometimes include Minburi and Portguese-Bangkok dialects) are likely sterotype with the Received Pronunciation vs the Cockney (include MLE) in London.

For over fifty years since Thanin Kraivichien, only two Thai Prime Ministers, Surayud Chulanont (Ayutthaya accent) and Yingluck Shinawatra (Chiang Mai accent) did not have Krung Thep accent.

Phonology
There are many contrast allophone between Ayutthaya and Krung Thep accents, which are more obvious as follows in International Phonetic Alphabet in table.

Initial Consonants
Ayutthaya consonants have 21 phonemes, while Krung Thep phonemes, have 31 consonants, main different is Krung Thep consonants have plenty of postalveolar but none of them exist in Ayutthaya consonants, both also none of palatal consonant are shared. Only five Ayutthaya consonants are not exsit in Krung Thep accents as follows: [ʨ], [ʨʰ], [j], [w], [l].

Final Consonants
There are nine final consonants in Ayutthaya phonology, but two finals are semivowel was drop into vowel in Krung Thep phonology. Another four ending in italics are non-native for Ayutthaya accent.

Vowels
Both Krung Thep and Ayutthaya accents shared nine monophthong with heavy contrast allophones, mostly more middle and centralize, this make Krung Thep accent speak fast and sounds blurred.
 * }
 * }

Krung Thep accents also have three diphthongs with slightly different from Ayutthaya accents.


 * }
 * }

Tones
Because the Southern Min and Hakka are also tonal languages, causing the tones of Krung Thep and Ayutthaya accents to be almost the same, these two even more similar than other varieties such as Suphan Buri, Rayong, or even Phetchaburi accents, this is the reason of the rest of Central Thai speakers (neither Krung Thep and Ayutthaya) often misunderstand that these two accents are the same.

Krung Thep tones have seven sounds under five phonemes, so two of them are free variation. Primary things make Krung Thep and Ayutthaya different is, the tones in the checked syllables (คำเป็นคำตาย) of the Ayutthaya accent is not applicable in the Krung Thep accent (but there are some words that are well known are follow Ayutthaya rule as well). No italic in the Ayutthaya accent.

Fake Schwa and Pronunciation decay
This is main feature make Krung Thep accent looks different from the rest of Central Thai accents (especially the Ayutthaya accent), this is the main reason for the rest of Thais dissatisfied with the Krung Thep accent speaking too fast.

Consonant clusters in the Ayutthaya dialect are very limited, most of Indian and Khmer loanword syllables are usually cut off by using the /a/ vowel sound as possible, this make primary vowel of Central Thai language is /a/. Contrast with most of Chinese languages (include Southern Min and Mandarin), the primary vowel is /ə/ (ㄜ) and /ɨ/ (帀, ㄭ), this make /ə/ vowel become free variation under /ɐ/ vowel in Krung Thep accent.

Most of two final clusters Indian loanwords, the second one will add virama and silenced it. But virama generally no effect in Krung Thep dialect, every cluster will pronounce (but there are some words that are well known are follow Ayutthaya rule as well). Unlikely Ayutthaya accent, another feature of Krung Thep accent is tend to decay /ɐ/ vowel sounds as much as possible. For instance, the word "พิมพ์ชนก" pronounce /pʰīm.ʨá.nók̚/, three syllables in Ayutthaya dialect, but pronounce /pʰīmp̚ʃ.nóʊk̚/ two syllables in Krung Thep dialect, the first syllable also contain three final clusters.

Examples of differing pronunciation (Ayutthaya/Krung Thep) include:

Siamese accents basic misconceptions about Krung Thep accent
The main problem that rest of dialects native speakers often worry about when speaking Central Thai properly is tonal control. However, with almost all the Krung Thep tones actually that is all copied from the Ayutthaya accent, while the consonants and vowels of the dialects are mostly shared with the Ayutthaya accent. As a result, the Central Thai who attempted to speak like a Krungthepian, eventually actually turned into an Ayutthaya accent.

In general, there are two main features that speakers with an Ayutthaya accent make the mistaken attempt to speak with a Krung Thep accent. First is failed Schwa, since the Ayutthaya vs Krung Thep accents vowels, the ~ and ~ are corresponding, they tend to use their own phonetics, despite and  sound are very far each other. Second is wierd "ครับ/ค่ะ", the consonant didn't exist in Siamese dialects and will shift to  in their dialects, most of dialects speakers misunderstood Krungthepians is speaking  or.

Word order
Traditional Sukhothai Thai dialects (include modern Southern Thai language) are strictly Head-initial form, for Ayutthaya dialect following Subject-Adjective-Verb-Object-Adjective-Adverb-Particle-Complement word orders, Krung Thep dialect basically mixed word-order like Southern Min or Mandarin, following as Subject-Adjective-Adverb-Verb-Object-Adjective. Tense and measure word are more freely position than Ayutthayan because their logic very looks like Mandarin vernacular as follows:

Negative
Even Modern Ayutthaya dialect's negative term are also follow in Head-finals like Krung Thep dialect, but negative term itself actually is adverb, to compared with Traditional Ayutthaya dialect is Head-initial, it's also still exist in Southwestern dialects such as Modern Prippri dialect as well.

Verb -ing
Verb -ing generally can put "กำลัง" (kamlang) before secondary verb, or put "อยู่" (yu) at last part as follows:


 * เขากำลังวิ่ง
 * เขาวิ่งอยู่
 * เขากำลังวิ่งอยู่

But because "อยู่" is borrow from Mandarin (中) like "關門中" (door closing), the second and third method didn't exist in Siamese dialects.

Perfective ได้
For non-recurring events, the construction involving ได้ (leaw) is used where the sentence final particle แล้ว (leaw) would normally be applied to denote perfect. For instance, Krung Thep dialect more commonly uses "ได้ไปหาหมอยัง?" to mean "Have you seen a doctor?" whereas Ayutthaya dialect uses ไปหาหมอแล้วใช่ไหม. This is due to the influence of Southern Min grammar, which uses 有 (ū) in a similar fashion. For recurring or certain events, however, both Ayutthaya and Krung Thep Thais use the latter, as in "กินข้าวแล้วยัง", meaning "Have you eaten?"

Same meaning, different word
Vocabulary in Krung Thep and rest of Central Thai dialects (Siamese dialects) generally not different. Incidentally, the local Krungthepian shift their language to Central Thai, some Southern Min words have been used as Thai words, this makes it familiar to the Central Thai people as well. However, most of difference is differing usage, since Siamese logic and Southern Min logic quite difference, for borrowings from new foreign languages, they are also often used differently.

Particles
Like the rest of Central Thai dialects, modal particles also exist in Southern Min language and make Krung Thep dialect are also practical like ครับ (khrap, [gʰráp]) and ค่ะ (kha, [gʰâ]). Both particle forms are very difference, for instance, the word อ่ะ (啊) is exclusive for Krung Thep dialect, many particles are also have difference pronunciation and meaning as follows:

Since the tones in the checked syllables of the Ayutthaya accent is not applicable in the Krung Thep accent, many particles are also difference vowel length and tones.

/d/ consonant shift
/ท/ (but written in "ด") does not exist in Southern Min, and usually shift to /ง/, /ร/ or /ล/ during early development.

Reference
Category:Thai language