A Study of Naming Chinese Shop Signs in Sing Buri Province
Keywords:
Shop name structure, Sing Buri Province, Shop Signs, ChineseAbstract
Sing Buri Province is renowned for its cultural heritage, particularly the legendary heroism of the Bang Rachan villagers, which is widely known among the Thai people. The province has a significant population of Thai-Chinese residents, primarily engaged in business within urban areas. This research aims to 1. Survey Chinese-language shop names in Sing Buri Province. And 2. Analyze the linguistic structure and word formation of shop name signage. The study focuses on four districts: Mueang Sing Buri, In Buri, Phrom Buri, and Khai Bang Rachan. A field survey was conducted, collecting data from a total of 51 Chinese-language shop signs. The research methodology involved on-site data collection using a structured survey form. The findings indicate that: 1. The most common type of Chinese-language shop names in Sing Buri Province belongs to restaurants and beverage shops. 2. The most frequently used naming structure is the compound structure, incorporating elements such as personal names, family names, business types, organizational forms, transliterated words, auspicious words, and location indicators, accounting for 76.47% of the shop names. The second most common structure is the single-word structure, found in 12 shop names, representing 23.53% of all collected signs. Regarding the color of shop sign lettering, the most popular colors are gold or yellow, white, and red, each carrying distinct symbolic meanings. Additionally, most shop names are written in traditional Chinese characters, with a right-to-left and top-to-bottom reading order. Many shop names include auspicious words to convey blessings for business prosperity.
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