Values Reflected through Meanings of Nicknames among Thais of Chinese Descent Aged 50-70 Years in Hat Yai District, Songkhla Province

Abstract

The objective of this research article is to present the results of a study on values reflected through meanings of nicknames among Thais of Chinese descent aged between 50 and 70 years in Hat Yai District, Songkhla Province. Purposive sampling method was employed to select 100 subjects consisting of 50 males and 50 females aged 50-70 years. The instrument was a questionnaire about nicknames given to Thais of Chinese descent. The data were analyzed and presented in percentages. The study results revealed that the meanings of nicknames were in 14 themes from most to least frequently found as follows: 1) Nature (20 percent), followed by 2) Physical characteristics (16 percent); 3) Wealth (14 percent); 4) Nicknames without meaning (8 percent); Happiness and love (6 percent) which was the same percentage as 6) Alphabets, numbers and ordinal numbers (6 percent), and the same percentage as 7) Foods (6 percent); 8) Goodness and prosperity (4 percent); 9) People and family (4 percent) which was the same percentage as 10) Knowledge, ability, and technology (4 percent), 11) Things, tools, and vehicles (4 percent), and 12) Nicknames with unknown meanings (4 percent); 13) Honor, fame, and authority was found the least frequent at 2 percent which was the same percentage as 14) Nicknames related to specific names (2 percent).