PATTAMA Patpong. 2013. Thematic pro

PATTAMA Patpong. 2013. Thematic progression of Thai Song Dam folktales.
Journal of the Southeast Asian Linguistics Society (JSEALS) 6:189-215
Received 4/8/2012, text accepted 6/10/2013, published October 2013
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/1885/10617
ISSN: 1836-6821 | Website: http://jseals.org
Editor-In-Chief Dr Paul Sidwell | Managing Editor Dr Peter Jenks
Copyright vested in the author; released under Creative Commons Attribution Licence


www.jseals.org | Volume 6 | 2013 | Asia-Pacific Linguistics


189
THEMATIC PROGRESSION OF THAI SONG DAM FOLKTALES
1

PATTAMA Patpong
Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia, Mahidol University

Abstract
This paper reports on an investigation of Thai Song Dam folktales which is a linguistic
part of Textual data management of Thai Song Dam Ethnic Group. It draws on Systemic
Functional Linguistics to investigate the discourse structure of ten Thai Song Dam
folktales. The paper explores thematic progression patterns in Thai Song Dam folktales
spoken in Thailand. The thematic progression is associated with the method of text
development which is based on the typical thematic selection realized by unmarked and
marked topical Themes (cf. Fries, 1981/1983, 1995a, 1995b). In this current study,
patterns of thematic progression are explored as a way of revealing the textual
organization of the folktales and the local progression achieved by the thematic selection
of successive clauses (cf. Danes
(1974)). The data for this study were drawn from ten
Thai Song Dam folktales. They were taken from secondary sources (e.g., folklore
researches’ appendices, Thai Song Dan folktale collections). Based on Danes
’s notion of
thematic progression, patterns of Theme selection were explored. The study revealed that
the most frequent pattern of thematic progression selected in the ten folktales was the
continuous or constant Theme expressed by unmarked topical Themes. Both ellipsed and
non-ellipsed unmarked topical Themes were selected and repeated as the point of
departure of each clause. The second most frequent pattern is linear Theme pattern. The
study also revealed that the primary methods of folktale development are those of
temporal and spatial organizations.
Keywords: Folktales, Thematic progression, Thematic development
ISO 693-3 language codes:: soa, blt
1. Introduction
Folktales, as one variety of traditional narrative inherited in all societies, are texts that are created as a form
of traditional story that tries to explain or understand the world. Imagination is vividly woven around talking
animals, mythical creatures, supernatural beings, and magical objects (cf. Thompson, 1946). Folktales
usually have no identified author and are orally passed down from generation to generation. In all societies,
folktales are considered treasures of mankind. Telling folktales is a traditionally subtle method of teaching
valuable lessons and mirror the values and culture of a society. In terms of medium, they can be either
spoken or written. The nature of the narrative focused on folktales in particular which are a combination of

1
This paper is a part of the sub-project “Textual data management of Thai Song Dam ethnic group” of the cluster
research “Ethnicity: New paradigm in language and cultural transmission” led by Professor Dr. Somsonge
Burusphat. This cluster research project is sponsored by the Research-Team Promotion Grant 2010-2013,
Thailand Research Fund (TRF). This paper was presented at the 22
nd
Annual Conference of Southeast Asian
Linguistics Society at Agay, France. May 31
st
-June 2
nd
, 2012. The author would like to thank the audiences for
their comments and suggestions. The author would like to express her thanks to Mr. Richard Hiam for his help
with the English version of this paper. My special thanks go to Mr. Sootawee Klinubon, a Thai Song Dam native
speaker, for helping with the Thai translation of Reyrai et al’s folktale collection. Many thanks go to Miss
Sirinda Osiri for assisting with the IPA transcription.
PATTAMA Patpong | Thai Song Dam Folktales | JSEALS 6 (2013)

