The present study focuses on the plant
naming system in the Thai language based
on 1) Brent Berlin’s general principles of
categorization of plants and animals in
traditional societies (Berlin, 1974, 1992)
which suggest that it is worthwhile to think
about a plant taxonomy system on the
basis of plant names since the names
provide the valid key to folk taxonomy and
2) Lakoff’s central guiding principles of
cognitive linguistics (Lakoff and Johnson,
2003 and Lakoff 1987). Data on plant
names collected from printed materials
are selectively analyzed. The study
examines the linguistic structure, folk
taxonomy and conceptualization of plant
terms in the Thai language. It is found that
there exists in the Thai language a
complex and practical plant naming
system establishing a relationship between
language, cognition and culture.