Page 168 - The International Journal of the Royal Society of Thailand Vol.XIII-2021

The International Journal of the Royal Society of Thailand
Volume X - 2020
0
0
0
0
4
ง ŋɔː
ฆ khɔː
ข khɔː
Thai script
ค khɔː
ก kɔː

This is the explanation why the Thai language that writes merely with a consonant
letter without any vowel letters can be pronounced as a syllable. Its syllabic structure
consists of an initial consonant followed by the inherent vowel /a/ and the tone such as ธ
3
3 3
/tha / and ณ /na /. The same applies to words with multiple syllables. If each syllable is
written with one consonant letter without any vowel letters such as สมณะ, it is pronounced
0 3
0
/sa ma na /. The first and second syllables are pronounced with the same vowel as the
The International Journal of the Royal Society of Thailand
third in spite of the fact that they have not the vowel letter -
Volume XIII – 2021ะ. In the case of กรณี, ทรมาน, มรณะ
the first syllable of each word is ก-, ท-, ม- and inherits the vowel /ɔː/ or /ɔ/ in case of
unstressed syllable (Danvivathana, 1981: 155) but the second one still inherits the vowel 0 0 0 0 0 0
so these three words are pronounced /kɔː ra niː /, /thɔː ra maːn /, and /

3 0 0
0 0 0
0 0 3
0
0 0
mɔː ra na / respectively.
/a/, so these three words are pronounced /kɔː ra niː /, /thɔː ra maːn /, and /mɔː ra na /
respectively. It is worth noting that the first and the second consonant letters of thee-
It is worth noting that the first and the second consonant letters of thee-syllable
syllable words inherit the vowel /ɔː/ and /a/ respectively as กรณี, ทรมาน, มรณะ
words inherit the vowel /ɔː/ and /a/ respectively as กรณี, ทรมาน, มรณะ mentioned above. But
mentioned above. But when the second consonant letter is not -ร-, the first
when the second consonant letter is not -ร-, the first consonant is often pronounced /a/, 0 1 0 3 The International Journal of the Royal Society of Thailand
consonant is often pronounced /a/, such as in สหกรณ์ /sa ha kɔːn /, วจนะ /wa(t)
00
0 0
3
0 0
0 1
0
0 3 0 3
such as in สหกรณ /sa ha kɔːn /, วจนะ /wa(t) ca na /, อมรา / a(m) ma raː /. With Volume X - 2020
ca na /, อมรา /ʔa(m) ma raː /. With the the exception of when the second consonant
์
letter acts as both the final consonant of the first syllable and simultaneously acts
1 0 1
exception of when the second consonant letter acts as both the final consonant of the first pronunciation of the first syllable is /o/ and the second is /a/, such as ปกติ /pok ka ti /,
as the initial consonant of the second syllable, the pronunciation of the first syllable
syllable and simultaneously acts as the initial consonant of the second syllable, the
0 0 0
0
3
3 0
0 0
1 0 1
is /o/ and the second is /a/, such as ปกติ/pok ka ti /, พลเมือง /phon la m mɯŋ /, ทศพิธ /thot sa phit /.
พลเมือง /phon la
ŋ /,
3 0
3
ทศพิธ /thot sa phit /.

3
In general, the single syllable or stressed syllable in Thai must have a glottal stop /-/ as the final 3. Thai Consonant Letters from ก to ฮ and Sanskrit phonology
consonant but this article does not show that in this case. Due to the phonetic circumstances, we can predict
whether or not /-/ will appear as the final consonant because it tries to demonstrate the relationship
3. Thai Consonant Letters from ก to ฮ and Sanskrit phonology
3
between Thai letters and speech sounds and, as such, the Thai word ธ is transcribed as /tha / instead of
3
/tha /.
As we have discussed in section 2 the Thai alphabet evolved from the Indian
As we have discussed in section 2 the Thai alphabet evolved from the Indian
alphabet which is categorized by places and manners of articulation based on
The Thai Writing System: Reasons behind Its System
4
alphabet which is categorized by places and manners of articulation based on Sanskrit
Sanskrit (Skt) phonology. This means that stop consonants are put at the beginning
(Skt) phonology. This means that stop consonants are put at the beginning and non-stop
and non-stop ones at the end. For stop consonants, the nasal stop is preceded by
ones at the end. For stop consonants, the nasal stop is preceded by the oral stop in which
the oral stop in which unaspirated (unasp) consonants are followed by aspirated
unaspirated (unasp) consonants are followed by aspirated (asp) ones. It also places
(asp) ones. It also places voiceless (vl) stop consonants before voiced (vd) stops.
voiceless (vl) stop consonants before voiced (vd) stops. For places of articulation, stop
For places of articulation, stop consonants start with velar, palatal retroflex, dental
consonants start with velar, palatal retroflex, dental and labial. As for non-stop consonants,
and labial. As for non-stop consonants, a semi-vowel is followed by a fricative in
each place of articulation from the palatal, retroflex, dental and labial. With the
a semi-vowel is followed by a fricative in each place of articulation from the palatal,
exception of the glottal consonant /h/ which is placed very last in order. For this
retroflex, dental and labial. With the exception of the glottal consonant /h/ which is placed
reason, Thai consonant letters have a very similar order to Sanskrit as follows:
very last in order. For this reason, Thai consonant letters have a very similar order to
Sanskrit as follows:

Table 1: Stop Consonants

vl vd
Oral
Nasal
unasp asp unasp asp
158 The Thai Writing System: Reasons behind Its System Velar Skt ka kha ga gha ṅa
(V) Thai ก ข ค ฆ ง
Palatal Skt ca cha ja jha ña
Anant Laulertvorakul 5