<div>Dear Jon,</div>
<div>I suggest that you also post this to lists that focus on Southeast Asian linguistics and lexicography such as sealang-l asialex etc. See info below. </div>
<div>I will post your query to sealang-l list, but in order to follow discussion within the list, I suggest that you subscribe to the list.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>There's also an Asian Lexicopgraphy organization. <a href="http://www.asialex.org">www.asialex.org</a> that organizes conferences every 2 years. the upcoming conference will be in Dec 2009in BKK.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Another source is to contact Thai universities that do research in this area, such as Dept. of Linguistics at Chula, Mahidol's Institute of Language and Culture for Rural Development, Linguistics/Thai/Anthropology/Sociology Depts. at Chiangmai University and Payap Univerity/SIL.<br>
</div>
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<div>
<p><b>What</b> SeaLex is an informal association of researchers and developers interested in Southeast Asian lexicography. SeaLex encourages:
<ul>
<li>developing dictionaries related to SEA languages of all kinds: modern and historical, majority and minority.
<li>making lexicographic resources, including dictionaries, text corpora, and sound files, available on-line for reference and reuse.
<li>contributing relevant reference books, journals, conference reports, and theses to libraries <i>within Southeast Asia</i>. </li></li></li></ul>
<p><b>Why</b> Many SEA languages share etymological influences and typological features; moreover, the Indic-derived writing systems found across Burma, Laos, Thailand, and Cambodia pose common technical difficulties. Yet there is little or no regional cooperation in SEA lexicography, nor are SEA issues raised within other Asian lexicography groups. Even some dictionaries of SEA languages may be difficult or impossible to find within SEA itself.
<p> SeaLex provides an opportunity for researchers interested in SEA lexicography to raise issues before an international discussion group of SEA scholars. It acts as a focal point for announcements and discussion of projects, tools, and standards. Finally, SeaLex provides a conduit for seeking assistance and support.
<p><b>Who</b> Anybody can join SeaLex discussions, or propose new directions for SeaLex, by joining the <a href="http://seasrc.th.net/sealang-l/">SEALANG-L</a> mailing list. Subscribe or unsubscribe with the <a href="http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-sealang-l.html">subscription page</a>, or send mail to: <br>
<b><a href="mailto:majordomo@nectec.or.th">majordomo@nectec.or.th</a></b> <br>To subscribe, include in the message: <br> <b>subscribe sealang-l <i>your_email_address</i></b> <br>To unsubscribe, include in the message: <br>
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<b>Search</b> the <i><a href="http://listserv.linguistlist.org/archives/sealang-l.html">SEALANG-L archives</a></i>. </p></p></p></p></div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Message: 1<br>Date: Mon, 9 Jun 2008 13:19:39 +0700<br>From: "Fernquest Jon" <<a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:fernquestj@Bangkokpost.co.th">fernquestj@Bangkokpost.co.th</a>><br>
Subject: [Tlc] Indigenous Tai lexicography<br>To: <<a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:tlc@lists.ucr.edu">tlc@lists.ucr.edu</a>><br>Message-ID:<br> <<a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:93D86A713BB9264B82351E61ED38C33F018A4BA9@mail.Bangkokpost.co.th"><span></span> 93D86A713BB9264B82351E61ED38C33F018A4BA9@mail.Bangkokpost.co.th</a>><br>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"<br><br>To: <a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:tlc@lists.ucr.edu">tlc@lists.ucr.edu</a><br>Re: [Tlc] Indigenous Tai lexicography<br>
<br>Dear List Members;<br><br>I'm doing research on indigenous Southeast Asian lexicography (and also any meta-discourse like text reflecting on the usage of words in texts).<br><br>Looking for any scholarly work that has been done on indigenous Thai or Tai lexicography published in either a western language or Thai.<br>
<br>I wonder whether there were pre-western indigenous Tai language word lists with dictionary-like features, whether there are any manuscripts that contain such texts in central or northern Thai, and whether they have made their way into published book form.<br>
<br>In Burmese there is the "that-bon kyan" or spelling book genre, that simply lists all possible words in a particular sort order (see Okell, 1968). (The emergence of this genre led eventually to increased uniformity of spelling in indigenous texts, and also probably to a decrease in ambiguity.)<br>
<br>And in Pali there are pre-western indigenous dictionaries, essentially word lists with dictionary-like features like: 1. grouping words by synonym, and 2. by meaning in a thesaurus-like way. For example, all words for "river" grouped together, and all words for natural phenomena like "river," "mountain," etc grouped together. Cone (1996) discusses these dictionaries and (Elizarenkova and Toporov, 1976) has a couple of pages organising words in this fashion.<br>
<br>Pali Nissaya<br><br>Another indigenous textual genre performs a function similar to a dictionary, namely Pali nissaya translations, pali interleaved with translation to indigenous language. (See Okell, 1967, and Pruitt, 1994)<br>
<br>I believe that some of the people on this list have done research in this area for Tai languages.<br><span></span><br>Also interested if any nissaya translations exist in published book form in Thai, perhaps in cremation volumes? Nissaya translations were published several times in book form in Burma during the colonial era. (See bibliography in Stewart and Dunn, 1940)<br>
<br>In Skilling's two bibliographies of Pali literature in Thailand, there are two sections devoted to "Nama-sapda" manuscripts which seem to be nissaya translations (see Skilling and Santi Pakdeekham, 2004).<br>
Also interested in work on Tai etymology done by Thai scholars. I noticed that mention was made of works on Thai etymology recently by Thai language scholar Dr Anan Laoloetworakun at Chulalongkorn.<br><br>Sorry, for perhaps providing too much detail in this posting.<br>
<br>Part of the purpose of this post is to stimulate discussion if anyone is interested. The early history and origins of the written Burmese language and texts, is a research interest, and comparison with neighboring textual traditions seems like one way to gain insight.<br>
<br>Sincerely,<br><br>Jon Fernquest<br>Bangkok Post, Educational Services<br><a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="http://readbangkokpost.com/" target="_blank">http://readbangkokpost.com/</a><br>
<br>References<br><br>Cone, Margaret (1996) "The I.B. Horner Memorial Lecture 1995: Lexicography, Pali and Pali Lexicography," Journal of the Pali Text Society, Vol. XXII, Journal 1996.<br><br>Elizarenkova, T.Y. and V.N. Toporov (1976) The Pali language, Nauka Pub. House, Moscow.<br>
<br>Okell, John (1967) "Nissaya Burmese," Journal of the Burma Research Society, vol. 50.<br><br>Okell, John (1968) "Alphabetical order in Burmese," Journal of the Burma Research Society, vol. 51.<br><br>
Pruitt, William (1994) Etude linguistique de nissaya birmans : traduction commentee de textes bouddhiques, Paris : Presses de l'Ecole francaise d'Extreme-Orient.<br><br>Skilling, Peter and Santi Pakdeekham (2004) Pali and vernacular literature transmitted in Central and Northern Siam, Bangkok : Fragile Palm Leaves Foundation.<br>
<span></span><br>Stewart, J.A. and C. W. Dunn (1940-) A Burmese-English dictionary, published under the auspices of the University of Rangoon, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.<br> </div>