Mai2 Hăn-Ākāś : Origin and Development

Abstract

This research aims to investigate the origin and development of Mai² Hăn-Ākāś, the diacritic mark in the Thai language. The study employs an analytical approach using evidence from inscriptions and ancient manuscripts to examine and verify relevant hypotheses. The findings reveal that the use of Mai² Hăn-Ākāś originated during the Sukhothai period. It was derived from the subscript form of the consonant ง or the character  -  from Khmer-Thai script, which corresponds to the Thai alphabet ง, and was initially employed to replace the reduplicated consonant form งง in Ăkṣar Hăn  (turned letter), representing syllables with the vowel /a/ and the final consonant /ŋ/. Subsequently, its application extended to syllable with /a/ followed by other final consonants, and to syllable with the vowel /ua/ without a final consonant. Evidence indicates that these developments occurred alongside the abandonment of writing conjoined consonants and the adoption of Mai² Hăn-Ākāś as a substitute for the earlier hăn form in Thai orthography. The influence of Mai² Hăn-Ākāś is also observed in the Fakkham script and Middle Khmer inscriptions.