190
character orientation and a series of events that unfold through chronological succession. The folktales
usually involve first or third person. First person accounts tend to be more formal. As for third person
accounts, there is an interesting matter of narrator viewpoint versus character viewpoint. Chronological
linage is an important feature of folktales. In folktales, sequential events are told by using chronological
resources of temporal conjunctions and temporal words. These resources are deployed to specify time when
the folktales take place and develop chronologically. The folktales are told and retold through accomplished
time encoding as past and present time (Longacre 1974; Martin 1992; Ochs 1997).
In discourse studies over the past two decades, there have been numerous studies on discourse, both
spoken and in written texts, in a number of registers/genres: Halliday and Hasan (1985), Martin (1985),
Ghadessy (1993, 1995b). The underlying assumptions in all these studies have been: (a) there are patterns of
organization above the sentence  method of text development  and (b) these patterns influence the
production and the comprehension of the texts concerned (cf. Ghadessy, 1995b). However, there is no
research on ethnic languages spoken in Thailand in general or research on ethnic folktales in particular. If the
notion of ‘method of development’ plays an important role in the organization of information in discourse, it
would be of interest to explore how the thematic development is manifested in Thai Song Dam folktales.
2. Thai Song Dam and its affiliation
The Thai Song Dam are one of the numerous ethnic groups residing in Thailand. The original place of
settlement of Thai Song Dam people in Thailand was Phetchaburi province. Later on, they moved to other
provinces including Kanchanaburi, Ratchaburi, Nakornpathom, Samut Sakorn, Samut Songkhram,
Suphanburi, Nakhonsawan, and Phitsanulok provinces. The Thai Song Dam have been known by various
names such as Song, Lao Song, Tai Song, Thai Song Dam, Tai Dam or Black Tai
2
(see also Burusphat,
2012).
The Thai Song Dam language belongs to the Upper Southwestern Tai sub-branch of the Southwestern
branch of the Tai-Kadai language family (cf. Li 1960, Hartmann, 1980). In the western regions of Thailand,
Thai Song Dam is spoken widely in Phetchaburi, Nakornpathom, Ratchaburi, Kanchanaburi, Suphanburi,
Samut Songkhram, and Samut Sakorn provinces (Somsonge, et al. 2010).
The goal of the present research is to explore thematic progression of Thai Song Dam folktales by
applying Danes
’s notion of thematic progression (cf. Danes
, 1974). In the later part of the paper, the method
of text development of the Thai Song Dam folktales will be discussed.
3. Theoretical framework
3.1 Thematic selection: The system of Theme
Based on a metafunction perspective, language is interpreted as having meaning potential, diversified
functionally into three simultaneous metafunctions/modes of meaning: ideational, interpersonal and textual.
As this research deals with the textual organization of Thai Song Dam folktales, a textual analysis is used in
this study.
Textual metafunction/meaning is a resource for presenting interpersonal and ideational meanings as
the organized flow of information of a text in its local context. This textual resource creates the flow of
information, involving two simultaneous orientations in text development  guiding, and enabling, both text
producers (speakers/writers), and text receivers (listeners/readers) (Halliday, 1978; Matthiessen 1992, 1995a,
1995b). In the guiding orientation, the textual resources are utilized in a way that guides speakers (writers) in
the process of creating texts, by providing them with the method for moving from one message to another.
At the same time, in the enabling orientation, the textual resource is used to structurally direct the listeners
(readers) in the process of interpreting the text as it unfolds. These two orientations of text development
operate simultaneously.

2
The term “Tai” is distinguished from “Thai”. “Tai” refers to any speakers of the Tai language family residing
outside the Kingdom of Thailand. “Thai” refers to speakers of Tai language family residing in the Kingdom of
Thailand (Suriya Ratanakul, Khunying 1994).

PATTAMA Patpong | Thai Song Dam Folktales | JSEALS 6 (2013)
191
One of the principle grammatical systems of textual metafunction is the Theme system. An analysis of
the Theme system shows how clauses are organized as messages  as quanta of information in the flow of
information created as a text unfolds. Theme serves as the point of departure of the clause as message, and it
is typically realized by its initial position. What follows the Theme is known as the Rheme. Rheme is what is
presented in the local context set by the Theme. The clause as a message is thus a configuration of the two
thematic status, Theme + Rheme constituting ‘thematic structure’ or ‘Theme-Rheme structure’ (cf. Martin,
Matthiessen, and Painter, 2010; Matthiessen, 1995a).
Halliday and Matthiessen provide characteristics of Theme and Rheme as follows:
The Theme is the element which serves as the point of departure of the message; it is that
which locates and orients the clause within its context. The remainder of the message, the part
in which the Theme is developed, is called in the Prague school terminology the Rheme. As a
message structu

Results (Vietnamese) 1:

