Main Translations

English: Demeanour

Thai: กิริยา (kiri ya)

Phonetic: [kee-ree yah]

Detailed Explanation: "กิริยา" is commonly used in Thai to refer to a person's outward manner, behavior, or conduct, often with positive or neutral emotional connotations. It emphasizes social presentation and is frequently applied in formal or professional scenarios, such as describing someone's polite or composed attitude during interactions. Semantic nuances include its focus on visible traits like body language and tone, which can influence perceptions in social hierarchies.

Thai: พฤติกรรม (phrue ttikam)

Phonetic: [prue tti-kam]

Detailed Explanation: "พฤติกรรม" translates to demeanor in a broader sense, encompassing habitual behaviors and actions. It carries emotional connotations related to personality traits and can be used in everyday contexts to describe both positive and negative behaviors. Semantic nuances highlight its psychological aspect, often implying deeper patterns of conduct rather than just surface-level presentation, making it suitable for discussions in psychology or education.

Overview of Usage Scenarios

Demeanour refers to the way a person behaves or presents themselves outwardly, including their mannerisms, expressions, and overall conduct. It is primarily used in English (especially British English) to describe social interactions and is versatile across contexts like professional settings, casual conversations, and formal events. In Thai, translations like "กิริยา" or "พฤติกรรม" are employed similarly, with a cultural emphasis on politeness and hierarchy. Common usage scenarios include evaluating someone's professionalism, assessing emotional states, or noting social etiquette.

Example Sentences

Example Sentences in Different Scenarios

Business Scenario

English: Her professional demeanour during the meeting impressed the clients.

Thai: กิริยาอาชีพของเธอในระหว่างการประชุมทำให้ลูกค้าประทับใจ.

Grammatical Breakdown: "Her" (possessive pronoun) modifies "professional demeanour" (noun phrase, where "professional" is an adjective describing the noun). "During the meeting" is a prepositional phrase indicating time, and "impressed the clients" is the main clause with "impressed" as the verb.

Structural Analysis: This is a simple declarative sentence with a subject-verb-object structure. "Demeanour" functions as the object of focus, highlighting its role in professional contexts to convey reliability and competence.

Leisure Scenario

English: His relaxed demeanour at the party made everyone feel at ease.

Thai: กิริยาสบายๆ ของเขาที่งานปาร์ตี้ทำให้ทุกคนรู้สึกผ่อนคลาย.

Grammatical Breakdown: "His" (possessive pronoun) precedes "relaxed demeanour" (noun phrase with "relaxed" as an adjective). "At the party" is a prepositional phrase, and "made everyone feel at ease" is the predicate with "made" as the verb.

Structural Analysis: This compound sentence uses "demeanour" to describe informal social dynamics, emphasizing how behavior influences group emotions. The structure builds cause-and-effect relationships.

Formal Occasion

English: The diplomat's calm demeanour during the negotiations averted a crisis.

Thai: กิริยาสงบของนักการทูตในระหว่างการเจรจาช่วยป้องกันวิกฤต.

Grammatical Breakdown: "The diplomat's" (possessive noun phrase) modifies "calm demeanour" (noun with adjective). "During the negotiations" is a prepositional phrase, and "averted a crisis" is the main verb clause.

Structural Analysis: As a complex sentence, it showcases "demeanour" in a high-stakes context, where its role as a subject complement underscores emotional control and strategic behavior.

Informal Occasion

English: Your friendly demeanour at the family gathering was appreciated by all.

Thai: กิริยาที่เป็นมิตรของคุณในงานรวมญาติได้รับการชื่นชมจากทุกคน.

Grammatical Breakdown: "Your" (possessive pronoun) modifies "friendly demeanour" (noun phrase). "At the family gathering" is a prepositional phrase, and "was appreciated by all" is the passive voice clause.

Structural Analysis: This sentence uses "demeanour" to highlight interpersonal warmth in casual settings, with a passive structure to emphasize the effect on others.

Example Sentences in Different Sentence Types

Declarative Sentence

English: She maintained a confident demeanour throughout the interview.

Thai: เธอรักษากิริยาที่มั่นใจตลอดการสัมภาษณ์.

Grammatical Breakdown: "She" (subject) + "maintained" (verb) + "a confident demeanour" (object noun phrase) + "throughout the interview" (adverbial phrase).

Structural Analysis: A straightforward declarative sentence where "demeanour" serves as the direct object, illustrating its use in stating facts.

Interrogative Sentence

English: Did his aggressive demeanour affect the outcome of the discussion?

Thai: กิริยาดุดันของเขามีผลต่อผลลัพธ์ของการอภิปรายหรือไม่?

Grammatical Breakdown: "Did" (auxiliary verb for question form) + "his aggressive demeanour" (subject noun phrase) + "affect" (verb) + "the outcome" (object).

Structural Analysis: This interrogative sentence inverts the standard order to form a question, using "demeanour" to probe emotional impacts.

Imperative Sentence

English: Maintain a positive demeanour during challenging times.

