A Study of Community Names for Promoting Ecotourism in Thonburi Old District

Abstract

This research aimed to analyze the linguistic structures and origins of community names in the Thonburi Old District. The data for this study consisted of 15selected community names from the designated area within the Thonburi Old District. The analysis was conducted within the theoretical framework of Ethnosemantics. The findings on linguistic structures revealed a variety of patterns in the language origins of community names, including combinations of one, two, and three languages. Among these, names incorporating components from two languages were the most common. The languages identified included Thai, Pali-Sanskrit, Khmer, Pali, and Chinese. Eight distinct structural patterns were identified, with combinations of Khmer and Pali-Sanskrit being the most prevalent. In terms of linguistic structure, three main types were found: single-component, two-component, and three-component structures. Among these, single-component structures were the most frequent. The core elements typically referenced specific places or locations. Regarding the semantic origins of the community names, religious sites were the most common source, followed by geographical locations, occupations, architectural features, and land associated with members of the royal family.