LING 066. Structure of Thai

Thai is the national language of Thailand, and a language in the Kra-Dai language family. In this course we will embark on a deep dive into the linguistic study of Thai, including components of its phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, and sociolinguistics. Topics of special focus may include (but are not limited to) its intricate system of pronominal reference, how Thai came to be a tonal language, and how the Thai writing system acts as a kind of ‘fossil record’ for studying its history. We will compare aspects of Thai to related languages in its family, such as Lao, Shan, Tai Khamti, and more. We will also zoom out to mainland Southeast Asia as a linguistic convergence area, the geographic and cultural crossroads within which Thai has both influenced and been influenced by many neighboring languages and cultures. 

The aim of the course is to expand the skills you have gained in other linguistics courses by applying them to all parts of the Thai language. You will have some freedom to explore the areas of the language that most interest you. You will also have the chance to interact with Thai speakers as you build your skills of linguistic analysis and reasoning, and as we get up to our elbows in both primary data and the existing linguistics literature about Thai.
Prerequisite: Any two of LING 001, LING 025, LING 040, LING 043, LING 045, LING 050, or permission of the instructor.
Social sciences.
1 credit.
Eligible for ASIA.
Spring 2025. Dockum.
Catalog chapter: Linguistics  
Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/linguistics

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