A Study of English Code-mixing Used by LGBTQ+ Characters in the “Pee Nak” Film Series
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Abstract
The objectives of this study were to examine the characteristics of English code-mixing used by LGBTQ+ characters in the Pee Nak film series and to investigate its nativized features. Data were collected from the Thai-language dialogues of the two characters “First” and “Balloon” across four films: Pee Nak (2019), Pee Nak 2 (2020), Pee Nak 3 (2022), and Pee Nak 4 (2024). A total of 197 code-mixed lexical items were transcribed exclusively from the target characters' Thai dialogues, cross-checked against official subtitles for accuracy, and analyzed using the frameworks of Ho (2007) and Kannaovakun and Gunther (2003). The findings revealed that nouns dominated the code-mixed items (78.17%), followed by verbs (8.63%) and adjectives (6.60%). Based on Ho’s (2007) framework, the three most frequent linguistic patterns were proper nouns (59.64%), lexical words (27.80%), and short forms (4.48%). Regarding nativized features, the results showed that the three most frequent processes for adapting English elements into Thai discourse were truncation (33.33%), hybridization (30%), and reduplication (20%). Ultimately, the study demonstrates that English code-mixing is a systematic linguistic adaptation serving as a stylistic tool in scriptwriting to reflect LGBTQ+ identities and contemporary Thai language evolution.
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