Abstract:
The objective of this thesis was to study the following ideas: the evolution among
basic color terms in Pattani Malay; the strategy of forming non-basic color terms in Pattani Malay;
the syntactic structure of non-basic color terms in Pattani Malay and colors in the culture of Pattani
Malay native speakers
The data for Pattani Malay color terms study were collected from 10 female
informants age over 25 years of age in Wokajaha and Jabangtikor areas, Tambol Jabangtikhor,
Amphor Muang in Pattani Province. For the study of colors in the culture of Malay people, data
were collected from native-speaking informants both male and female over 40 years old whose
mother tongue was the Pattani Malay dialect from the Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat provinces.
The study revealed that - there were 7 Pattani Malay basic color terms: white, black,
red, green, yellow, blue and grey. According to the theory of evolution of basic color terms
proposed by Berlin and Kay, brown comes in stage 6 of the evolution scale. The evolution of basic
color term in Pattani Malay is both supports and is in conflict with the basic criteria of Berlin and
Kay (Berlin and Kay: 1969).The evolution of Pattani Malay basic color terms is in line with Berlin
and Kays (1969) Basic color term evolution theory from Stage 1-5, but with some differences in
Stage 6. There is no brown in Stage 6, but grey instead. Furthermore, it is found that - the strategy
of forming non-basic color terms in Pattani Malay were classified in 2 categories: from (1)
comparing, (2) from combining or modifying basic color terms.The study indicated that - there
were 4 syntactic structure of Pattani Malay non-basic color terms (1) reduplication, (2)
compounding, (3) modification, and (4) special structure modification. Moreover, colors in the
culture of Pattani Malay native speakers is influenced by non-basic color terms through their belief
and traditional ceremonies. The colors related in the belief and traditional ceremonies of the Malay
are all Pattani Malay basic color terms.