Abstract:
In this thesis, the researcher aims to study reduplication in Thai and Chinese, an important type of word formation in both languages. The study is to reveal the differences and similarities of reduplicative in these two languages in the following aspects ะ types of words that can undergo reduplicating process, reduplicating patterns, relations of sound, functions and meanings of reduplicative with their base words. Data in Chinese are collected from text books, Chinese students and the researcher himself. Data in Thai are collected from textbooks and Thai students. Reduplicative in the data include only those found in spoken languages, so as to reveal the characteristics of reduplicative in spoken languages in both Thai and Chinese. The study reveals that most word categories can undergo reduplicating process: in Chinese, 7 word categories? in Thai, 9 word categories. In connection with reduplicating patterns, there are two main types in both languages. They are free reduplicative, that is, the reduplicative that may occur alone; and non-free reduplicative, that is, the reduplicative that may not occur alone. Both types can be further sub-classified so that altogether Chinese has ten subtypes, and Thai five subtypes. In Chinese some two-syllable words can undergo two different reduplicative patterns. Such reduplicative do not occur in Thai. As to the sounds in reduplicating patterns, reduplicative in both languages reveal reduplicative that are different from their base words in tones and those that are not. Those reduplicative that are different in tones from their base words show only high tones and the vowels in stressed syllables in reduplicative words are longer than those that are unstressed. As for consonants, there is no difference between reduplicative and their base words. Reduplicative in both Thai and Chinese can be classified according to their functions into 3 types, they are reduplicative that have the same function as their base words, those that have different function from their base words, and those whose functions are not comparable to the function of their base words. Thai reduplicative are mainly of the first typos whereas Chinese reduplicative have their functions depending on their reduplicating patterns.