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Terrain characteristics and Tai toponyms: a GIS analysis of Muang, Chiang and Viang

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Abstract

Tai is a family of related languages and dialects, a subgroup of the Tai-Kadai languages, spoken by more than 85 million speakers in southern China and Southeast Asia. This paper uses GIS to map the spatial distribution of Tai toponyms (Muang, Chiang and Viang) and analyzes their relationship with terrain characteristics. In Tai, Muang means flat “basin”, Chiang means “town”, and Viang provides defense for a Chiang. These Tai toponyms are found at places with a significantly higher compound topographic index (or wetness index) than others. Watershed basins with more Muang toponyms are characterized by lower elevation, gentler slope, near zero concavity. All of these are consistent with physical conditions favorable for wet rice agriculture, culture, and commerce. The transnational spatial distribution of these toponyms and associated terrain characteristics reveal a significant regional pattern that reflects not only the geomorphology of the places where Tai expanded and settled, but also a common history and culture of naming places influenced by their wet rice agriculture and associated cultural practices and commerce.

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Notes

  1. In this paper, we use italicized font Tai to indicate the Tai language and the normal font Tai to represent the people who speak Tai.

  2. Thai or Siamese is only one of many Tai languages and refers only to the national language of the modern Thai nation.

  3. Tai/Thai is a tonal language; a change in tone results in a change in meaning. The tones of Muang “basin” and Muang “ditch” are, in modern Thai speech, level tone and rising tone, respectively.

  4. In general, Tai toponyms follow the pattern of Head Noun (or general name), plus one or more modifiers (or special name) (Dai 2004).

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Acknowledgments

This research is supported by the National Science Foundation Human and Social Dynamics (HSD) Program (Grant No. 0623108). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. We also would like to thank two anonymous reviewers for their helpful reviews.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA

    Wei Luo & John F. Hartmann

  2. Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA

    Fahui Wang

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  1. Wei Luo
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  2. John F. Hartmann
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  3. Fahui Wang
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Correspondence to Wei Luo.

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Luo, W., Hartmann, J.F. & Wang, F. Terrain characteristics and Tai toponyms: a GIS analysis of Muang, Chiang and Viang . GeoJournal 75, 93–104 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-009-9291-8

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