Orchid Names : An Analysis of Meanings and Beliefs

Abstract

This research aims to analyze the meanings of orchid names and to examine beliefs that emerge from those names. The theory of ethnosemantics was employed. The data were collected from five books, which together contained 135 names of Thai orchids. The results revealed that the meanings of orchid names were categorized into five groups, which were ranked in descending order according to the number of each group as follows: 1) animals, with 74 names, accounting for 54.81 percent 2) objects, with 34 names, accounting for 25.19 percent 3) plants, 18 names, accounting for 13.33 percent 4) humans, 5 names, accounting for 3.70 percent 5) places, 4 names, accounting for 2.96 percent. Regarding the analyzation of beliefs, 3 areas of beliefs in orchid names were found: the beliefs about orchids as sacred plants, the beliefs about orchids as a symbol of female gender, and the beliefs about orchids as valuable plants in the local area.