Thai pronouns as interpersonal resources signifying 'Involvement' and 'Attitude'

Abstract

This study examines the roles of Thai pronouns as interpersonal resources within the scope of Systemic Functional Linguistics. Based on the samples of pronominal usage collected from forty Thai contemporary novels, the writer has illustrated the relationship between Thai pronominal reference and the two Tenor variables---'status' and 'contact'. It is these two Tenor variables and affective involvement between interlocutors which influence their pronominal choice. The writer has further proposed a model for analysing Thai pronouns under two interpersonal discourse semantics---'involvement' and 'appraisal'. Regarding the system of 'involvement', Thai pronominal resources can be 'unmarkedly' utilised to realise six different features of 'intimate' interpersonal relation, namely: (1) 'familial solidarity', (2) 'pseudo kinship', (3) 'solidarity', (4) 'endearment', (5) 'deference' and (6) 'politeness'. These linguistic resources can also construe three features of 'non-intimate' interpersonal relation including (7) 'formality', (8) 'neutrality' and (9) 'uncalled-for solidarity'. With respect to the system of 'appraisal', a Thai pronoun has to be analysed as an 'attitudinal token' through which an interlocutor's 'attitude' can be encrypted. Therefore, to decipher the encoded 'attitude', contextual clues are indispensable. The writer has suggested that only the 'affect' component of 'attitude' is realisable through the two kinds of 'marked' pronominal usage, viz. 'discriminatory pronominal choice' and 'expressive pronominal switching'.