Thai: รักษากิริยาที่เป็นบวกในช่วงเวลาที่ยากลำบาก.

Grammatical Breakdown: Implied subject "you" + "Maintain" (imperative verb) + "a positive demeanour" (object) + "during challenging times" (adverbial phrase).

Structural Analysis: As an imperative, it commands action, with "demeanour" as the focus of advice, common in motivational contexts.

Exclamatory Sentence

English: What a composed demeanour she has under pressure!

Thai: กิริยาสงบของเธอภายใต้แรงกดดันนั้นน่าประทับใจจริงๆ!

Grammatical Breakdown: "What a" (exclamation starter) + "composed demeanour" (noun phrase) + "she has" (verb clause) + "under pressure" (prepositional phrase).

Structural Analysis: This exclamatory sentence expresses admiration, using "demeanour" to heighten emotional emphasis.

Example Sentences of Different Difficulties

Simple Sentence

English: His demeanour was polite.

Thai: กิริยาของเขาเป็นคนสุภาพ.

Grammatical Breakdown: "His demeanour" (subject) + "was" (linking verb) + "polite" (predicate adjective).

Structural Analysis: A basic subject-verb-complement structure, ideal for beginners, directly defining "demeanour."

Intermediate Sentence

English: Despite the criticism, she kept her demeanour professional and focused.

Thai: แม้จะถูกวิจารณ์ แต่เธอก็รักษากิริยาอาชีพและความมุ่งมั่นไว้.

Grammatical Breakdown: "Despite the criticism" (subordinating clause) + "she kept" (main clause verb) + "her demeanour professional and focused" (object with adjectives).

Structural Analysis: This compound sentence adds complexity with a concessive clause, showing "demeanour" in contrastive scenarios.

Complex Sentence

English: Although his initial demeanour seemed arrogant, it softened as the conversation progressed, revealing his true intentions.

Thai: แม้กิริยาเริ่มต้นของเขาจะดูหยิ่ง แต่ก็อ่อนโยนลงเมื่อการสนทนาดำเนินไป ทำให้เห็นเจตนาจริงของเขา.

Grammatical Breakdown: "Although his initial demeanour seemed arrogant" (subordinate clause) + "it softened" (main clause) + "as the conversation progressed" (another subordinate clause) + "revealing his true intentions" (participial phrase).

Structural Analysis: A multi-clause structure demonstrates "demeanour" in evolving contexts, suitable for advanced learners.

Related Phrases and Expressions

Synonyms/Near Synonyms:

• Manner – Used to describe a person's way of behaving, often interchangeably with demeanour in social contexts.
• Behavior – Refers to actions and conduct, with a broader scope that includes habitual patterns, similar to "พฤติกรรม" in Thai.

Antonyms:

• Rudeness – Describes uncivil or disrespectful behavior, contrasting with the polished nature of demeanour.
• Impropriety – Implies inappropriate conduct, highlighting a lack of decorum in formal settings.

Common Collocations:

• Calm demeanour – Often used in stressful situations to indicate composure, e.g., "He maintained a calm demeanour during the storm."
• Professional demeanour – Refers to workplace etiquette, emphasizing reliability and poise.

Cultural Background and Usage Habits

Cultural Background:

• Cultural Point 1: In British English, "demeanour" reflects a cultural emphasis on restraint and propriety, as seen in literature like Jane Austen's novels, where characters' demeanours signify social status. In Thai culture, equivalents like "กิริยา" underscore hierarchical respect, such as in interactions with elders or authority figures, where maintaining a polite demeanour is crucial for harmony.

Usage Habits:

• Habit 1: "Demeanour" is frequently used in formal and professional English-speaking contexts, particularly in the UK, and is less common in casual American English (where "demeanor" is the preferred spelling). In Thailand, "กิริยา" is popular among educated groups and in media, with high frequency in advice columns or self-help content.

Grammar Explanation

Grammatical Function:

"Demeanour" functions as a noun in sentences, typically serving as a subject, object, or complement. For example, it can be the subject in "His demeanour was impressive" or the object in "She observed his demeanour closely." In Thai translations, it retains a similar nominal role.

Tense and Voice:

As a noun, "demeanour" does not change with tenses. However, it can appear in various verb tenses through associated clauses, e.g., "His demeanour was calm" (past tense) or "Her demeanour is professional" (present tense). In passive voice constructions, it might be part of phrases like "A positive demeanour was maintained by the team," where the focus shifts to the action.

References

Etymology and History:

The word "demeanour" originates from Middle English "demenor," derived from Old French "demener" (meaning "to conduct oneself") and ultimately from Latin "minare" (to drive or lead). It evolved in the 15th century to emphasize outward behavior, gaining prominence in English literature during the Victorian era to denote social decorum.

Literary References:

• From Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice": "His demeanour was perfectly easy and assured," highlighting social interactions (source: Chapter 3). This usage underscores the word's role in character analysis.
• From Charles Dickens' "Great Expectations": "Pip's demeanour changed as he rose in society," illustrating personal growth (source: Chapter 20). These references show how "demeanour" reflects societal norms in classic literature.