Orphans studying Khmer in Takeo province, Cambodia. Photo: EPA/Mak Remissa

Simon Roughneen
October 15, 2019

The national language, Khmer, is increasingly treading lexical water, as if about to be pulled under by waves of technological and scientific neologisms.

“It is pretty much challenging in the case of Cambodia where the translation of these keywords into Khmer has been generally slow, fragmented and not widely popularised in daily usage,” Theara said.

“Some researchers have tried to translate the terms into Khmer, but from a practitioner’s perspective, we are generally more familiar, convenient and efficient with using the terms in English per se than the translated ones,” Theara added.

Official Khmer has two reference sources for translation, the Chuon Nath Dictionary, published in 1967, and the National Commission of Khmer Language. But there are, according to Theara, “still a lot of practical terminologies yet to be formally translated and approved by the commission”.

The limitations of language and vocabulary stretch into medicine, with discussions in Khmer typically featuring general or roundabout descriptions of symptoms rather than the precise, scientific terminology more common to clinics in countries that have long since assimilated medical words into their own tongues.

Dr Rithy said that consultations could be more precise if both doctor and patient were able to speak in English rather than their native Khmer. If not, he said, they tried to make do.

Representatives of several of the main foreign business lobby groups in Cambodia did not reply to requests to discuss the role of Khmer in issues such as contract discussions and deal-making, but scholar Filippi said that Cambodia and Khmer present no more of a difficulty in that regard than anywhere else where foreign investors typically wrestle with documents written in – and negotiations conducted through – both a native tongue and a lingua franca such as English.

“My concern is for the future as many of those who belong to the emerging middle classes send their children to international school where they are going to be excellent in English,” said Filippi. “But will they in the end be able to speak Khmer as a working national language?”

full https://southeastasiaglobe.com/how-engl ... -of-words/

English words are coming into Khmer. For example, computer. A lot of Cambodians understand yes and no, even the numbers 1 to 10. Hello and bye bye seem to be understood by people speaking many languages.

I think within 2 generations, Cambodia will be like the Philippines, where a lot of people speak English.

explorer wrote: ↑Wed Nov 06, 2019 12:08 am English words are coming into Khmer. For example, computer. A lot of Cambodians understand yes and no, even the numbers 1 to 10. Hello and bye bye seem to be understood by people speaking many languages.

I think within 2 generations, Cambodia will be like the Philippines, where a lot of people speak English.

Not Chinese?

explorer wrote: ↑Wed Nov 06, 2019 12:08 am English words are coming into Khmer. For example, computer.

This has little to do with English, see Bic and Casio. It’s the same to say “take a PassApp” as “Google it”. When brands go viral they change how we speak regardless which language we speak. Saying “dumpster” is easier than “garbage bin with a lid and wheels”, and what would you call an escalator or a frisbee if not their trademarked product names?

Changes to language are just signs that the language is used. A language that doesn’t change doesn’t change because nobody speaks it and it is dead.

fax wrote: ↑Wed Nov 06, 2019 3:23 am

explorer wrote: ↑Wed Nov 06, 2019 12:08 am English words are coming into Khmer. For example, computer.

what would you call an escalator or a frisbee if not their trademarked product names?

Moving stairs and flying disk?

fax wrote: ↑Wed Nov 06, 2019 3:23 am what would you call an escalator or a frisbee if not their trademarked product names?

The little I have heard escalators being talked about, the word for stairs was used. That is 'gumjoonda.'

Another English word in Khmer is passion fruit. They say 'plae passion.' Plae is fruit.

I have mentioned in another post, the Cambodian name for diabetes translates as 'sweet urine.' It would sound more sophisticated if they used the English word diabetes.

What is the Khmer word for carrot ?