Pattama Patpong. 2013. tiến triển theo chủ đề của truyện dân gian Thái Sông Đầm. Tạp chí của Hiệp hội Đông Nam Á Linguistics (JSEALS) 6: 189-215 Nhận 2012/04/08, văn bản chấp nhận 2013/06/10, xuất bản tháng 10 năm 2013 URL: http: // HDL .handle.net / 1885/10617 ISSN: 1836-6821 | Website: http://jseals.org Editor-In-Chief Dr Paul Sidwell | Quản lý biên tập Dr Peter Jenks Copyright trao cho các tác giả; phát hành theo Giấy phép Creative Commons Ghi www.jseals.org | Tập 6 | 2013 | Châu Á-Thái Bình Dương Ngôn ngữ học 189 tiến triển CHUYÊN ĐỀ CỦA THÁI SÔNG DAM truyện dân gian 1 Patpong Pattama Viện nghiên cứu về ngôn ngữ và văn hóa của châu Á, Đại học Mahidol Abstract This paper reports on an investigation of Thai Song Dam folktales which is a linguistic part of Textual data management of Thai Song Dam Ethnic Group. It draws on Systemic Functional Linguistics to investigate the discourse structure of ten Thai Song Dam folktales. The paper explores thematic progression patterns in Thai Song Dam folktales spoken in Thailand. The thematic progression is associated with the method of text development which is based on the typical thematic selection realized by unmarked and marked topical Themes (cf. Fries, 1981/1983, 1995a, 1995b). In this current study, patterns of thematic progression are explored as a way of revealing the textual organization of the folktales and the local progression achieved by the thematic selection of successive clauses (cf. Danes
(1974)). The data for this study were drawn from ten Thai Song Dam folktales. They were taken from secondary sources (e.g., folklore researches’ appendices, Thai Song Dan folktale collections). Based on Danes
’s notion of thematic progression, patterns of Theme selection were explored. The study revealed that the most frequent pattern of thematic progression selected in the ten folktales was the continuous or constant Theme expressed by unmarked topical Themes. Both ellipsed and non-ellipsed unmarked topical Themes were selected and repeated as the point of departure of each clause. The second most frequent pattern is linear Theme pattern. The study also revealed that the primary methods of folktale development are those of temporal and spatial organizations. Keywords: Folktales, Thematic progression, Thematic development ISO 693-3 language codes:: soa, blt 1. Introduction Folktales, as one variety of traditional narrative inherited in all societies, are texts that are created as a form of traditional story that tries to explain or understand the world. Imagination is vividly woven around talking animals, mythical creatures, supernatural beings, and magical objects (cf. Thompson, 1946). Folktales usually have no identified author and are orally passed down from generation to generation. In all societies, folktales are considered treasures of mankind. Telling folktales is a traditionally subtle method of teaching valuable lessons and mirror the values and culture of a society. In terms of medium, they can be either
spoken or written. The nature of the narrative focused on folktales in particular which are a combination of

1
This paper is a part of the sub-project “Textual data management of Thai Song Dam ethnic group” of the cluster
research “Ethnicity: New paradigm in language and cultural transmission” led by Professor Dr. Somsonge
Burusphat. This cluster research project is sponsored by the Research-Team Promotion Grant 2010-2013,
Thailand Research Fund (TRF). This paper was presented at the 22
nd
Annual Conference of Southeast Asian
Linguistics Society at Agay, France. May 31
st
-June 2
nd
, 2012. The author would like to thank the audiences for
their comments and suggestions. The author would like to express her thanks to Mr. Richard Hiam for his help
with the English version of this paper. My special thanks go to Mr. Sootawee Klinubon, a Thai Song Dam native
speaker, for helping with the Thai translation of Reyrai et al’s folktale collection. Many thanks go to Miss
Sirinda Osiri for assisting with the IPA transcription.
PATTAMA Patpong | Thai Song Dam Folktales | JSEALS 6 (2013)

