THE COMPARATIVE STUDY OF CULTURAL REFLECTION FROM THAI, CHINESE AND ENGLISH PROVERBS

Abstract

This research is “The Comparative study of Cultural Reflection from Thai, Chinese and English Proverbs” aims to study 1) classify the typologies of figurative language of Thai Chinese and English proverbs, 2) the comparison of similarity of figurative language that reflects the thoughts, cultures, beliefs, and ways of life among Thai, Chinese and English people who use proverbs to communicate with each other, and 3) the cultural reflection from similar meaning proverbs of Thai, Chinese and English proverbs. As in Thai, Chinese and English cultures, there are many proverbs that still being said at the present. Those proverbs used though interpretation. Further, the proverbs still express the truth based on the practical experience of humanity or common sense. This research is quantitative research and describes by using the descriptive analysis and descriptive linguistics analysis approaches for the similar meaning of proverbs. Moreover, the data were classified and analyzed the typologies of the figurative language of Thai, Chinese and English proverbs which have similar meaning to reflect on their cultural phenomena by using the figurative language of Coining the Expression of the Royal Academy (2002). The data of this research were 670 Thai proverbs, 673 Chinese proverbs and 736 English proverbs. The result of this research showed that into three parts; 1) The result of the classification the typologies of figurative language in Thai, Chinese and English proverbs found that Thai proverb has 11 categories, Chinese proverb has seven categories, and English proverb has nine categories. There are four categories (metaphor, metonymy, hyperbole, and antithesis) were found in all of them. Moreover, Describing was found in all of Thai, Chinese and English Proverbs. Oxymoron, simile, personification, and irony were found in Thai and English proverbs, while synecdoche was found in Thai and Chinese proverbs and analogy was found in Chinese and English proverb. Antonomasia and paradox were found only in Thai proverb, while symbol was found only in Chinese proverb. 2) The result of the comparison of similarity of figurative language that reflects the thoughts, cultures, beliefs, and ways of life among Thai, Chinese and English people who use proverbs to communicate with each other found that there are ten categories i.e. experience of life, expressions, living, men and doing, men and their emotions, men and speeches, men and beliefs, characteristics, making friends, and attitudes. And 3) The result of cultural reflection from similar meaning proverbs of Thai, Chinese and English proverbs found that The most founding was men and doing, reflecting about the religion venerating culture and tradition of Thai, Chinese and English. The principle teaching of all religions is to do goodness and abstain badness because people are able to do good and bad, therefore it impacted having the proverbs regarding men and doing as the most. Next were living, making friends, and experience of life, they went along with doing of human. Proverbs about living reflected livelihood culture of Thai, Chinese and English that were similar concept and their proverbs presented the casual living from day to day, the wealthy living culture of Thai, Chinese and English that was no hurry or no need preparing for the future livelihood. The society at present has changed, Thai, Chinese and English people have to fight against the living conditions changing of economy. Nowadays society is competitive, money is an important factor in present life. More talent people would have a better opportunity than less ones, and more powerful people will be over the less ones, therefore we ought to know and recognize the enemy.