Toponyms of Villages in Mueang Nakhon Phanom District, Nakhon Phanom Province.

Abstract

      This study investigates the approaches to village naming, the characteristics of words used in village names, and the social reflections revealed through the village names in Mueang Nakhon Phanom District, Nakhon Phanom Province. The study covers 165 villages and employs a community survey with a qualitative research approach. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with three key informants from each village, selected using purposive sampling and snowball sampling techniques. The data were analyzed by classifying the word structures and meanings appearing in the village names. The findings reveal that village names in Mueang Nakhon Phanom District consist of structures ranging from one to four words. Two-word village names are the most common, totaling 83 names, followed by three-word names with 62 names. One-word names account for 13 villages, while four-word names are the least common, with only 7 names. The approaches to village naming can be classified into eight categories: naming based on geographical features, naming after plants, naming after important persons, naming based on legends or folktales, naming after ancient objects or artifacts, naming to indicate direction or size, naming to express actions or activities, and naming for auspicious meanings. The results reflect the linguistic culture underlying place naming at the village level. In addition, they reveal the geographical characteristics and the values attributed to various elements through the naming of villages in Mueang Nakhon Phanom District, Nakhon Phanom Province.