190
character orientation and a series of events that unfold through chronological succession. The folktales
usually involve first or third person. First person accounts tend to be more formal. As for third person
accounts, there is an interesting matter of narrator viewpoint versus character viewpoint. Chronological
linage is an important feature of folktales. In folktales, sequential events are told by using chronological
resources of temporal conjunctions and temporal words. These resources are deployed to specify time when
the folktales take place and develop chronologically. The folktales are told and retold through accomplished
time encoding as past and present time (Longacre 1974; Martin 1992; Ochs 1997).
In discourse studies over the past two decades, there have been numerous studies on discourse, both
spoken and in written texts, in a number of registers/genres: Halliday and Hasan (1985), Martin (1985),
Ghadessy (1993, 1995b). The underlying assumptions in all these studies have been: (a) there are patterns of
organization above the sentence  method of text development  and (b) these patterns influence the
production and the comprehension of the texts concerned (cf. Ghadessy, 1995b). However, there is no
research on ethnic languages spoken in Thailand in general or research on ethnic folktales in particular. If the
notion of ‘method of development’ plays an important role in the organization of information in discourse, it
would be of interest to explore how the thematic development is manifested in Thai Song Dam folktales.
2. Thai Song Dam and its affiliation
The Thai Song Dam are one of the numerous ethnic groups residing in Thailand. The original place of
settlement of Thai Song Dam people in Thailand was Phetchaburi province. Later on, they moved to other
provinces including Kanchanaburi, Ratchaburi, Nakornpathom, Samut Sakorn, Samut Songkhram,
Suphanburi, Nakhonsawan, and Phitsanulok provinces. The Thai Song Dam have been known by various
names such as Song, Lao Song, Tai Song, Thai Song Dam, Tai Dam or Black Tai
2
(see also Burusphat,
2012).
The Thai Song Dam language belongs to the Upper Southwestern Tai sub-branch of the Southwestern
branch of the Tai-Kadai language family (cf. Li 1960, Hartmann, 1980). In the western regions of Thailand,
Thai Song Dam is spoken widely in Phetchaburi, Nakornpathom, Ratchaburi, Kanchanaburi, Suphanburi,
Samut Songkhram, and Samut Sakorn provinces (Somsonge, et al. 2010).
The goal of the present research is to explore thematic progression of Thai Song Dam folktales by
applying Danes
’s notion of thematic progression (cf. Danes
, 1974). In the later part of the paper, the method
of text development of the Thai Song Dam folktales will be discussed.
3. Theoretical framework
3.1 Thematic selection: The system of Theme
Based on a metafunction perspective, language is interpreted as having meaning potential, diversified
functionally into three simultaneous metafunctions/modes of meaning: ideational, interpersonal and textual.
As this research deals with the textual organization of Thai Song Dam folktales, a textual analysis is used in
this study.
Textual metafunction/meaning is a resource for presenting interpersonal and ideational meanings as
the organized flow of information of a text in its local context. This textual resource creates the flow of
information, involving two simultaneous orientations in text development  guiding, and enabling, both text
producers (speakers/writers), and text receivers (listeners/readers) (Halliday, 1978; Matthiessen 1992, 1995a,
1995b). In the guiding orientation, the textual resources are utilized in a way that guides speakers (writers) in
the process of creating texts, by providing them with the method for moving from one message to another.
At the same time, in the enabling orientation, the textual resource is used to structurally direct the listeners
(readers) in the process of interpreting the text as it unfolds. These two orientations of text development
operate simultaneously.

2
The term “Tai” is distinguished from “Thai”. “Tai” refers to any speakers of the Tai language family residing
outside the Kingdom of Thailand. “Thai” refers to speakers of Tai language family residing in the Kingdom of
Thailand (Suriya Ratanakul, Khunying 1994).

PATTAMA Patpong | Thai Song Dam Folktales | JSEALS 6 (2013)
191
One of the principle grammatical systems of textual metafunction is the Theme system. An analysis of
the Theme system shows how clauses are organized as messages  as quanta of information in the flow of
information created as a text unfolds. Theme serves as the point of departure of the clause as message, and it
is typically realized by its initial position. What follows the Theme is known as the Rheme. Rheme is what is
presented in the local context set by the Theme. The clause as a message is thus a configuration of the two
thematic status, Theme + Rheme constituting ‘thematic structure’ or ‘Theme-Rheme structure’ (cf. Martin,
Matthiessen, and Painter, 2010; Matthiessen, 1995a).
Halliday and Matthiessen provide characteristics of Theme and Rheme as follows:
The Theme is the element which serves as the point of departure of the message; it is that
which locates and orients the clause within its context. The remainder of the message, the part
in which the Theme is developed, is called in the Prague school terminology the Rheme. As a
message structu