ABSTRACT

                      The aim of this thesis was to study “The Linguistic Geography of the Northeastern Thai Dialect in Nongbua Lamphu Province” to examine changes and distribution of words as well as the areas where words are used and to study the results for making a linguistic map in order to distinguish the Thai dialects used in Nongbua Lamphu. Data were obtained through a questionnaire consisting of meaning unit having more than three words for each word. In this study, 30 meaning units were used. The meaning units used in the questionnaire were obtained from primary data namely; noun, pronoun, verb, and adverb collection and representing the words used in all of 6 Amphoes in Nongbua Lamphu; and this meaning units were used for asking key informants in all of 59 Sub-districts, two informants and used the Northeastern Thai dialect.

                      The findings of the study found that:

                      1.  In respect of variation of lexicon, the transforming of meaning units of each meaning unit was found that there was consonant sound change, vowel sound change , sound harmony, sound changing over, sound adding, sound cutting. For word change it was found that word adding consisted.

                      2.  In respect of Linguistic boundary, the area of Northeastern Thai dialect could be divided into 1 group from vocabulary Isogloss that were scattered systematically  on over the bound any of the proving that is; dialect Northeastern Thai consisting of Amphoe Mueang, Amphoe Sibunrueng, Amphoe Naklang, Amphoe Nonsang, Amphoe Nawang, and Amphoe Suwannakhuha.